Creation: A Guide for the Perplexed by Simon Oliver

Guides for the Perplexed

by Simon Oliver

This addition to our popular Guides for the Perplexed series tackles a subject that is enjoying renewed of the major world religions, three - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - claim that the universe is not a brute fact. It is 'created'. But what do we mean by 'creation'? Do we mean that the universe is 'designed'? Is it the product of an evolutionary process? How are creatures related to God, and does God act within creation?Simon Oliver begins with the background to the Christian doctrine of creation in Greek philosophy and the Old Testament. This provides a route into understanding the claim that we are part of a created order that is also the theatre of God's redemptive action in Christ. He examines different understanding of creation, with close reference to the work of patristic and medieval theologians such as Augustine and Aquinas. This leads to an historical guide to the relationship between theological, philosophical and scientific approaches to nature in the modern period including Darwinism and Intelligent Design. Some of the ethical issues concerning humanity's place within, and treatment of, creation and our environment are also examined. Finally, a distinctive yet traditional theology of creation is proposed focused on the concepts of gift and participation as ways of understanding more fully the meaning and implications of the claim that the universe is created.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Science

Paperback

First published August 13, 2015

Reviews

[Mitchell Traver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really impressed. Chapter four was my favorite, and chapter three the most challenging. I’m not even certain I’ll end up landing in the exact same spot as Oliver, but his work here needs to be seriously engaged while wrestling through the doctrine of Creation. To refrain from doing so would, I fear, open the door for intellectual impoverishment. Readers will find a heavy-hitter, in the best way, here. You’ll probably be encouraged, too, which is a pretty special combo for a book to have.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first came across Simon Oliver, through his lecture for Ken Myer's ever-excellent Mars Hill Audio journal. The lecture was first rate, stimulating and original. So I picked up this book. This is a great book for explaining how Thomist categories work and how they fit with a biblical view of creation. Oliver accepts the theory of evolution uncritically and never really shows how Genesis 1-2 fit with that theory in any details, beside broad philosophical categories of God's creative power and providence. neither does Oliver explain how a historical fall, fits with an emerging human species.

In summary the good parts,(there were many) were very helpful to me in understanding some concepts and ideas I had not grasped before, especially concerning Thomas. The section on the rise of modern science is worthwhile, and the comments about a gift-economy in the concluding section are also stimulating, although how this necessarily conflicts with a free market is unclear.

[Anna Grace Galkin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less personally helpful than McFarland’s book, but still offers a unique and philosophical and historical approach to the doctrine of creation.

[Viggo van Uden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Guide for the Perplexed on the theology of creation is well-written and exceptionally comprehensive despite its brevity. The reader is consistently challenged, ensuring sustained engagement while gaining new insights into theology of creation. The book approaches the theme of creation from various perspectives, enriching the reader’s understanding. One of its significant strengths lies in Simon Oliver’s approach: he combines a biblical-theological perspective with classical Thomistic creation doctrine, while also addressing contemporary issues such as environmental issues and consumerism. Especially notable is his account of the development of thought concerning creation, theology, and science (Chapter 4), which proves to be particularly compelling.

The book serves as an excellent introduction to creation theology. Oliver begins with Scripture in Chapter 1, establishing a foundational framework. In Chapter 2, he explicates the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic understanding of creatio ex nihilo. Chapter 3, a particularly complex and thought-provoking section, delves into the analogia entis and the relationship between Creator and creation. Following this, Chapter 4 provides a compelling historical overview of the rise of science, physico-theology, and their implications, such as the objectification of nature. The final chapter (Chapter 5) addresses environmental issues and the separation between nature and culture. Here, Oliver links the concept of creation as a ‘gift’ with the sacrificial offering of Christ and the Eucharistic act of thanksgiving. This chapter serves as a fitting conclusion, connecting creation theology to the heart of Christian faith.

Simon Oliver’s writing style is generally accessible and engaging. However, it occasionally lacks conciseness. At times, his explanations are overly intricate, and he revisits certain points in a summarizing manner more than once, occasionally falling short of the clarity readers might expect (especially in chapter 3). A more succinct and tightly organized approach could enhance clarity and reduce the book’s difficulty without compromising too much of its substance. In terms of content, this book offers a comprehensive and thorough account of Christian creation theology.

[Andrew Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a surprising book within the trend of this series. It doesn’t just describe a Christian view of what creation is, per se, and radiate out from that to include discussion of, say, anthropology. It moves from the Genesis account of creation to indicate that Christianity and Judaism have a radically unique understanding of creation grounded primarily in terms of who God is, allowing for a Augustinian-Thomist articulation of creation ex nihilo, providence and predestination, the conflict of this classical theology with Reformation and post-Reformation theology and the natural sciences, and a re-envisioning of nature and culture to engage the current environmental crises that culminated in the Eucharist as a way of seeing creation as “a gift of a gift to a gift.”

[Adam Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good introduction to Thomistic thought on creation, and also succeeds in extending this foundation to address contemporary questions about the nature of man's dominion over creation. The final two chapters are excellent in this regard and show that a destruction of the pre-modern conception of a symbolical cosmos gives way to a physico-theology in the post-Reformation era that sees creation as raw material without intrinsic value and meaning. Oliver's key concept to address this is creation as a gift, explored at length in the final chapter.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

clearest and most accessible in the RO movement I have read up to date.