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Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview
In this brief and straightforward examination of Christians' basic beliefs, Albert M. Wolters spells out the structure of a reformational worldview and its significance for those who seek to follow the Scriptures. Wolters begins by defining the nature and scope of a worldview, distinguishing it from philosophy or theology, and noting that the Christian community has advanced a variety of worldviews. He then outlines a Reformed analysis of the three fundamental turning points in human history – Creation, the Fall, and Redemption – concluding that while the Fall might reach into every corner of the world, Christians are called to participate in Christ's redemption of all creation.
155 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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May 2, 2012Several years ago, while researching the New Earth for my book Heaven, I stumbled online upon Creation Regained. I ordered it based on its title alone (which often proves to be a big mistake). From its opening chapter on worldview, I knew I had discovered a treasure. As I read what Al Wolters had to say about creation, fall and redemption, I found myself repeatedly exclaiming “Yes!”
Until then, I had read only a few other books that resonated with the vast redemptive scope of Matthew 19:28, Acts 3:21, Romans 8:18-23, and other Scriptures. Regrettably, I have seen few since. For too long we have reduced and distorted the gospel to the snatching of souls from earth to a distant and intangible realm suitable for angels, not people. Yet the Bible shows that in His unfolding drama of redemption, God is at work to reclaim not just our souls, but our bodies, and not just our bodies, but the Earth from which that first human body was made, and over which God purposed us to reign.
Al Wolters concisely and persuasively demonstrates that God’s plan for righteous humanity to live on and reign over an uncursed earth was not thwarted by Satan or by man’s sin. (How small a God he would be if that were the case.) He never revoked or abandoned his original great commission for us to rule a good earth to his glory. The last chapters of the Bible promise that God’s original design revealed in the first chapters, greatly enhanced and magnified through Christ’s work, will indeed be fulfilled on a New Earth. Having fallen on mankind’s coat-tails, the earth will rise on our coat-tails, so that resurrected humanity will occupy and rule a resurrected Earth. This is the full gospel of the kingdom, and it is one that is vital to a biblical worldview. It alone explains the Bible’s description of Christians as those who are “looking forward to a new heaven and new earth.”
Creation Regained is biblically and philosophically sound, and offers an understanding that is both refreshing and satisfying. It will be for many a paradigm shifting perspective, one desperately needed by today’s churches and families. The penetrating insights Al Wolters brings will help us to stop redefining the gospel in narrow and shallow and individualistic terminology and assumptions which discredit the breadth and depth of God’s redemptive plan. Readers of this book will celebrate a central and liberating truth that has become tragically obscure: God has no more given up on the rest of his creation than he has given up on us.
The new Postscript to Creation Regained brings together and clarifies key elements of this vital discussion. It’s an insightful and welcome addition to the book. Regardless of your theological leanings, you have much to gain from reading this great book. I highly recommend it.
Until then, I had read only a few other books that resonated with the vast redemptive scope of Matthew 19:28, Acts 3:21, Romans 8:18-23, and other Scriptures. Regrettably, I have seen few since. For too long we have reduced and distorted the gospel to the snatching of souls from earth to a distant and intangible realm suitable for angels, not people. Yet the Bible shows that in His unfolding drama of redemption, God is at work to reclaim not just our souls, but our bodies, and not just our bodies, but the Earth from which that first human body was made, and over which God purposed us to reign.
Al Wolters concisely and persuasively demonstrates that God’s plan for righteous humanity to live on and reign over an uncursed earth was not thwarted by Satan or by man’s sin. (How small a God he would be if that were the case.) He never revoked or abandoned his original great commission for us to rule a good earth to his glory. The last chapters of the Bible promise that God’s original design revealed in the first chapters, greatly enhanced and magnified through Christ’s work, will indeed be fulfilled on a New Earth. Having fallen on mankind’s coat-tails, the earth will rise on our coat-tails, so that resurrected humanity will occupy and rule a resurrected Earth. This is the full gospel of the kingdom, and it is one that is vital to a biblical worldview. It alone explains the Bible’s description of Christians as those who are “looking forward to a new heaven and new earth.”
Creation Regained is biblically and philosophically sound, and offers an understanding that is both refreshing and satisfying. It will be for many a paradigm shifting perspective, one desperately needed by today’s churches and families. The penetrating insights Al Wolters brings will help us to stop redefining the gospel in narrow and shallow and individualistic terminology and assumptions which discredit the breadth and depth of God’s redemptive plan. Readers of this book will celebrate a central and liberating truth that has become tragically obscure: God has no more given up on the rest of his creation than he has given up on us.
The new Postscript to Creation Regained brings together and clarifies key elements of this vital discussion. It’s an insightful and welcome addition to the book. Regardless of your theological leanings, you have much to gain from reading this great book. I highly recommend it.
October 19, 2012
Summary
Basic to Wolters' argument is that all people function with a comprehensive worldview that covers every aspect of life. If a person's worldview ought to be shaped by Scripture, then Scripture must speak to every area of life. In other words, since worldviews are comprehensive, Scripture's authority and scope must be comprehensive as well. In the remainder of the book Wolters sketches what a comprehensive Christian worldview looks like.
The Christian worldview is summarized under the categories of creation, fall, and redemption. In the chapter on creation, Wolters emphasizes that God created the world with laws. One may speak of laws of nature. These were put in place and are upheld by the creator God. The same is true for norms. There are certain moral norms, relational norms, or norms that practitioners of various disciplines must adhere to. Wolters brings laws and norms together under the umbrella of creational law. These norms, relevant to all aspects of life, are discerned through wisdom. In some of these areas, Scripture speaks directly. In others it provides the corrective lens by which the Christian can properly understand general revelation. At the root all creation (and the norms that govern it) is good.
Yet there is a major problem: the fall. The effects of the fall are comprehensive: no area of life is untouched. It is for this reason that Scripture uses the term world to refer to “the totality of unredeemed life dominated by sin outside of Christ” (64, citing Ridderbos). Wolters concludes from this that worldliness cannot be restricted to a secular realm of life. It is a danger in every aspect of life.
Wolters’ emphasis on the comprehensiveness of the fall may seem to stand in tension with his claim of the comprehensive goodness of creation. He introduces the categories of structure and direction to deal with this tension. Structure refers to the essence of a thing, and it is rooted in creational laws. Direction refers to the degree to which a creational entity (and given Wolters' broad view of creation this can refer both to the natural order and to human institutions) is perverted by the fall or is being brought back to conformity to creational law.
The solution to the problem of fall is redemption. Wolters argues that "redemption means restoration" (69). Furthermore, the scope of the restoration is as wide as the scope of the fall. The man, Jesus, plays the key role in restoring creation. The establishment of his kingdom is the evidence that redemption or restoration has begun. And yet the kingdom is not yet consummated. In this already-not yet time, Christians are to attempt to live redemptively in every area of life, that is, they are to live consistent with the restoration that Christ is accomplishing in them and that he will one day fully accomplish in the world.
In his final chapter Wolters attempts a practical outworking of “discerning structure and direction” in both societal and personal arenas. Before he works through his examples, however, he makes an important distinction between “revolution” and “reformation.” According to Wolters, the Christian ought not use violence to effect a revolution in the hope of ushering in a utopia. No utopia is possible before the return of Christ. Instead the Christian seizes on what is good in a particular order and strengthens it; he seeks to bend fallen aspects of life back toward the correct creational norms.
The second edition of Creation Regained includes a postscript coauthored by Wolters and Michael Goheen. They are concerned to locate this talk of worldview in the Bible's storyline. Because the Christian lives in the era in which the kingdom has been inaugurated but not yet consummated, this is a time of witness. It is not a time in which Christians will finally triumph. In fact, the already-not yet means that Christians presently undergo suffering and conflict because the antithesis between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world is sharpened in this period. This means that the Christian must struggle with the tension of applying the gospel to his specific culture while not allowing his culture to compromise the gospel. The difficulties in living out a Christian worldview are beyond the abilities of Christians, but the Spirit of God is given to empower obedience and faithfulness.
In sum, Wolters argues that creation extends to all that God creates and maintains (it includes the natural order and structures humans develop in obedience to the creation mandate), fall affects every aspect of creation, and redemption extends as far as the fall to restore creation. This is not a triumphalist gospel in the present, for in the time between the ages there is sharp conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world as God's people seek to live redemptively in this fallen world.
Evaluation
Strengths
Wolters gathers under the rubric creational law natural laws, the law revealed in Scripture, and God’s specific purposes for creation or individuals. He supports this view by highlighting Scripture passages in which these seemingly diverse concepts are brought together (2 Peter 3:5, 7; Ps. 148:8; 147:15-20; 1 Tim. 4:3-4; Rom. 13:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:13; Ps. 19:1-4; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:18-20; Rom. 2:14-15). On the theological side, the payoff is that this approach to creational law strengthens the canonical links between the Pentateuch and wisdom books by showing that the law and the wisdom books (especially Proverbs) demonstrate the concrete application of creational norms to specific cultural situations. The other benefit of this approach is that it forces Christians to realize that various aspects of fallen culture struggle against creational law. This is obvious on matters such as homosexual “marriage” about which Scripture clearly speaks, but it may also be occurring on matters such as modern art or certain musical styles. Thus awareness of creational law can put Christians on-guard against uncritically accepting fallen aspects of culture; it alerts Christians to the need of applying Scripture with Spirit-guided wisdom to every aspect of life.
Structure and direction may be the most broadly useful of Wolters’ concepts. If all of creation is good, and if the fall has affected all of creation, how does the Christian discern what is good and what is bad. Or, if a missionary must contextualize his ministry in a new culture, how does he discern what is legitimate and what is compromise? Wolters' discussion of structure and direction does not answer these questions, but it provides categories that make answering these questions possible. The basic structures of God’s creation are good, but these structures may be twisted in a bad direction or bent back to the good purposes that God has for them. The Christian must therefore wisely discern what is structural, what is directional, and how to live in the right direction.
Salvation as restoration is a key point of disagreement between Wolters and two-kingdoms theorists such as David VanDrunen. Wolters is in the right on this issue. Whereas, VanDrunen sees the resurrection body as the only point of contact between this world and the new earth (66), Romans 8:18-25 ties the renewal of the world and the resurrection of the body together. Genesis 8:21 and 2 Peter 3:10-12 are misunderstood if they are deployed to deny restoration. It is part of God’s glory that he reverses the effects of sin rather than throwing away creation and starting over afresh.
Those who agree with Wolters that all of creation needs to be redeemed may be tempted to overthrow the present order and seek to establish the ideal. Wolters’ distinction between reformation and revolution guards against this however. Wolters notes that Christians do not have authorization to effect a revolution. Furthermore, “no given societal order is absolutely corrupt” (92), and no ideal is attainable in this age. Thus, the Christian should do his best to strengthen what is good and undermine evil when he has opportunity. Thus Wolters combines modesty in effecting cultural change with the encouragement for Christians to attempt to improve culture as they are able in their situation.
Though Wolters advocates a role for Christians in the restoration of the world, he does not do so in a triumphalist manner or in one in which humans are at the center of bringing about the promised redemption. Instead, in this age, the Christian who presses for redemption can expect persecution and suffering. With this emphasis Wolters taps into a major biblical theme: Christians as sojourners in this present evil age. It is a strength that Wolters is able to maintain this emphasis alongside his emphasis of Christian attempts to live redemptively in the culture.
Weaknesses
Wolters’ extension of creation into areas of human endeavor such as marriage, farming, education, and business is intriguing. He has presented convincing biblical evidence in terms of marriage and farming (and the latter example lends itself to extension in other areas). There also seems to be historical evidence to support his hypothesis. For instance, communism seems to fail because it violates certain creational norms. The same could be said of certain educational theories or business practices. And yet what does it mean to call agriculture, economics, or science "creation"? Is it the norms that are creational? Are the actions, the structures, and/or the products creational? Some additional clarity on this point is needful.
Wolters rightly views redemption as restoration, but because of his broad definition of creation, he argues that the “products of human culture” will be purified and brought into the new creation. This goes beyond the biblical evidence and seems unnecessary even in a redemption-as-restoration paradigm. Clarification on the extent of creation will help in this matter.
Wolters is willing to speak of Christians advancing the kingdom in such areas as "advertising, labor-management relations, education, and international affairs" (76). A Christian who is in a labor union or on a management team must not dichotomize his work from his submission to Christ as Lord, but is working in such a way that the direction of these activities is bent towards their creational norms really advancing the kingdom? In some cases, perhaps. Part of his sanctification (that is, part of his redemption) is to conduct himself as befits a citizen of Christ's kingdom in all of these areas. But while he may have a sanctifying effect on his lost co-workers in these matters (along the lines of 1 Cor. 7:14), it seems too expansive to say he is establishing God's kingdom or that he is redeeming certain areas of culture. It would be better to say that he is acting in ways that anticipate the consummation of the kingdom or in ways that are consistent with redemption.
Wolters work would be strengthened by discussion about the role of the church. His book is most helpful for enabling Christians to live Christianly in their vocations six days a week. Yet that is not where the stress of the New Testament lies; its stress lies on the church. It is not wrong to focus elsewhere; indeed theologians have often found it necessary to emphasize things the Bible does not either to defend parts of Christianity that are under attack or to apply Scripture to situations not directly addressed by Scripture. Nonetheless, greater discussion of these areas would strengthen Wolters’ work.
Conclusion
In sum, Creation Regained is full of concepts that will enrich many aspects of Bible study: creational norms, structure and direction, the kingdom, worldliness, and the overlap of the ages. Wolters' primary weakness is the speculative nature of some of his ideas. The insights he has, however, far outweigh the weaknesses. This is the kind of book that repays repeated, careful, and thoughtful reading.
Basic to Wolters' argument is that all people function with a comprehensive worldview that covers every aspect of life. If a person's worldview ought to be shaped by Scripture, then Scripture must speak to every area of life. In other words, since worldviews are comprehensive, Scripture's authority and scope must be comprehensive as well. In the remainder of the book Wolters sketches what a comprehensive Christian worldview looks like.
The Christian worldview is summarized under the categories of creation, fall, and redemption. In the chapter on creation, Wolters emphasizes that God created the world with laws. One may speak of laws of nature. These were put in place and are upheld by the creator God. The same is true for norms. There are certain moral norms, relational norms, or norms that practitioners of various disciplines must adhere to. Wolters brings laws and norms together under the umbrella of creational law. These norms, relevant to all aspects of life, are discerned through wisdom. In some of these areas, Scripture speaks directly. In others it provides the corrective lens by which the Christian can properly understand general revelation. At the root all creation (and the norms that govern it) is good.
Yet there is a major problem: the fall. The effects of the fall are comprehensive: no area of life is untouched. It is for this reason that Scripture uses the term world to refer to “the totality of unredeemed life dominated by sin outside of Christ” (64, citing Ridderbos). Wolters concludes from this that worldliness cannot be restricted to a secular realm of life. It is a danger in every aspect of life.
Wolters’ emphasis on the comprehensiveness of the fall may seem to stand in tension with his claim of the comprehensive goodness of creation. He introduces the categories of structure and direction to deal with this tension. Structure refers to the essence of a thing, and it is rooted in creational laws. Direction refers to the degree to which a creational entity (and given Wolters' broad view of creation this can refer both to the natural order and to human institutions) is perverted by the fall or is being brought back to conformity to creational law.
The solution to the problem of fall is redemption. Wolters argues that "redemption means restoration" (69). Furthermore, the scope of the restoration is as wide as the scope of the fall. The man, Jesus, plays the key role in restoring creation. The establishment of his kingdom is the evidence that redemption or restoration has begun. And yet the kingdom is not yet consummated. In this already-not yet time, Christians are to attempt to live redemptively in every area of life, that is, they are to live consistent with the restoration that Christ is accomplishing in them and that he will one day fully accomplish in the world.
In his final chapter Wolters attempts a practical outworking of “discerning structure and direction” in both societal and personal arenas. Before he works through his examples, however, he makes an important distinction between “revolution” and “reformation.” According to Wolters, the Christian ought not use violence to effect a revolution in the hope of ushering in a utopia. No utopia is possible before the return of Christ. Instead the Christian seizes on what is good in a particular order and strengthens it; he seeks to bend fallen aspects of life back toward the correct creational norms.
The second edition of Creation Regained includes a postscript coauthored by Wolters and Michael Goheen. They are concerned to locate this talk of worldview in the Bible's storyline. Because the Christian lives in the era in which the kingdom has been inaugurated but not yet consummated, this is a time of witness. It is not a time in which Christians will finally triumph. In fact, the already-not yet means that Christians presently undergo suffering and conflict because the antithesis between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world is sharpened in this period. This means that the Christian must struggle with the tension of applying the gospel to his specific culture while not allowing his culture to compromise the gospel. The difficulties in living out a Christian worldview are beyond the abilities of Christians, but the Spirit of God is given to empower obedience and faithfulness.
In sum, Wolters argues that creation extends to all that God creates and maintains (it includes the natural order and structures humans develop in obedience to the creation mandate), fall affects every aspect of creation, and redemption extends as far as the fall to restore creation. This is not a triumphalist gospel in the present, for in the time between the ages there is sharp conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world as God's people seek to live redemptively in this fallen world.
Evaluation
Strengths
Wolters gathers under the rubric creational law natural laws, the law revealed in Scripture, and God’s specific purposes for creation or individuals. He supports this view by highlighting Scripture passages in which these seemingly diverse concepts are brought together (2 Peter 3:5, 7; Ps. 148:8; 147:15-20; 1 Tim. 4:3-4; Rom. 13:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:13; Ps. 19:1-4; Acts 14:17; Rom. 1:18-20; Rom. 2:14-15). On the theological side, the payoff is that this approach to creational law strengthens the canonical links between the Pentateuch and wisdom books by showing that the law and the wisdom books (especially Proverbs) demonstrate the concrete application of creational norms to specific cultural situations. The other benefit of this approach is that it forces Christians to realize that various aspects of fallen culture struggle against creational law. This is obvious on matters such as homosexual “marriage” about which Scripture clearly speaks, but it may also be occurring on matters such as modern art or certain musical styles. Thus awareness of creational law can put Christians on-guard against uncritically accepting fallen aspects of culture; it alerts Christians to the need of applying Scripture with Spirit-guided wisdom to every aspect of life.
Structure and direction may be the most broadly useful of Wolters’ concepts. If all of creation is good, and if the fall has affected all of creation, how does the Christian discern what is good and what is bad. Or, if a missionary must contextualize his ministry in a new culture, how does he discern what is legitimate and what is compromise? Wolters' discussion of structure and direction does not answer these questions, but it provides categories that make answering these questions possible. The basic structures of God’s creation are good, but these structures may be twisted in a bad direction or bent back to the good purposes that God has for them. The Christian must therefore wisely discern what is structural, what is directional, and how to live in the right direction.
Salvation as restoration is a key point of disagreement between Wolters and two-kingdoms theorists such as David VanDrunen. Wolters is in the right on this issue. Whereas, VanDrunen sees the resurrection body as the only point of contact between this world and the new earth (66), Romans 8:18-25 ties the renewal of the world and the resurrection of the body together. Genesis 8:21 and 2 Peter 3:10-12 are misunderstood if they are deployed to deny restoration. It is part of God’s glory that he reverses the effects of sin rather than throwing away creation and starting over afresh.
Those who agree with Wolters that all of creation needs to be redeemed may be tempted to overthrow the present order and seek to establish the ideal. Wolters’ distinction between reformation and revolution guards against this however. Wolters notes that Christians do not have authorization to effect a revolution. Furthermore, “no given societal order is absolutely corrupt” (92), and no ideal is attainable in this age. Thus, the Christian should do his best to strengthen what is good and undermine evil when he has opportunity. Thus Wolters combines modesty in effecting cultural change with the encouragement for Christians to attempt to improve culture as they are able in their situation.
Though Wolters advocates a role for Christians in the restoration of the world, he does not do so in a triumphalist manner or in one in which humans are at the center of bringing about the promised redemption. Instead, in this age, the Christian who presses for redemption can expect persecution and suffering. With this emphasis Wolters taps into a major biblical theme: Christians as sojourners in this present evil age. It is a strength that Wolters is able to maintain this emphasis alongside his emphasis of Christian attempts to live redemptively in the culture.
Weaknesses
Wolters’ extension of creation into areas of human endeavor such as marriage, farming, education, and business is intriguing. He has presented convincing biblical evidence in terms of marriage and farming (and the latter example lends itself to extension in other areas). There also seems to be historical evidence to support his hypothesis. For instance, communism seems to fail because it violates certain creational norms. The same could be said of certain educational theories or business practices. And yet what does it mean to call agriculture, economics, or science "creation"? Is it the norms that are creational? Are the actions, the structures, and/or the products creational? Some additional clarity on this point is needful.
Wolters rightly views redemption as restoration, but because of his broad definition of creation, he argues that the “products of human culture” will be purified and brought into the new creation. This goes beyond the biblical evidence and seems unnecessary even in a redemption-as-restoration paradigm. Clarification on the extent of creation will help in this matter.
Wolters is willing to speak of Christians advancing the kingdom in such areas as "advertising, labor-management relations, education, and international affairs" (76). A Christian who is in a labor union or on a management team must not dichotomize his work from his submission to Christ as Lord, but is working in such a way that the direction of these activities is bent towards their creational norms really advancing the kingdom? In some cases, perhaps. Part of his sanctification (that is, part of his redemption) is to conduct himself as befits a citizen of Christ's kingdom in all of these areas. But while he may have a sanctifying effect on his lost co-workers in these matters (along the lines of 1 Cor. 7:14), it seems too expansive to say he is establishing God's kingdom or that he is redeeming certain areas of culture. It would be better to say that he is acting in ways that anticipate the consummation of the kingdom or in ways that are consistent with redemption.
Wolters work would be strengthened by discussion about the role of the church. His book is most helpful for enabling Christians to live Christianly in their vocations six days a week. Yet that is not where the stress of the New Testament lies; its stress lies on the church. It is not wrong to focus elsewhere; indeed theologians have often found it necessary to emphasize things the Bible does not either to defend parts of Christianity that are under attack or to apply Scripture to situations not directly addressed by Scripture. Nonetheless, greater discussion of these areas would strengthen Wolters’ work.
Conclusion
In sum, Creation Regained is full of concepts that will enrich many aspects of Bible study: creational norms, structure and direction, the kingdom, worldliness, and the overlap of the ages. Wolters' primary weakness is the speculative nature of some of his ideas. The insights he has, however, far outweigh the weaknesses. This is the kind of book that repays repeated, careful, and thoughtful reading.
April 12, 2021
This book is considered standard reading for anyone who wants to understand what a Christian worldview is. The basic paradigm is creation-fall-redemption, and a particularly useful concept was the distinction between structure and direction.
Mark Ward has posted a helpful discussion in four parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
Some concerns here.
Mark Ward has posted a helpful discussion in four parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
Some concerns here.
August 28, 2011
God created a "very good" structure upon which man was to build. Man fell into sin, distorting that good structure, bending it in the wrong direction. Christ will redeem everything touched by the fall: Grace restores nature.
March 9, 2011
This book changed my life; God used it to speak the Gospel to me afresh.
April 28, 2021
This was brilliant! Wolters really helpfully deconstructs the Christian worldview within the categories of creation, fall, and redemption.
The stand-out insight was the need to differentiate between 'structure' and 'direction' of different elements of life and culture: 'structure' being the good createdness of all things, and 'direction' being the extent to which it's being used in service of sin/the flesh/the world or in service of God. Understanding the difference between the two is key for Christians living in the overlap of the ages, restraining us from either refusing to engage with aspects of culture thinking they are entirely wordly, or blindly following our culture on a path away from Jesus.
The additional chapter on mission is great at unpacking what a creation-fall-redemption worldview means for life now, in the gap between Jesus's first and second comings, encouraging Christians to witness to God's kingdom by embodying what it means for Christ to be Lord over art, science, politics, family life, leisure, business...
I think I'll come back to this a lot, and recommend it widely!
The stand-out insight was the need to differentiate between 'structure' and 'direction' of different elements of life and culture: 'structure' being the good createdness of all things, and 'direction' being the extent to which it's being used in service of sin/the flesh/the world or in service of God. Understanding the difference between the two is key for Christians living in the overlap of the ages, restraining us from either refusing to engage with aspects of culture thinking they are entirely wordly, or blindly following our culture on a path away from Jesus.
The additional chapter on mission is great at unpacking what a creation-fall-redemption worldview means for life now, in the gap between Jesus's first and second comings, encouraging Christians to witness to God's kingdom by embodying what it means for Christ to be Lord over art, science, politics, family life, leisure, business...
I think I'll come back to this a lot, and recommend it widely!
September 1, 2020
One of the best and clearest explanations I’ve ever read of the scope of Gods redemption in creation.
January 1, 2020
Worthwhile especially for Christians who want to understand what God’s redemptive and restorative plan might mean for their everyday lives. A great corrective to the prevailing Christian ideas that separate the secular and sacred and plan ahead in terms of God superseding his beloved creation.
February 19, 2011
Two themes that stuck with me:
First, this book gives the proper questions for interpreting culture. "What about this is structural?" and "What about this is directional?" I have found these to be among the most important questions I've learned to ask in discerning culture.
Second, Wolters explains God's redemption cosmically. "God does not create junk, and God does not junk His creation."
With these two themes in hand, I walked away from the book thinking much more broadly about my calling to be redemptive in all that I do.
An excellent read.
First, this book gives the proper questions for interpreting culture. "What about this is structural?" and "What about this is directional?" I have found these to be among the most important questions I've learned to ask in discerning culture.
Second, Wolters explains God's redemption cosmically. "God does not create junk, and God does not junk His creation."
With these two themes in hand, I walked away from the book thinking much more broadly about my calling to be redemptive in all that I do.
An excellent read.
December 1, 2020
Excellent. Broadened my scope of creation, the effects of sin, and the power of the gospel to restore creation and unite all things to Christ. Goheen's attachment of these truths to mission is very helpful as well.
May 1, 2023
Framing questions for a Christian Worldview
Wolters argues that a distinctly Christian and Reformed approach to discerning God's purpose for humans and creation can be found by using a creation - fall - re-creation framework. Within this framework we find two realities of creation: structural and directional.
Structural realities are those that are ontologically part of the created order and include categories or realms of existence within that order. So, everything, including politics, culture, athletics, art, academics, work, play, sexuality, etc. all find their place in God's good creation. Further, Jesus is Lord over all aspects of his creation and works to sustain it.
Within the outworking of created reality comes the "directional" reality. Creation is good, yet humans have fallen; the structural elements of creation are subject to distortion. So, now in every aspect of creation there is need to discern what is aligned with God's good intention and what opposes it, and how to redeem, as much as is possible, whatever is misaligned. This is part of the Christian mission of witness.
Wolters provides a compelling portrayal of the Christian calling and need to view life purpose from a Christian worldview lens. What he argues is uniquely Reformed about this approach is the expansion of the scope of Christ's lordship to the entirety of the created realm, as opposed to particular regions (e.g., church, personal piety, otherworldly hopes, etc.). Put another way, he believes the Reformed approach provides a robust response to dualistic (gnostic) religious and philosophical tendencies within human life and even within Christianity.
I found especially helpful Wolters' placing of moral and ethical questions into the structural and directional framework. We should not ask, he says, whether XYZ is "good" or "bad," but what elements of it are structural and what is directional? Once the directional elements are determined, then we can ask how these can best be brought into alignment with the structural (i.e., God's creational intent). He admits that discerning answers will not always be straight forward; and I can anticipate biblical hermeneutical questions being raised concerning the identification of some creation elements as structural or directional. But overall, I find that Wolters' approach of making sure we are asking biblical questions to be more theologically and ethically satisfying than overly simplistic approaches to discerning good or bad, which often simply assume non-biblical frameworks as criteria.
Wolters argues that a distinctly Christian and Reformed approach to discerning God's purpose for humans and creation can be found by using a creation - fall - re-creation framework. Within this framework we find two realities of creation: structural and directional.
Structural realities are those that are ontologically part of the created order and include categories or realms of existence within that order. So, everything, including politics, culture, athletics, art, academics, work, play, sexuality, etc. all find their place in God's good creation. Further, Jesus is Lord over all aspects of his creation and works to sustain it.
Within the outworking of created reality comes the "directional" reality. Creation is good, yet humans have fallen; the structural elements of creation are subject to distortion. So, now in every aspect of creation there is need to discern what is aligned with God's good intention and what opposes it, and how to redeem, as much as is possible, whatever is misaligned. This is part of the Christian mission of witness.
Wolters provides a compelling portrayal of the Christian calling and need to view life purpose from a Christian worldview lens. What he argues is uniquely Reformed about this approach is the expansion of the scope of Christ's lordship to the entirety of the created realm, as opposed to particular regions (e.g., church, personal piety, otherworldly hopes, etc.). Put another way, he believes the Reformed approach provides a robust response to dualistic (gnostic) religious and philosophical tendencies within human life and even within Christianity.
I found especially helpful Wolters' placing of moral and ethical questions into the structural and directional framework. We should not ask, he says, whether XYZ is "good" or "bad," but what elements of it are structural and what is directional? Once the directional elements are determined, then we can ask how these can best be brought into alignment with the structural (i.e., God's creational intent). He admits that discerning answers will not always be straight forward; and I can anticipate biblical hermeneutical questions being raised concerning the identification of some creation elements as structural or directional. But overall, I find that Wolters' approach of making sure we are asking biblical questions to be more theologically and ethically satisfying than overly simplistic approaches to discerning good or bad, which often simply assume non-biblical frameworks as criteria.
February 20, 2025
Wolters’ primary assertion in Creation Regained is that to live as faithful agents of Christ in the world, disciples of Jesus must be willing to keep ever in view the structure and direction that serve as the dual foundation of all creation.
I was deeply impacted by the propositions and vision Wolters offered in this book, one in which Christians of all social and traditional locations can reclaim “the cosmic scope of redemption,” thus expanding their gospel and redefining their relationship with the created order and “the world” (in the biblical or Johannine sense). I would agree resoundingly with Wolters’ insistence of the gravity of such reclaiming, a work that can free God’s people from the bondage of the ruthless sacred-secular, body-spirit, and hope-despair divides that so dominate the rhetoric amongst many young evangelicals. The portrayal of the paradigmatic dividing line as a horizontal rift rather than a vertical distinction is one that is particularly necessary in the modern culture; the divide we really experience is a fracture across every sector between dueling kingdoms, not one that deems a cluster of sectors as “secular” or “worldly,” and thus fully stained (81-83).
The one place I found myself wanting more from Wolters’ work was in the face of what lies ahead. I recognize that Wolters’ purview was less concerned with contemplating the shades of new creation and more focused on “coloring in” the blueprints of current redemption and our partnership in restoration. Nonetheless, in attempts to honor the biblical story arc in its entirety and train up God’s people to do the same, I can’t help but yearn for a postlude that offers even a foretaste of the coming consummation — the coming glory that is our telos as Christ has overcome and continually remakes the world. As we consider the work of creation and re-creation on internal, relational, systemic, and existential levels, a vision of the ultimate fulfillment of the hagiazein work of the Spirit, could serve as a consonant anthem to keep us marching on (90).
To any friend in ministry, student hungry for depth, pastor leading in the Western context, or spiritually-curious intellectual, I would recommend Wolters’ work with resounding enthusiasm. Its thesis has much to offer the world, and its words will continue to stir and inform me in vision, conviction, and devotion in every sphere of life.
I was deeply impacted by the propositions and vision Wolters offered in this book, one in which Christians of all social and traditional locations can reclaim “the cosmic scope of redemption,” thus expanding their gospel and redefining their relationship with the created order and “the world” (in the biblical or Johannine sense). I would agree resoundingly with Wolters’ insistence of the gravity of such reclaiming, a work that can free God’s people from the bondage of the ruthless sacred-secular, body-spirit, and hope-despair divides that so dominate the rhetoric amongst many young evangelicals. The portrayal of the paradigmatic dividing line as a horizontal rift rather than a vertical distinction is one that is particularly necessary in the modern culture; the divide we really experience is a fracture across every sector between dueling kingdoms, not one that deems a cluster of sectors as “secular” or “worldly,” and thus fully stained (81-83).
The one place I found myself wanting more from Wolters’ work was in the face of what lies ahead. I recognize that Wolters’ purview was less concerned with contemplating the shades of new creation and more focused on “coloring in” the blueprints of current redemption and our partnership in restoration. Nonetheless, in attempts to honor the biblical story arc in its entirety and train up God’s people to do the same, I can’t help but yearn for a postlude that offers even a foretaste of the coming consummation — the coming glory that is our telos as Christ has overcome and continually remakes the world. As we consider the work of creation and re-creation on internal, relational, systemic, and existential levels, a vision of the ultimate fulfillment of the hagiazein work of the Spirit, could serve as a consonant anthem to keep us marching on (90).
To any friend in ministry, student hungry for depth, pastor leading in the Western context, or spiritually-curious intellectual, I would recommend Wolters’ work with resounding enthusiasm. Its thesis has much to offer the world, and its words will continue to stir and inform me in vision, conviction, and devotion in every sphere of life.
December 23, 2024
Looking through the lens of creation, fall, and redemption, Wolters helps the Christian with their worldview. Primarily, he asks the question of how to view the world through ‘structure’ and ‘direction.’ In sum, he’s saying ‘The mission of God’s people is to discern and embrace the good creation insights and structure, and at the same time to reject and subvert the idolatrous distortion.’ He helpfully articulates how the Christian should affirm the good aspects of creation rather than viewing everything as negative because things will be redeemed.
Overall, I thought this was a phenomenal introductory book on worldview. I say introductory not because it’s easy to understand (the chapter on creation should probably be read twice), but rather because Wolters presents ideas rather than ironing them all the way out. I highly recommend this book!
Overall, I thought this was a phenomenal introductory book on worldview. I say introductory not because it’s easy to understand (the chapter on creation should probably be read twice), but rather because Wolters presents ideas rather than ironing them all the way out. I highly recommend this book!
August 9, 2023
This book had a few issues, and Wolters argued a couple of points that I found dubious. These were rare exceptions though. On the whole, I found this book to be a brief, readable, and thoroughly convincing account of how Christians ought to approach the world. Wolters made a radical yet obvious argument for the absolute sovereignty that God ought to have over all aspects of human life. There are obvious social and political implications.
One of the most refreshing parts of the book was Wolters’ adamant insistence on the fundamental goodness of creation. This book preached the mission of Christian restoration of creation, and I’m all here for it.
One of the most refreshing parts of the book was Wolters’ adamant insistence on the fundamental goodness of creation. This book preached the mission of Christian restoration of creation, and I’m all here for it.
May 9, 2021
A short, helpful book outlining the Creation, Fall, Redemption motif. Wolters introduced me to the concepts of structure and direction. Structure being the thing or substance. Direction being how the thing or substance is used. So the direction can be either good or bad.
The book is particularly helpful in showing the breadth included in the above categories, nothing is excluded. Therefore there is not a valid sacred secular divide.
The book is particularly helpful in showing the breadth included in the above categories, nothing is excluded. Therefore there is not a valid sacred secular divide.
July 16, 2025
seminary read🤓 This book did a really good job walking through how having a right biblical worldview changes the way we live and think. It walks through how creation, fall, and redemption shape our worldview. It has impacted the way I discuss, think about, and partake in things.
My two caveats of this book are that I found it interesting he didn’t write a chapter on consummation/restoration. I also found this book to be pretty dense, I found myself having to be really focused to follow along.
My two caveats of this book are that I found it interesting he didn’t write a chapter on consummation/restoration. I also found this book to be pretty dense, I found myself having to be really focused to follow along.
May 13, 2024
Hard to know how to rate this—maybe a 3.5 would be more appropriate. I don’t like to mark a book down just because I don’t agree with everything posited, but I am dropping it a little lower because it was repetitive, especially toward the end, and because the author included random commentary that he did not explain and seemed, therefore, gratuitous and random.
January 12, 2025
I probably would not have picked up this book if it wasn’t for class. I appreciated the length of the book for its topic and came away with a lot of things underlined. Although little was new to me in this book, I wish I had read this book instead of others from over the years on Christian worldview and such.
April 19, 2019
Good book. Wolters offers a pretty simple, but sweeping view of creation - God made all of it, the Fall affected all of it, God will restore all of it. The categories he gives are very helpful for thinking through our engagement with the world around us. I would have appreciated more concrete examples of how this analysis would play out. He admits near the end of the book that his goal isn't to give answers, but to help readers ask the right questions. He does a good job of that.
April 17, 2022
A succinct summary of the faith. I appreciate the cosmic scope of salvation, rather than making it individualistic. I also found the structure/difference concept insightful.
Overall, there’s nothing particularly new in the book. It serves as a well-stated summary of the basics - nothing less and nothing more.
Overall, there’s nothing particularly new in the book. It serves as a well-stated summary of the basics - nothing less and nothing more.
November 27, 2022
Terrific introduction to a biblical and reformed worldview.
June 30, 2023
This book helped me to apply my Christian Worldview in practical, biblical ways. Great read!!
March 7, 2017
Not especially compelling, although some helpful points. Read for teaching purposes.
March 24, 2011
Through the lens of the Gospel, Wolters examines the concept of a worldview. In the first chapter, Wolters previews the topic and discusses the concept and implications of a worldview. The writer answers these and many other questions in the first chapter: What is a worldview? Why is a worldview important? Who has a worldview? Having established these foundational concepts, the following three chapters serve as a guide for a Christian worldview. Wolters uses these chapters (2-4) as the basis of a biblical worldview (viz., Creation, Fall, and Redemption). In all of these areas, the writer guides the reader to the understanding that the cosmic significance of the Gospel has much to do with the moral and ethical choices of the believer. Throughout these three chapters as well as the conclusion, the reader is driven away from poor paradigms (secular vs. sacred, categorically good vs. categorically bad) to a wholly different paradigm (redeemed vs. fallen). In essence, when doing studies in ethics, Wolters would have Christians ask these questions: 1. What was God's creative ideal (law) in this area? 2. In what way has the depravity of fallen man marred this ideal? 3. In what ways can we see the creative ideal restored through the Gospel? These questions will directly affect the life of a believer if their answers are translated into practice. Wolters' conclusion is extremely practical. The summary chapter was very helpful in its added dimensions and explanations.
Overall, the work was an enjoyable and enlightening read. Several flaws may exist in the argument and in the work as a whole. Some of these may be more significant depending on ones' denominational and theological background. First, Wolters stands committedly in the Reformed tradition. One who is outside those bounds may find some disconnect with the views of the writer. For example, Wolters takes a somewhat unfair shot at Dispensationalism (79) by stating that they only hold to the kingdom as millennial. Also, some of the concepts such as a "cultural mandate" and "redeeming culture" are predicated on an understanding of Niebuhr's "Christ and Culture," and his concept of "Christ redeeming culture." Most premillennialists struggle with this position due to what they see as a downturn in morality at the end of the current age, rather than a slow victory in the realm of culture. That being said, dispensationalists will not disagree in whole with the premise of the work. Even the concept of the Church battling towards victory (albeit, not accomplished until after the millennium) in the realm of ethics is supported by most dispensationalists who are more than willing to combat the pessimistic possibilities of their theology.
These concerns are only significant to a select few, so they are of little significance. The book itself is extremely significant. While only an introduction to redemptive worldviews, the work turns the eyes of the reader to the Gospel in order to find the deepest of ethical implications.
Overall, the work was an enjoyable and enlightening read. Several flaws may exist in the argument and in the work as a whole. Some of these may be more significant depending on ones' denominational and theological background. First, Wolters stands committedly in the Reformed tradition. One who is outside those bounds may find some disconnect with the views of the writer. For example, Wolters takes a somewhat unfair shot at Dispensationalism (79) by stating that they only hold to the kingdom as millennial. Also, some of the concepts such as a "cultural mandate" and "redeeming culture" are predicated on an understanding of Niebuhr's "Christ and Culture," and his concept of "Christ redeeming culture." Most premillennialists struggle with this position due to what they see as a downturn in morality at the end of the current age, rather than a slow victory in the realm of culture. That being said, dispensationalists will not disagree in whole with the premise of the work. Even the concept of the Church battling towards victory (albeit, not accomplished until after the millennium) in the realm of ethics is supported by most dispensationalists who are more than willing to combat the pessimistic possibilities of their theology.
These concerns are only significant to a select few, so they are of little significance. The book itself is extremely significant. While only an introduction to redemptive worldviews, the work turns the eyes of the reader to the Gospel in order to find the deepest of ethical implications.
July 23, 2013
In the tradition of Kuyper, Vollenhoven, and Dooyeweerd, Albert Wolters seeks to describe the framework for a Christian "reformational" approach to the redemption and restoration of the all areas of human life through the power of the Gospel in Jesus Christ. There are two fundamental principles of this often-called "neo-calvinist" position. The first is the rejection of a nature-grace dualism. The natural, created world (pre-lapsarian) has its own integrity. It is inherently good, not good due to an added supernatural category, i.e., grace. In others words, nothing "non-creational" is necessary to make creation good. The fall corrupted nature, and grace is the restoration of nature. The fall was not a removal of grace from nature (and thereby making it corrupt), but the event necessitated grace for nature's restoration. The fall resulted not from a loss of grace; it resulted in the necessity of grace. Thus what Wolter's calls the "structures" of nature/creation (the arts, business, sexuality, cultural institutions, politics, etc.) were in themselves sound, yet humans, through the fall, deviate from their associated norms. Grace is necessary for the correct "direction" or conformity to these norms. But it must be stressed that the goodness of pre-lapsarian creation was not due to the presence of a supernatural grace, but due to a simple declaration by God that it was good. The implication is that any work in an area of human life, such as the work of an artist, is potentially kingdom work. It is not just the salvation of souls, or the works of ministers, or the contemplation of the divine by monks in a monastery. All work is equally good when creation is being redeemed.
The second fundamental principles is that Christians presently have a mandate to restore all of creation. Wolters never says that the work of Christians will bring the New Jerusalem down from heaven. But he does insist that the work of re-creation or restoration of all aspects of human life, though hindered by sin, is presently a Christian responsibility. Being united to Christ, the Second Adam, and being his ministers on earth, we are to assume our redeemed position in the second Adam and seek to fulfill the work of Adam. In other words, we are to seek to form civilization.
Every Christian must deal with the fact that being a Christian means being united to the Second Adam; and that Adam, being a creature and the God-mandated lord of creation, was part of the created order, the created norms and laws of God. Obeying these laws and norms would produce civilization. What then ought those in the Second Adam do when seeking to obey all that Christ, the manifestation of God's law/character, commands us to do? This is a question we must all answer.
The second fundamental principles is that Christians presently have a mandate to restore all of creation. Wolters never says that the work of Christians will bring the New Jerusalem down from heaven. But he does insist that the work of re-creation or restoration of all aspects of human life, though hindered by sin, is presently a Christian responsibility. Being united to Christ, the Second Adam, and being his ministers on earth, we are to assume our redeemed position in the second Adam and seek to fulfill the work of Adam. In other words, we are to seek to form civilization.
Every Christian must deal with the fact that being a Christian means being united to the Second Adam; and that Adam, being a creature and the God-mandated lord of creation, was part of the created order, the created norms and laws of God. Obeying these laws and norms would produce civilization. What then ought those in the Second Adam do when seeking to obey all that Christ, the manifestation of God's law/character, commands us to do? This is a question we must all answer.
October 23, 2024
Things that stuck out to me:
"From a Christian point of view, we must say that belief is a decisive factor in our lives even though our professed beliefs may be at variance with the beliefs that are actually operative in our lives. It is the command of the gospel that we live our lives in conformity with the beliefs taught in Scripture. That we often fail to live up to this command does not invalidate the fact that we can and ought to live according to our beliefs."
Page 6
This reminds me of Romans 7.
Romans 7:21-25 CSB
[21] So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. [22] For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, [23] but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
"Academic brilliance is something quite different from wisdom and common sense — and a worldview is a matter of wisdom and common sense, whether biblical or unbiblical."
Page 10
"Just as a human sovereign does certain things himself, but gives orders to his subordinates for other things, so with God himself. He put the planets in their orbits, makes the seasons come and go at the proper time, makes seeds grow and animals reproduce, but entrusts to mankind the tasks of making tools, doing justice, producing art, and pursuing scholarship. In other words, God's rule of law is immediate in the nonhuman realm but mediate in culture and society. In the human realm men and women become coworkers with God; as creatures made in God's image they too have a kind of lordship over the earth, are God's viceroys in creation."
Page 16
"God's ordinances also extend to the structures of society, to the world of art, to business and commerce. Human civilization is normed throughout. Everywhere we discover limits and proprieties, standards and criteria: in every field of human affairs there are right and wrong ways of doing things. There is nothing in human life that does not belong to the created order. Everything we are and do is thoroughly creaturely."
Page 25
"Much of modern art, with its refusal to recognize any aesthetic norms, edges toward nihilism: it manifests a glorification of autonomous human creativity, and in doing so denies God's creativity in the aesthetic realm. Not all art is good art. Both artists and aestheticians are called, each in their own ways, to discern the criteria that define good art — criteria that are not arbitrary but rooted in a given order of things that must be honored."
Page 26
"There are many things about which the Scriptures are silent, but about which we must nevertheless seek to know the Lord's will."
Page 34
"Sometimes we make our decision in full assurance of having found God's way, but more often we do so with some hesitancy, remaining open to correction. Either way we may be making a choice against the advice of fellow Christians whose wisdom and discernment we respect. But the point is that the lack of assurance or unanimity does not invalidate the basic Christian confession that there is a will of God for my life, that it can be known, and that I must seek and act on it."
Page 35
"There seems to be an ingrained Gnostic streak in human thinking, a streak that causes people to blame some aspect of God's handiwork for the ills and woes of the world we live in."
Page 61
"As dirty water contaminates a clean pond, si the poisonous effects of the fall have fouled every aspect of creation. The term world in the Scriptures refers precisely to this wide scope of sin."
Page 63
"We should note, however, that Christians of virtually every persuasion have tended to understand "world" to refer to a delimited area of the created order, an area that is usually called "wordly" or "secular" (from saeculum, the Latin rendering of aion), which includes such fields as art, politics, scholarship (excluding theology), journalism, sports, business, and so on. In fact, to this way of thinking, the "world" includes everything outside the realm of the "sacred", which consists basically of the church, personal piety, and "sacred theology". Creation is therefore divided up neatly (although the dividing line may be defined differently by different Christians) into two realms, the secular and the sacred."
Page 64
"The sum total of evil and rottenness in creation (i.e., "the world") is therefore the result of both human sin and the creature's enslavement to the devil. This link between "evil" and "enslavement" is very foreign to the modern mind because of our pride in human autonomy and freedom. Yet this association is obvious in the Scriptures and was accepted without question by Christians for many centuries."
Page 67
"It is quite striking that virtually all of the basic words describing salvation in the Bible imply a return to an originally good state or situation. Redemption is a good example. To redeem is to "buy free," literally to "buy back," and the image it evokes is that of a kidnapping."
Page 69-70
"Acknowledging this scriptural emphasis, theologians have sometimes spoken of salvation as "re-creation" — not to imply that God scraps his earlier creation and in Jesus Christ makes a new one, but rather to suggest that he hangs on to his fallen original creation and salvages it. He refuses to abandon the work of his hands — in fact he sacrifices his own Son to save his original project. Humankind, which has botched its original mandate and the whole creation along with it, is given another chance in Christ; we are reinstated as God's managers on earth. The original good creation is to be restored."
Page 70-71
"We must choose restoration rather than repristination. It would be a profound mistake to attempt to go back to the original stage of the earth's development, to the sort of world exemplified by the garden of Eden."
Page 77
"Biblical religion is historically progressive, not reactionary. It views the whole course of history as a movement from a garden to a city, and it fundamentally affirms that movement. Once again, the kingdom of God claims all of creation, not only in its departments, but also in its stages of development."
Page 78
"The status quo is never acceptable. Every "establishment" needs internal renewal and structural reform. In this sense the Christian may never be satisfied with the achievements of any given economic, or political, or generally cultural state of affairs."
Page 94
"It bears repeating, in concluding this little book, that a biblical worldview does not provide answer, or even a recipe for finding answers, to the majority of perplexing problems with which our culture confronts us today."
Page 115
"The history of this "time between times," then, will not be one of smooth progress or an incremental linear development of the kingdom toward its consummation. Neither will our mission be one that resembles a steady victorious march toward the end. Rather this redemptive era is one of fierce conflict with many casualties. Our mission will be one that is costly and will involve suffering. Paul states that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted".
Page 133
"The gospel speaks a Yes and a No to each cultural form — yes to the creational structure and no to the sinful distortion. The church must discern what this means in each situation."
Page 140
"From a Christian point of view, we must say that belief is a decisive factor in our lives even though our professed beliefs may be at variance with the beliefs that are actually operative in our lives. It is the command of the gospel that we live our lives in conformity with the beliefs taught in Scripture. That we often fail to live up to this command does not invalidate the fact that we can and ought to live according to our beliefs."
Page 6
This reminds me of Romans 7.
Romans 7:21-25 CSB
[21] So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. [22] For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, [23] but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [25] Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
"Academic brilliance is something quite different from wisdom and common sense — and a worldview is a matter of wisdom and common sense, whether biblical or unbiblical."
Page 10
"Just as a human sovereign does certain things himself, but gives orders to his subordinates for other things, so with God himself. He put the planets in their orbits, makes the seasons come and go at the proper time, makes seeds grow and animals reproduce, but entrusts to mankind the tasks of making tools, doing justice, producing art, and pursuing scholarship. In other words, God's rule of law is immediate in the nonhuman realm but mediate in culture and society. In the human realm men and women become coworkers with God; as creatures made in God's image they too have a kind of lordship over the earth, are God's viceroys in creation."
Page 16
"God's ordinances also extend to the structures of society, to the world of art, to business and commerce. Human civilization is normed throughout. Everywhere we discover limits and proprieties, standards and criteria: in every field of human affairs there are right and wrong ways of doing things. There is nothing in human life that does not belong to the created order. Everything we are and do is thoroughly creaturely."
Page 25
"Much of modern art, with its refusal to recognize any aesthetic norms, edges toward nihilism: it manifests a glorification of autonomous human creativity, and in doing so denies God's creativity in the aesthetic realm. Not all art is good art. Both artists and aestheticians are called, each in their own ways, to discern the criteria that define good art — criteria that are not arbitrary but rooted in a given order of things that must be honored."
Page 26
"There are many things about which the Scriptures are silent, but about which we must nevertheless seek to know the Lord's will."
Page 34
"Sometimes we make our decision in full assurance of having found God's way, but more often we do so with some hesitancy, remaining open to correction. Either way we may be making a choice against the advice of fellow Christians whose wisdom and discernment we respect. But the point is that the lack of assurance or unanimity does not invalidate the basic Christian confession that there is a will of God for my life, that it can be known, and that I must seek and act on it."
Page 35
"There seems to be an ingrained Gnostic streak in human thinking, a streak that causes people to blame some aspect of God's handiwork for the ills and woes of the world we live in."
Page 61
"As dirty water contaminates a clean pond, si the poisonous effects of the fall have fouled every aspect of creation. The term world in the Scriptures refers precisely to this wide scope of sin."
Page 63
"We should note, however, that Christians of virtually every persuasion have tended to understand "world" to refer to a delimited area of the created order, an area that is usually called "wordly" or "secular" (from saeculum, the Latin rendering of aion), which includes such fields as art, politics, scholarship (excluding theology), journalism, sports, business, and so on. In fact, to this way of thinking, the "world" includes everything outside the realm of the "sacred", which consists basically of the church, personal piety, and "sacred theology". Creation is therefore divided up neatly (although the dividing line may be defined differently by different Christians) into two realms, the secular and the sacred."
Page 64
"The sum total of evil and rottenness in creation (i.e., "the world") is therefore the result of both human sin and the creature's enslavement to the devil. This link between "evil" and "enslavement" is very foreign to the modern mind because of our pride in human autonomy and freedom. Yet this association is obvious in the Scriptures and was accepted without question by Christians for many centuries."
Page 67
"It is quite striking that virtually all of the basic words describing salvation in the Bible imply a return to an originally good state or situation. Redemption is a good example. To redeem is to "buy free," literally to "buy back," and the image it evokes is that of a kidnapping."
Page 69-70
"Acknowledging this scriptural emphasis, theologians have sometimes spoken of salvation as "re-creation" — not to imply that God scraps his earlier creation and in Jesus Christ makes a new one, but rather to suggest that he hangs on to his fallen original creation and salvages it. He refuses to abandon the work of his hands — in fact he sacrifices his own Son to save his original project. Humankind, which has botched its original mandate and the whole creation along with it, is given another chance in Christ; we are reinstated as God's managers on earth. The original good creation is to be restored."
Page 70-71
"We must choose restoration rather than repristination. It would be a profound mistake to attempt to go back to the original stage of the earth's development, to the sort of world exemplified by the garden of Eden."
Page 77
"Biblical religion is historically progressive, not reactionary. It views the whole course of history as a movement from a garden to a city, and it fundamentally affirms that movement. Once again, the kingdom of God claims all of creation, not only in its departments, but also in its stages of development."
Page 78
"The status quo is never acceptable. Every "establishment" needs internal renewal and structural reform. In this sense the Christian may never be satisfied with the achievements of any given economic, or political, or generally cultural state of affairs."
Page 94
"It bears repeating, in concluding this little book, that a biblical worldview does not provide answer, or even a recipe for finding answers, to the majority of perplexing problems with which our culture confronts us today."
Page 115
"The history of this "time between times," then, will not be one of smooth progress or an incremental linear development of the kingdom toward its consummation. Neither will our mission be one that resembles a steady victorious march toward the end. Rather this redemptive era is one of fierce conflict with many casualties. Our mission will be one that is costly and will involve suffering. Paul states that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted".
Page 133
"The gospel speaks a Yes and a No to each cultural form — yes to the creational structure and no to the sinful distortion. The church must discern what this means in each situation."
Page 140
August 20, 2021
Initial Thoughts
Creation Regained by Al Wolters thoughtfully accomplishes what it sets out to do. In it, Wolters offers his insights in how a Reformed Christian worldview shapes how a Christian should live and interact with the world. It is clear, helpful and still applicable to the modern Christian today.
Context
First, his intended audience is primarily expected to be Christians, from a Christian. This is clear from the start, as he often uses phrases like “as Christians we...” (7) and refers to Christians as his people. In the postscript, they also re-clarify that this book serves more as an introduction to “the philosophy of D.H.T. Vollenhoven and H. Dooyeweerd” and is not meant to be a comprehensive “exposition of the biblical perspective on life and the world” (119), though the postscript does offer helpful connections for a more modern reading. An interesting note about when it was written, Wolters occasionally contrasts his points with Marxist ideologies (pages 2, 6, and others), which in 1985 would have had seemingly different significance with the Soviet Union and Cold War. Compare this to 2021, where Marxism is often paired with socialism and the democratic party, it has become less a foreign concept and comes with much different emotions and connotations for the modern reader. Overall, while the concepts are still helpful and relevant, the applications can be dated and modern readers should be aware.
Efficacy
While I believe his work effectively communicates his ideas, examining the format of the book and some of his methods help explain how he does this.
Format
This may be one of the most well-structured books I have read in terms of concepts building on one another. While one could read a section and probably receive some good out of it, I would not recommend someone read it that way. Each chapter builds off the previous chapter; each paragraph builds off the previous paragraph; it progresses clearly and thoughtfully. This means it is crucial to understanding each part you have read before advancing. Some concepts do become clearer and he reveals more about the worldview he advocates for, but it is important to understand each section before progressing.
All this said, the most helpful chapter for me was the fifth chapter, Structure and Direction. The first four chapters build a strong theological base while the fifth chapter cements how to apply all that we have learned. I love how he provides a few examples (aggression, gifts, sexuality, and dancing) to give us a base we can move on from. When Christians seek to discern what is wise, we can go into world asking not about “good” or “bad” but “structure” and “direction.”
Methods
A few of the different tools Wolters uses throughout the book also contribute to his effectiveness.
First, his tone is academic. It is straightforward and rational in nature. His tone complements and reinforces the progressive structure mentioned earlier. While this may be off- putting or dry to some, his use of analogy illustrates concepts beautifully. For example, when speaking on the differences between general revelation and Scriptural revelation, he uses some “traditional terminology,” like the “revelation verbalis...” and the “revelation naturalis,” saying that revelation of Scripture is “plain in a way that general revelation never is” (39). This may make logical sense, but to paint a clearer picture, he uses the analogy of the architect and the incompetent builder. Scripture “is like a verbal explanation that an architect gives to an incompetent builder” (39). So even though the incompetent builder may see partially how the blueprint is supposed to inform his work, “with the [verbal] explanations everything becomes much clearer” (39). The blend of the informative, and perhaps dry, academic tone with beautiful analogies illustrate wonderfully the concepts he offers to us.
He is also careful to redefine commonly used terms in his own words. Many of the concepts of the book have terms commonly used in Christian Theology, like creation, sanctification, and spiritual gifts to name a few. He spends some time delineating the various definitions he has heard of these terms, but then he often redefines them in his own way. For instance, with spiritual gifts (104-106) he gives a few definitions of how some might define the supernatural, and also describes the two polarizing opinions on these gifts (notably leaving out any terms of Cessationism or Continualism). Instead of picking one of these definitions or aligning himself with a tribe, he plots his own course. His lack of placing himself within another tribe can be disorienting because it is hard to place where he is coming from. However, taking the time to read, digest and understand his new definitions can bring about a clearer understanding of his views. It also perhaps provides some freedom from previously conceived notions, connotations, or feelings that would hinder understanding of his structure and direction model.
Concluding Thoughts
The general concept of “structure” and “direction” and one specific lightbulb moment make this book valuable to me. For modern Christians, trying to identify energy drinks, video games, streaming services, dating apps, etc. as either good or bad is not the right question. But if we look at what can be affirmed about its structure, and which direction should it go, those are the questions to ask. As for the lightbulb moment, I love how Wolters relates the light of Scripture as the miner’s light. Yes, the light is important, but it is there to help see the work the miner does (38). The “light to my path” (Ps. 119:105) is crucial, “but the path must nevertheless be found in the specific experience of my life” (38). Being raised in a church that perhaps too highly elevated Scripture, hearing this was quite a shift in how I think about living in the world God created.
The concepts, tone and brevity of the book makes the book accessible, yet dense. This would be a good book to return to yearly or periodically because of its foundational nature and clarity of language. I would not recommend this to a non-Christian, partly because I think this book is most effective on the presupposition that God is the creator of the universe and Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. However, some of the concepts, especially earlier in the book about worldview, may provide a helpful bridge to connecting with non-Christians.
As this edition was written 16 years ago (and first edition 36 years ago), I am encouraged by the fact that there has been some growth in the areas he believes is “high time” the Christian community does some serious work on, like sexuality and dancing (111). In my opinion, the conversation and interaction with sexuality and dancing in church now are much healthier that how I grew up. We can hope and pray this continues to improve and grow in other areas.
Overall, Wolters effectively communicates and convinces Christians to adopt a helpful Biblical Worldview. I believe if the church can move forward with the concept of “structure” and “direction,” and see that the world and what is happening in it was created good, was entirely affected by the fall, yet entirely being redeemed through Christ, the church will move forward in a positive way and Christians can be a “light to the nations” (Is. 49:6).
Creation Regained by Al Wolters thoughtfully accomplishes what it sets out to do. In it, Wolters offers his insights in how a Reformed Christian worldview shapes how a Christian should live and interact with the world. It is clear, helpful and still applicable to the modern Christian today.
Context
First, his intended audience is primarily expected to be Christians, from a Christian. This is clear from the start, as he often uses phrases like “as Christians we...” (7) and refers to Christians as his people. In the postscript, they also re-clarify that this book serves more as an introduction to “the philosophy of D.H.T. Vollenhoven and H. Dooyeweerd” and is not meant to be a comprehensive “exposition of the biblical perspective on life and the world” (119), though the postscript does offer helpful connections for a more modern reading. An interesting note about when it was written, Wolters occasionally contrasts his points with Marxist ideologies (pages 2, 6, and others), which in 1985 would have had seemingly different significance with the Soviet Union and Cold War. Compare this to 2021, where Marxism is often paired with socialism and the democratic party, it has become less a foreign concept and comes with much different emotions and connotations for the modern reader. Overall, while the concepts are still helpful and relevant, the applications can be dated and modern readers should be aware.
Efficacy
While I believe his work effectively communicates his ideas, examining the format of the book and some of his methods help explain how he does this.
Format
This may be one of the most well-structured books I have read in terms of concepts building on one another. While one could read a section and probably receive some good out of it, I would not recommend someone read it that way. Each chapter builds off the previous chapter; each paragraph builds off the previous paragraph; it progresses clearly and thoughtfully. This means it is crucial to understanding each part you have read before advancing. Some concepts do become clearer and he reveals more about the worldview he advocates for, but it is important to understand each section before progressing.
All this said, the most helpful chapter for me was the fifth chapter, Structure and Direction. The first four chapters build a strong theological base while the fifth chapter cements how to apply all that we have learned. I love how he provides a few examples (aggression, gifts, sexuality, and dancing) to give us a base we can move on from. When Christians seek to discern what is wise, we can go into world asking not about “good” or “bad” but “structure” and “direction.”
Methods
A few of the different tools Wolters uses throughout the book also contribute to his effectiveness.
First, his tone is academic. It is straightforward and rational in nature. His tone complements and reinforces the progressive structure mentioned earlier. While this may be off- putting or dry to some, his use of analogy illustrates concepts beautifully. For example, when speaking on the differences between general revelation and Scriptural revelation, he uses some “traditional terminology,” like the “revelation verbalis...” and the “revelation naturalis,” saying that revelation of Scripture is “plain in a way that general revelation never is” (39). This may make logical sense, but to paint a clearer picture, he uses the analogy of the architect and the incompetent builder. Scripture “is like a verbal explanation that an architect gives to an incompetent builder” (39). So even though the incompetent builder may see partially how the blueprint is supposed to inform his work, “with the [verbal] explanations everything becomes much clearer” (39). The blend of the informative, and perhaps dry, academic tone with beautiful analogies illustrate wonderfully the concepts he offers to us.
He is also careful to redefine commonly used terms in his own words. Many of the concepts of the book have terms commonly used in Christian Theology, like creation, sanctification, and spiritual gifts to name a few. He spends some time delineating the various definitions he has heard of these terms, but then he often redefines them in his own way. For instance, with spiritual gifts (104-106) he gives a few definitions of how some might define the supernatural, and also describes the two polarizing opinions on these gifts (notably leaving out any terms of Cessationism or Continualism). Instead of picking one of these definitions or aligning himself with a tribe, he plots his own course. His lack of placing himself within another tribe can be disorienting because it is hard to place where he is coming from. However, taking the time to read, digest and understand his new definitions can bring about a clearer understanding of his views. It also perhaps provides some freedom from previously conceived notions, connotations, or feelings that would hinder understanding of his structure and direction model.
Concluding Thoughts
The general concept of “structure” and “direction” and one specific lightbulb moment make this book valuable to me. For modern Christians, trying to identify energy drinks, video games, streaming services, dating apps, etc. as either good or bad is not the right question. But if we look at what can be affirmed about its structure, and which direction should it go, those are the questions to ask. As for the lightbulb moment, I love how Wolters relates the light of Scripture as the miner’s light. Yes, the light is important, but it is there to help see the work the miner does (38). The “light to my path” (Ps. 119:105) is crucial, “but the path must nevertheless be found in the specific experience of my life” (38). Being raised in a church that perhaps too highly elevated Scripture, hearing this was quite a shift in how I think about living in the world God created.
The concepts, tone and brevity of the book makes the book accessible, yet dense. This would be a good book to return to yearly or periodically because of its foundational nature and clarity of language. I would not recommend this to a non-Christian, partly because I think this book is most effective on the presupposition that God is the creator of the universe and Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. However, some of the concepts, especially earlier in the book about worldview, may provide a helpful bridge to connecting with non-Christians.
As this edition was written 16 years ago (and first edition 36 years ago), I am encouraged by the fact that there has been some growth in the areas he believes is “high time” the Christian community does some serious work on, like sexuality and dancing (111). In my opinion, the conversation and interaction with sexuality and dancing in church now are much healthier that how I grew up. We can hope and pray this continues to improve and grow in other areas.
Overall, Wolters effectively communicates and convinces Christians to adopt a helpful Biblical Worldview. I believe if the church can move forward with the concept of “structure” and “direction,” and see that the world and what is happening in it was created good, was entirely affected by the fall, yet entirely being redeemed through Christ, the church will move forward in a positive way and Christians can be a “light to the nations” (Is. 49:6).
June 24, 2024
(My review for a seminary class):
This book sets out to show how a worldview rooted in scripture can be described according to the structure of creation and the competing trajectories in which sin and redemption attempt to direct it. Unfortunately, I think Wolters has found the blueprint for the structure of creation in the wrong half of his bible and has therefore given us a misdirected discussion of nature and grace.
On page 23, while giving his readers a walking tour of creation under the framework of “God’s law,” he trips over what I believe to be the real structure of creation. He says, “Creation took place ‘through’ Christ. There is a sense in which Christ is the ‘mediator of creation.’” Wolters correctly demonstrates how Christ is instrumental in creation, but he misses the crucial point that Christ is also himself the telos of creation. Humanity is created in the image of God,1 and Paul says that Christ is the image of God.2 We are therefore created “in Christ,”3 we are redeemed “in Christ,”4 and lastly, “he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”5 Wolters gets close to recognizing this mistake in the postscript he added after the first publication, be he does not go far enough in his correction. After proposing to “flesh out some of these neglected themes,” he says, “As followers of Jesus Christ our thinking about any subject, including worldview, must begin with the fundamental good news of biblical religion, the gospel of Jesus Christ” (120, emphasis added). But even after masterfully summarizing this gospel, he continues in his postscript with the same framework and conclusions he gained by beginning with Genesis 1.
One such conclusion that I think is the result of a misplaced structure is his assertion that “grace restores nature” (72). Wolters's version of the narrative of scripture begins with creation and moves towards humanity developing and cultivating the earth towards “maturity,” towards that which “God had planned for them” (46). He says, “We are called to participate in the ongoing creational work of God, to be God’s helper in executing to the end the blueprint for his masterpiece” (44). To which I reply, Amen! But what is this blueprint, exactly? Wolters seems to suggest that it is the “new heaven and the new earth” which will be a continuation of “God’s creation and our cultural development of it” (47). I do not disagree with what Wolters argues here, but I do not think he goes far enough. Jesus Christ himself is the “blueprint for his masterpiece.”
The author of Revelation points to this: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”6 This is not merely a vision of a “return to an originally good state or situation” (69, emphasis original), even if that state has been culturally developed and made mature. Wolters is adamant about this point. He describes salvation as humankind being “given another chance in Christ” to fulfil its original mandate to be “God’s managers on earth” (70, 71). “In a very significant sense this restoration means that salvation does not bring anything new… the main purpose [is] meant only to serve the process of restoration… The only thing redemption adds that is not included in the creation is the remedy for sin, and that remedy is brought in solely for the purpose of recovering a sinless creation” (71). I do not think this is the narrative of redemption found in scripture. The New Testament describes the telos of creation as being one of perfection and glory. “It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”7 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”8 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old things passed away, behold they have become new.”9 “And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ … Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.’”10
Grace does not merely restore nature; grace “Christifies” nature. In other words, grace glorifies nature and perfects nature. Here is one example from his book that demonstrates the difference I am trying to clarify. Wolters correctly proclaims the universality of redemption, but incorrectly grounds this universality in terms of the fall. “It is all of creation that is included in the scope of Christ’s redemption: that scope is truly cosmic” (72, emphasis original). This is only true if we understand Christ to be the purpose of creation regardless of the fall. But Wolters says, “The scope of redemption is as great as that of the fall… If the whole creation is affected by the fall, then the whole creation is also reclaimed in Christ” (72). Again, his conclusion is correct, but his argument is not nuanced correctly. Wolters claims that Christ is “at the very center of God’s act of creation” (24), but he argues as if Christ is just at the center of God’s remedy for sin. God’s grace in Christ restores the nature of creation, not merely because creation has fallen, but because the purpose of creation has always been to find its perfection in Christ, fall or no fall. (I only bring up the hypothetical absence of the fall to clarify my point, not to offer speculation on a situation that can not exist because it did not happen).
While I am convinced that Wolters began this book on the wrong foot, and therefore cannot offer an unqualified recommendation, I must praise the book for its clarity and consistency of argumentation which followed his thesis. This book is a great exploration of a reformed and Kuyperian interpretation of scripture. It could therefore be a valuable book for the student of this tradition who is hungry for a story of salvation that does not begin in the misery of Genesis 3—as many traditions in the West have come to tell—but rather recognizes and affirms the goodness of what God created in Genesis 1 and 2. I would only invite the reader to approach this book with a careful lens and ask if the author has grounded his exploration of worldview as he said he should, “[beginning] with the fundamental good news of biblical religion, the gospel of Jesus Christ” (120).
Notes:
1 Genesis 1:27
2 Colossians 1:15
3 Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 2:10
4 Ephesians 1:7
5 Ephesians 1:9-10 NRSV, emphasis added.
6 Revelation 21:22 NRSV, emphasis added.
7 Hebrews 2:10 NRSV, emphasis added.
8 Hebrews 10:14 NRSV, emphasis added.
9 2 Corinthians 5:17, my translation, emphasis added.
10 Revelation 21:5,6 NRSV, emphasis added.
This book sets out to show how a worldview rooted in scripture can be described according to the structure of creation and the competing trajectories in which sin and redemption attempt to direct it. Unfortunately, I think Wolters has found the blueprint for the structure of creation in the wrong half of his bible and has therefore given us a misdirected discussion of nature and grace.
On page 23, while giving his readers a walking tour of creation under the framework of “God’s law,” he trips over what I believe to be the real structure of creation. He says, “Creation took place ‘through’ Christ. There is a sense in which Christ is the ‘mediator of creation.’” Wolters correctly demonstrates how Christ is instrumental in creation, but he misses the crucial point that Christ is also himself the telos of creation. Humanity is created in the image of God,1 and Paul says that Christ is the image of God.2 We are therefore created “in Christ,”3 we are redeemed “in Christ,”4 and lastly, “he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”5 Wolters gets close to recognizing this mistake in the postscript he added after the first publication, be he does not go far enough in his correction. After proposing to “flesh out some of these neglected themes,” he says, “As followers of Jesus Christ our thinking about any subject, including worldview, must begin with the fundamental good news of biblical religion, the gospel of Jesus Christ” (120, emphasis added). But even after masterfully summarizing this gospel, he continues in his postscript with the same framework and conclusions he gained by beginning with Genesis 1.
One such conclusion that I think is the result of a misplaced structure is his assertion that “grace restores nature” (72). Wolters's version of the narrative of scripture begins with creation and moves towards humanity developing and cultivating the earth towards “maturity,” towards that which “God had planned for them” (46). He says, “We are called to participate in the ongoing creational work of God, to be God’s helper in executing to the end the blueprint for his masterpiece” (44). To which I reply, Amen! But what is this blueprint, exactly? Wolters seems to suggest that it is the “new heaven and the new earth” which will be a continuation of “God’s creation and our cultural development of it” (47). I do not disagree with what Wolters argues here, but I do not think he goes far enough. Jesus Christ himself is the “blueprint for his masterpiece.”
The author of Revelation points to this: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”6 This is not merely a vision of a “return to an originally good state or situation” (69, emphasis original), even if that state has been culturally developed and made mature. Wolters is adamant about this point. He describes salvation as humankind being “given another chance in Christ” to fulfil its original mandate to be “God’s managers on earth” (70, 71). “In a very significant sense this restoration means that salvation does not bring anything new… the main purpose [is] meant only to serve the process of restoration… The only thing redemption adds that is not included in the creation is the remedy for sin, and that remedy is brought in solely for the purpose of recovering a sinless creation” (71). I do not think this is the narrative of redemption found in scripture. The New Testament describes the telos of creation as being one of perfection and glory. “It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”7 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”8 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old things passed away, behold they have become new.”9 “And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ … Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.’”10
Grace does not merely restore nature; grace “Christifies” nature. In other words, grace glorifies nature and perfects nature. Here is one example from his book that demonstrates the difference I am trying to clarify. Wolters correctly proclaims the universality of redemption, but incorrectly grounds this universality in terms of the fall. “It is all of creation that is included in the scope of Christ’s redemption: that scope is truly cosmic” (72, emphasis original). This is only true if we understand Christ to be the purpose of creation regardless of the fall. But Wolters says, “The scope of redemption is as great as that of the fall… If the whole creation is affected by the fall, then the whole creation is also reclaimed in Christ” (72). Again, his conclusion is correct, but his argument is not nuanced correctly. Wolters claims that Christ is “at the very center of God’s act of creation” (24), but he argues as if Christ is just at the center of God’s remedy for sin. God’s grace in Christ restores the nature of creation, not merely because creation has fallen, but because the purpose of creation has always been to find its perfection in Christ, fall or no fall. (I only bring up the hypothetical absence of the fall to clarify my point, not to offer speculation on a situation that can not exist because it did not happen).
While I am convinced that Wolters began this book on the wrong foot, and therefore cannot offer an unqualified recommendation, I must praise the book for its clarity and consistency of argumentation which followed his thesis. This book is a great exploration of a reformed and Kuyperian interpretation of scripture. It could therefore be a valuable book for the student of this tradition who is hungry for a story of salvation that does not begin in the misery of Genesis 3—as many traditions in the West have come to tell—but rather recognizes and affirms the goodness of what God created in Genesis 1 and 2. I would only invite the reader to approach this book with a careful lens and ask if the author has grounded his exploration of worldview as he said he should, “[beginning] with the fundamental good news of biblical religion, the gospel of Jesus Christ” (120).
Notes:
1 Genesis 1:27
2 Colossians 1:15
3 Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 2:10
4 Ephesians 1:7
5 Ephesians 1:9-10 NRSV, emphasis added.
6 Revelation 21:22 NRSV, emphasis added.
7 Hebrews 2:10 NRSV, emphasis added.
8 Hebrews 10:14 NRSV, emphasis added.
9 2 Corinthians 5:17, my translation, emphasis added.
10 Revelation 21:5,6 NRSV, emphasis added.
July 19, 2013
Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview (Eerdmans) was originally written in 1985 by Al Wolters, and then re-released twenty years later, with an afterword by Michael Goheen. Wolters defines worldview as “the comprehensive framework of one’s basic beliefs about things,” a definition he then breaks down bit by bit (I won’t spell it out here, but each word is carefully chosen). He believes that a biblical worldview is best understood by the basic scriptural categories of creation, fall and redemption. He also contends that our worldview is to inform all of life; the Bible leaves no room for compartmentalizing certain parts of life into the mutually exclusive categories of sacred (church, spiritual practices, Bible study, etc) and secular (economics, politics, technology, etc)...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...
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