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Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics
Though it’s often too subtle to see, much of modern Christianity has fallen prey to the ancient Gnostic heresy which taught that the material world has no lasting spiritual value. Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation diagnoses the problem, takes us through its history, and helps us discover “the purposefulness of the material world, the goodness of the human body, and the eschatological hope of a transformed universe.” But this is not just a book about heresy. Rather, through the author’s exploration of his own spiritual biography, you’ll also see how incipient Gnosticism can show up in our lives, and you’ll learn how to recover from your own Gnostic tendencies through the spiritual practices of Orthodox Christianity.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2023
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72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 29, 2023
I read quite a bit of nonfiction in my areas of study, but I also love literature and delight in a well–told story. This book has the distinction of being one of the most engaging nonfiction books I have read in the category of theology because Robin Phillips is an excellent storyteller.
Writing well-crafted nonfiction has a lot in common with being a good teacher, and a good teacher helps his students recognize the need to know the thing he is about to teach them. Phillips does this first by letting us into his own story, his journey from unwitting Gnosticism to a theology that embraces all of creation as sacramental and redeemable. Then he takes us on a fascinating trip through history, tracing how the gnostic doctrines never really disappeared after being refuted in early centuries, but rather kept bubbling up in various ways in the teachings of different prominent Christians and their followers. The repercussions of embracing new creation theology are explored in the rest of the sections, including seeing the whole of the Bible, the whole of history, as a unified progression, how Christians today can live in function of embracing a sacramental view of our bodies and all of creation, and then expanding out into how cultural problems we see today can be traced back to the prevailing forms of Christianity having embraced a dualistic view of the world, divorcing the Creator from His Creation.
This is not a short book, but it never feels long because each section leaves the reader wondering things that the next section can answer. It is the type of book I think of as global - it takes a wide view and considers everything, from the individual to the entire history of the world, through the lens of this topic, which is very fitting.
The audiobook version is expertly narrated by Kristina Wenger. I listen to audiobooks because it’s the best way to ensure that I will actually finish the books I start. The narration of this book complemented the content well, although I do wish the audiobook version came with a PDF of the missing scripture references, footnotes, and color icons that the note at the beginning says are missing from the audiobook version. I do own some audiobooks that manage offering the visual content in such a way.
As soon as I finished listening to this book, (a) I wished that I also had a physical copy of the book so I could go back and write down some of the sentences that I thought so clearly and beautifully explained the truths of our faith, and (b) I wanted to read it again. This book really does answer all the questions that the sales blurb introduces, and it does so in a delightful and captivating way.
Writing well-crafted nonfiction has a lot in common with being a good teacher, and a good teacher helps his students recognize the need to know the thing he is about to teach them. Phillips does this first by letting us into his own story, his journey from unwitting Gnosticism to a theology that embraces all of creation as sacramental and redeemable. Then he takes us on a fascinating trip through history, tracing how the gnostic doctrines never really disappeared after being refuted in early centuries, but rather kept bubbling up in various ways in the teachings of different prominent Christians and their followers. The repercussions of embracing new creation theology are explored in the rest of the sections, including seeing the whole of the Bible, the whole of history, as a unified progression, how Christians today can live in function of embracing a sacramental view of our bodies and all of creation, and then expanding out into how cultural problems we see today can be traced back to the prevailing forms of Christianity having embraced a dualistic view of the world, divorcing the Creator from His Creation.
This is not a short book, but it never feels long because each section leaves the reader wondering things that the next section can answer. It is the type of book I think of as global - it takes a wide view and considers everything, from the individual to the entire history of the world, through the lens of this topic, which is very fitting.
The audiobook version is expertly narrated by Kristina Wenger. I listen to audiobooks because it’s the best way to ensure that I will actually finish the books I start. The narration of this book complemented the content well, although I do wish the audiobook version came with a PDF of the missing scripture references, footnotes, and color icons that the note at the beginning says are missing from the audiobook version. I do own some audiobooks that manage offering the visual content in such a way.
As soon as I finished listening to this book, (a) I wished that I also had a physical copy of the book so I could go back and write down some of the sentences that I thought so clearly and beautifully explained the truths of our faith, and (b) I wanted to read it again. This book really does answer all the questions that the sales blurb introduces, and it does so in a delightful and captivating way.
March 19, 2023
This work approaches a very ancient and deeply rooted problem all too common in certain veins of Christian thought, often unbeknownst to the modern readers most affected by it. A problem involving complex and nuanced topics spanning multiple centuries and manifesting itself in heretical movements throughout ecclesiology. Phillips is able to distil the issues and their long-term affects down into digestible and easy to follow threads in a relatable and engaging way. This in large part is due to the way Phillips speaks from personal experience rather than approaching the subject from a purely academic and theoretical way, which he certainly has the credentials to do, shedding light on the internal tension and confusion gnostic like presuppositions have on the unsuspecting Christian.
This approach allows the author to do so in a way that is easy to connect with and resonates with many of my own personal experiences. The result is a practical approach to recognizing these tendencies in our own ways of thinking about Christian concepts and how they relate to the material and immaterial world around us. In doing so, Phillips leaves the reader with not merely a history lesson in theological and philosophical concepts, rather he leaves us with a methodology, a manual if you will, for reorienting oneself with the traditional Christian worldview and effectively rediscovering the goodness in creation along the way.
This approach allows the author to do so in a way that is easy to connect with and resonates with many of my own personal experiences. The result is a practical approach to recognizing these tendencies in our own ways of thinking about Christian concepts and how they relate to the material and immaterial world around us. In doing so, Phillips leaves the reader with not merely a history lesson in theological and philosophical concepts, rather he leaves us with a methodology, a manual if you will, for reorienting oneself with the traditional Christian worldview and effectively rediscovering the goodness in creation along the way.
June 19, 2023
"Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics," by Robin Phillips, is a must read for every Christian in the Western world. As a graduate from a non-Orthodox seminary, and now a catechumenate in the Orthodox Church, I was intrigued by Phillips' in depth look at how the West has adopted gnostic views without having realized we have done so.
Phillips begins with a short autobiography, sharing his early love of the arts and music, along with his theological journey toward finding means by which to integrate that love with his faith. This lays the groundwork for the remainder of the book, which compares ancient gnostic writings and arguments against gnostic beliefs with the general mindset of the Western world, including Western Christianity, and how many of us may need to adjust our thoughts to be more in line with that of Scripture and the teachings of the early Church.
Phillips speaks of the rupture in relationship between humanity and creation and how this has led to the view of the earth as a supplier of resources to which we humans are entitled, rather than as part of the gift of life granted to us by God, and for which we are to be stewards.
According to Phillips, there were "dynamic processes that [God] set in motion during the Creation week," and "God has coordinated bodies and organisms to flourish according to the telos (final goal) appropriate to the nature of each thing." Then he goes on to expound on humanity's God-given telos of guiding and caring for each of these things, to help each along its own telos.
One can barely scratch the surface of Phillips' work in a review such as this. Suffice it to say that, he not only looks at humanity's role in creation, but also gives practical how-to advice for changing our gnostic-leaning mindset to one of viewing creation as part of our relationship with our Creator, including our views of our day-to-day tasks, our gifts and our abilities.
Part autobiography, part theological treatise, part "how-to" manual, in Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation, Phillips has given us a reference to which we may find ourselves returning again and again.
Phillips begins with a short autobiography, sharing his early love of the arts and music, along with his theological journey toward finding means by which to integrate that love with his faith. This lays the groundwork for the remainder of the book, which compares ancient gnostic writings and arguments against gnostic beliefs with the general mindset of the Western world, including Western Christianity, and how many of us may need to adjust our thoughts to be more in line with that of Scripture and the teachings of the early Church.
Phillips speaks of the rupture in relationship between humanity and creation and how this has led to the view of the earth as a supplier of resources to which we humans are entitled, rather than as part of the gift of life granted to us by God, and for which we are to be stewards.
According to Phillips, there were "dynamic processes that [God] set in motion during the Creation week," and "God has coordinated bodies and organisms to flourish according to the telos (final goal) appropriate to the nature of each thing." Then he goes on to expound on humanity's God-given telos of guiding and caring for each of these things, to help each along its own telos.
One can barely scratch the surface of Phillips' work in a review such as this. Suffice it to say that, he not only looks at humanity's role in creation, but also gives practical how-to advice for changing our gnostic-leaning mindset to one of viewing creation as part of our relationship with our Creator, including our views of our day-to-day tasks, our gifts and our abilities.
Part autobiography, part theological treatise, part "how-to" manual, in Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation, Phillips has given us a reference to which we may find ourselves returning again and again.
November 28, 2023
Having lived more than half my life in the evangelical Christian church, I had been indoctrinated to believe that I was born evil having inherited the sin of Adam, and that God was more judgmental than loving and was going to send me to hell unless I lived up to a system of laws. Many times in the Southern Baptist Church I heard lengthy sermons that told me that I was going to burn in hell until it was finally revealed in the last 5 minutes "UNLESS" you accept Jesus and live by this or that law or directive and were "saved" followed by no less that 10 stanzas (so it seemed to me) of the hymn "Just as I Am."
And then, I visited an Orthodox Christian Church in my fifties. The beauty of the church, the songs of the choir, the fragrance of the incense , the humility of the prostrations and bows, and the prayerful words of the liturgical service surrounded me as if physically embraced. In this ancient Christian tradition I finally found the longings of my heart answered. I found out that God is love, truth, and beauty rather than a vindictive step-father, and the world was created good, and I was created good, and I was not evil.
Robin Phillips' book is an outstanding personal history and revelation about the goodness of the creation of our world. It has encouraged, excited, and thrilled me as I too am a recovering gnostic. The author explains how heaven and earth have always come together for good sincef Eden, the Old Testament, and by means of the Incarnation of Christ. He elaborates on the Orthodox exclamation of a God who is "everywhere present and filling all things." From historical references and the writings of the Church Fathers as well as modern Orthodox Christian scholars, Phillips helps the reader literally see the beauty of the material world, the sacredness of places of worship, the body as good and transformative, the joys of celebrating the sanctification of time for feasts and fasts, and how to approach life eucharistically permeated by grace and mystery.
If you have ever experienced a longing for something more, read this book.
And then, I visited an Orthodox Christian Church in my fifties. The beauty of the church, the songs of the choir, the fragrance of the incense , the humility of the prostrations and bows, and the prayerful words of the liturgical service surrounded me as if physically embraced. In this ancient Christian tradition I finally found the longings of my heart answered. I found out that God is love, truth, and beauty rather than a vindictive step-father, and the world was created good, and I was created good, and I was not evil.
Robin Phillips' book is an outstanding personal history and revelation about the goodness of the creation of our world. It has encouraged, excited, and thrilled me as I too am a recovering gnostic. The author explains how heaven and earth have always come together for good sincef Eden, the Old Testament, and by means of the Incarnation of Christ. He elaborates on the Orthodox exclamation of a God who is "everywhere present and filling all things." From historical references and the writings of the Church Fathers as well as modern Orthodox Christian scholars, Phillips helps the reader literally see the beauty of the material world, the sacredness of places of worship, the body as good and transformative, the joys of celebrating the sanctification of time for feasts and fasts, and how to approach life eucharistically permeated by grace and mystery.
If you have ever experienced a longing for something more, read this book.
March 17, 2023
As an evangelical Protestant inquiring into the Orthodox faith, one of the most compelling things about Orthodoxy has been the emphasis on an embodied faith. In our increasingly digital age, a faith that is tangible (e.g. actually requires going to church rather than streaming a church service from home) seems ever more important. What I expected to get from this book was a deeper explanation and articulation of why our faith has to be embodied. While it certainly did that, it offered so much more. Robin Phillips framed things in a way that made me understand on a much deeper level the very purpose of humanity. As someone early in my career who continually wrestles with the purpose behind my vocation (especially how to reconcile the sacred and the secular), I found such a renewed clarity for my place and purpose in the world.
I also appreciated the immensely practical applications for how to "not be gnostic" so that I can, in a very real sense, become more human.
I also appreciated the immensely practical applications for how to "not be gnostic" so that I can, in a very real sense, become more human.
April 8, 2025
Potent Quotables:
Sin offers the illusion of a type of false incorruptibility, a way of cheating death outside of deification and resurrection. For example, gluttony offers the illusion that we can live forever by staving off hunger. Envy and hoarding promise us we can accumulate the things we need for survival, and thus cheat death. Sexual lust appeals to our desire to populate the earth through our offspring, and thus achieve immortality by proxy. Substance abuse offers the promise of absconding from the suffering of this world, and thus of escaping the effects of death.
Because beautiful things in this world are icons of God’s beauty, they should neither be renounced nor idolized. Rather, they should be used as stepping stones in the journey toward the new heavens and the new earth. Sin is a misdirection of our God-given impulse to seek out, use, and enjoy that which is good and beautiful.
The transfigured cosmos will incorporate, fulfill, and perfect all that has been good, true and beautiful in the present age of redemption history. Without this eschatological framework, calling heaven to earth becomes merely an exercise in idolatry. The history of the world has been filled with many false starts and counterfeit attempts to call heaven down to earth, as humankind attempts to reestablish sacred space on our own terms, rather than God’s. We see this throughout history in attempts to expand Christendom through the power of the sword, or in futile attempts at achieving utopia this side of the second coming.
June 29, 2023
Through an overview of both historical theological trends and modern religious talking points, Phillips lays out an excellent case for a more "creation-informed" Christian life. I appreciated the personal anecdotes regarding his adoption of the historic Christian faith, as well as popular cases in which modern Christianity has failed to address the present and eschatological reality of a renewed creation. In addition to the text itself, I appreciated the inclusion of discussion questions as endnotes for each chapter. Although I did not read this book with a group, the questions posed helped me better conceptualize and consider potential objections from society at large. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for encouragement in embracing the beauty of the created world.
July 5, 2024
Astonishing. This is a must read for every Christian. If you are a protestant, will this make you uncomfortable yes. But it’s still important that you keep an open mind and understand how your current paradigms diminish your Christian experience. As a former protestant myself, I found this to be quite eye-opening and it helps me to appreciate, my conversion to orthodoxy and it’s holistic approach to the faith all the more.
December 11, 2023
I will definitely read this book again
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews