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Decreation: The Last Things of All Creatures
Death is not the end―either for humans or for all creatures. But while Christianity has obsessed over the future of humanity, it has neglected the ends for nonhuman animals, inanimate creatures, and angels. In Decreation , Paul J. Griffiths explores how orthodox Christian theology might be developed to include the last things of all creatures. Griffiths employs traditional and historical Christian theology of the last things to create both a grammar and a lexicon for a new eschatology. Griffiths imagines heaven as an endless, repetitively static, communal, and enfleshed adoration of the triune God in which angels, nonhuman animals, and inanimate objects each find a place. Hell becomes a final and irreversible separation from God―annihilation―sin's true aim and the last success of the sinner. This grammar, Griffiths suggests, gives Christians new ways to think about the redemption of all things, to imagine relationships with nonhuman creatures, and to live in a world devastated by a double fall.
- GenresTheologyPhilosophy
408 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 19, 2019
Sweeping, lucid, imaginative—Decreation is a truly virtuosic work of systematic theology. It’s not the first book I’ve read by Griffiths and it will not be the last, but I’ll be amazed if it’s not the best. This is a magnum opus from one of Christianity’s ablest theologians.
January 19, 2023
This is a difficult book to review, because it aims to be a constructive work that builds on standard dogmatic assertions, but it is also heavy with speculations concerning the nature of heaven, hell, and the eternal state.
The author is not afraid to speculate in many of these areas, and understandably as these areas of reflection are ones where divine revelation has not given us detail to work with.
However, some of the positions in this book move towards eternal annihilation (conditional immortality), for the lost, and more than a node towards some form of universalism. To that extent, this book is not within the confines of historic orthodoxy, in spite of the authors assertions to the contrary.
With these qualifications, it would be a shame to cast this book aside and ignore some of the more fruitful lines of investigation.
Many books on this subject, either veer towards a “heavy“ beatific vision as (almost) a disembodied existence, leaving behind the hope of the renewal of all creation. On the other hand, there is a view of the restoration of creation that perhaps draws to faint a line of discontinuity between the present state and the eternal state.
Griffiths wants to avoid both of these. Discerning readers will find this book stimulating, and sometimes disturbing. But this being a substantial piece of reflection, I found this work to be particularly helpful on a subject where Christian reflection is often light, superficial and less capable of grappling with some of the complexities and radical discontinuities that stand between the present state and the eternal state.
The author is not afraid to speculate in many of these areas, and understandably as these areas of reflection are ones where divine revelation has not given us detail to work with.
However, some of the positions in this book move towards eternal annihilation (conditional immortality), for the lost, and more than a node towards some form of universalism. To that extent, this book is not within the confines of historic orthodoxy, in spite of the authors assertions to the contrary.
With these qualifications, it would be a shame to cast this book aside and ignore some of the more fruitful lines of investigation.
Many books on this subject, either veer towards a “heavy“ beatific vision as (almost) a disembodied existence, leaving behind the hope of the renewal of all creation. On the other hand, there is a view of the restoration of creation that perhaps draws to faint a line of discontinuity between the present state and the eternal state.
Griffiths wants to avoid both of these. Discerning readers will find this book stimulating, and sometimes disturbing. But this being a substantial piece of reflection, I found this work to be particularly helpful on a subject where Christian reflection is often light, superficial and less capable of grappling with some of the complexities and radical discontinuities that stand between the present state and the eternal state.
March 20, 2019
In Decreation: The Last Things of All Creature, Catholic theologian Paul Griffiths sets out to study (and speculate on) the "last things" of everything under the sun - animate and inanimate, fleshly and non-fleshly, angelic and human, etc. He does this with a well-balanced mixture of precision and eloquence, yet with a conversational tone. The result is one of the finest theological works I have yet to read.
After precisely defining key terms and reviewing the established Catholic doctrines on these matters (to which he is bound), Griffiths launches into fascinating speculative discussions on the nature of timespace, angels, humans, and all other created things, especially in regards to their final end. Each discussion is illuminating in its own right.
Griffiths describes the fallen timespace which we live in as "metronomic", for everything can be measured by the clock and located precisely on an even grid; metronomic timespace is flattened out and divided into regular intervals in a way that is outside God's original design. By contrast, Griffiths describes unfallen and redeemed timespace as "systolic", that is, defined by a purposeful rhythm of tension and release that need not be in sync with the metronomic clock; the key analogy here is that of a beating heart. This systolic timepsace is irregular, and in fact is bunched up around the death and resurrection of Christ and the life of the Church, both of which represent the inbreaking of redeemed timespace into fallen timespace (as a Catholic, Griffiths sees Christ's death and resurrection as ontologically embedded in the life of the Church through the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist).
Next Griffiths discusses angels/demons, which he calls "disincarnate animate creatures" (they are located in fallen timespace just as we are, and have "bodies", but of the sort that does not necessarily admit continuous extension in timespace; the inanimate analog of this is quarks). In one sense, not much can be definitely said about them; on the other hand, speculation about their last things provides useful background for speculation about human last things. Griffiths' conclusions here are much the same as they are for humans. Angels can and do fall into sin of their own will (in fact, they were the original sinners, effecting the change of timespace from systolic to metronomic), and since sin is by definition a movement towards nothingness, angels may in fact sin themselves into annihilation (importantly, God does not annihilate them; they annihilate themselves). On the other hand, there are many angels who have never sinned, and among those who have sinned there may still be the possibility of redemption; in fact, it is possible (though not likely) that all fallen angels will be redeemed.
Before speculating about human last things, Griffiths discusses human protology. Given the pretemporal angelic fall, Griffiths sees Eden not as a particular location in an unfallen cosmos, but rather as an experimental bubble of newly created systolic timespace in the midst of a fallen cosmos; the human fall thus affects only this bubble and not the entire cosmos. The conclusions about last things for humans are much the same as they are for fallen angels: the possibilites are self-willed annihilation or redemption. We may take as given that many are redeemed, but we cannot say with certainty that any will finally be damned; it is unlikely, but theoretically possible, that all people will be saved. Human redemption requires bodies (as would any neverending consciously experienced hell, which Griffiths rejects as incoherent), since humans are inherently fleshly; in fact, human souls in between death and resurrection are not fully human since they are not bodily, and in this sense all people are at least temporarily annihilated. Griffiths also sees human existence in the redeemed cosmos as being the fulfillment of the Christian liturgical pattern; it is a repetitive but ever new cycle of worship, in which we lose the painful self-consciousness that is always present in the fallen cosmos.
Finally, Griffiths discusses animals and plants, and outlines multiple plausible arguments for their presence in the redeemed cosmos, reasoning from both their relationships with humans and their unmediated relationships with God.
Again, this is some of the finest theology I have read. Highly recommended!
After precisely defining key terms and reviewing the established Catholic doctrines on these matters (to which he is bound), Griffiths launches into fascinating speculative discussions on the nature of timespace, angels, humans, and all other created things, especially in regards to their final end. Each discussion is illuminating in its own right.
Griffiths describes the fallen timespace which we live in as "metronomic", for everything can be measured by the clock and located precisely on an even grid; metronomic timespace is flattened out and divided into regular intervals in a way that is outside God's original design. By contrast, Griffiths describes unfallen and redeemed timespace as "systolic", that is, defined by a purposeful rhythm of tension and release that need not be in sync with the metronomic clock; the key analogy here is that of a beating heart. This systolic timepsace is irregular, and in fact is bunched up around the death and resurrection of Christ and the life of the Church, both of which represent the inbreaking of redeemed timespace into fallen timespace (as a Catholic, Griffiths sees Christ's death and resurrection as ontologically embedded in the life of the Church through the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist).
Next Griffiths discusses angels/demons, which he calls "disincarnate animate creatures" (they are located in fallen timespace just as we are, and have "bodies", but of the sort that does not necessarily admit continuous extension in timespace; the inanimate analog of this is quarks). In one sense, not much can be definitely said about them; on the other hand, speculation about their last things provides useful background for speculation about human last things. Griffiths' conclusions here are much the same as they are for humans. Angels can and do fall into sin of their own will (in fact, they were the original sinners, effecting the change of timespace from systolic to metronomic), and since sin is by definition a movement towards nothingness, angels may in fact sin themselves into annihilation (importantly, God does not annihilate them; they annihilate themselves). On the other hand, there are many angels who have never sinned, and among those who have sinned there may still be the possibility of redemption; in fact, it is possible (though not likely) that all fallen angels will be redeemed.
Before speculating about human last things, Griffiths discusses human protology. Given the pretemporal angelic fall, Griffiths sees Eden not as a particular location in an unfallen cosmos, but rather as an experimental bubble of newly created systolic timespace in the midst of a fallen cosmos; the human fall thus affects only this bubble and not the entire cosmos. The conclusions about last things for humans are much the same as they are for fallen angels: the possibilites are self-willed annihilation or redemption. We may take as given that many are redeemed, but we cannot say with certainty that any will finally be damned; it is unlikely, but theoretically possible, that all people will be saved. Human redemption requires bodies (as would any neverending consciously experienced hell, which Griffiths rejects as incoherent), since humans are inherently fleshly; in fact, human souls in between death and resurrection are not fully human since they are not bodily, and in this sense all people are at least temporarily annihilated. Griffiths also sees human existence in the redeemed cosmos as being the fulfillment of the Christian liturgical pattern; it is a repetitive but ever new cycle of worship, in which we lose the painful self-consciousness that is always present in the fallen cosmos.
Finally, Griffiths discusses animals and plants, and outlines multiple plausible arguments for their presence in the redeemed cosmos, reasoning from both their relationships with humans and their unmediated relationships with God.
Again, this is some of the finest theology I have read. Highly recommended!
March 1, 2020
This book attempts to lay out what the future end is for humans, angels, and both animate and inanimate objects. He begins the project by defining his terms. If you agree with how he defines his terms, the project proceeds admirably. Right at the start, as an Orthodox Christian, I have difficulty with his scholastic definitions. He states: "There are, formally speaking, only three possible last things...for any creature or creaturely kind. They are annihilation, simple stasis, and repetitive stasis." None of these three describe how the Orthodox view the life of the age to come, which is an endless progression and growth towards God. There is nothing static about heaven, thus described.
However, the author does a wonderful job of laying out and defining the created order. Anything created is a creature. Creatures may be animate (having a soul) or inanimate. A body occupies time/space and has the capacity to interact with other embodied creatures. He describes different types of bodies: fallen fleshly bodies, such as you and I have; risen fleshly bodies, common to creature in heaven; temporarily disincarnate bodies, which is how we exist between death and the general resurrection; permanently disincarnate bodies, such as the angels have; inanimate material bodies, such as rocks or bodies of water; and disincarnate material bodies, which cover subatomic particles.
In the schema above, special attention should be paid to angels, as they are creatures with bodies that occupy space/time, yet being disincarnate, have no mass. However, we see in scripture that angels appear to people, interact with matter, and appear to have mass. Given this, I might add to the schema of temprarily incarnate bodies. Not only does this balance the schema, but it creates a potential solution for the Genesis 6 problem, as the Sons of God who mated with the daughters of men could have been angels having temporarily incarnate bodies. This would tie in nicely with Jewish speculation in Second Temple literature.
Although I find the lexicon helpful and the schema of the created order very useful, I ultimately dismiss the conclusions of the book for the reasons stated at the beginning of this review. The author's schema allows created things only three end states. By defining his trinary choice, the author dismisses alternative end states by excluding them. I find this disingenuous, as their are other proposed end-states for creatures. The Bible hints at this when Paul says the entire creation groans and is in travail, awaiting the unveiling that is to come. Moreover, it is difficult to see how mutable creatures, possessed of free will, can have an end state described as stasis. A static existence is insufficient for intelligible creatures.
Even with the caveats, I highly recommend this book. The lexicon and schema alone are worth it.
However, the author does a wonderful job of laying out and defining the created order. Anything created is a creature. Creatures may be animate (having a soul) or inanimate. A body occupies time/space and has the capacity to interact with other embodied creatures. He describes different types of bodies: fallen fleshly bodies, such as you and I have; risen fleshly bodies, common to creature in heaven; temporarily disincarnate bodies, which is how we exist between death and the general resurrection; permanently disincarnate bodies, such as the angels have; inanimate material bodies, such as rocks or bodies of water; and disincarnate material bodies, which cover subatomic particles.
In the schema above, special attention should be paid to angels, as they are creatures with bodies that occupy space/time, yet being disincarnate, have no mass. However, we see in scripture that angels appear to people, interact with matter, and appear to have mass. Given this, I might add to the schema of temprarily incarnate bodies. Not only does this balance the schema, but it creates a potential solution for the Genesis 6 problem, as the Sons of God who mated with the daughters of men could have been angels having temporarily incarnate bodies. This would tie in nicely with Jewish speculation in Second Temple literature.
Although I find the lexicon helpful and the schema of the created order very useful, I ultimately dismiss the conclusions of the book for the reasons stated at the beginning of this review. The author's schema allows created things only three end states. By defining his trinary choice, the author dismisses alternative end states by excluding them. I find this disingenuous, as their are other proposed end-states for creatures. The Bible hints at this when Paul says the entire creation groans and is in travail, awaiting the unveiling that is to come. Moreover, it is difficult to see how mutable creatures, possessed of free will, can have an end state described as stasis. A static existence is insufficient for intelligible creatures.
Even with the caveats, I highly recommend this book. The lexicon and schema alone are worth it.
June 5, 2020
Much of contemporary theology today doesn't actually ascend to the level of deep thought and instead devolves into mere historical exegesis (i.e. "What did Augustine or Aquinas or Calvin or Barth think on this issue..."). Paul Griffiths does not fall prey to this critique. He is a Catholic speculative theologian par excellence. While no doubt most readers will be interested in Decreation for his defense of annihilationism, as well as the idea that animals and plants will be in Heaven, and the unpopular view that there will be no novelty in Heaven only repetitive stasis. Theological readers should not read his book if they seek to agree with Griffiths speculations, but to see a speculative theologian at his craft. Griffiths' theological style and argumentation alone is worth the read. It will leave you doing speculative theologizing of your own about the way you think about heaven, hell, and what it means to delight, not in sin, but in God.
April 5, 2020
Griffiths investigates issues of eschatology with such precision that it brings more clarity of thought even when one does not necessarily agree. There are eccentricities here which I found unsatisfying (especially the pejorative view of art, of self-awareness, and of 'metronomic' time), and others I found puzzling (such as the notion that animal death is entirely attributable to the fall), but by and large the treatments of magisterial doctrines and speculation are extremely helpful. Particularly compelling are Griffiths's perspectives on the intermediate state, on the constitutive relation between human and non-human creatures, and on hell as ultimate annihilation. This is a masterful work of systematic theology.
September 15, 2015
A marvelous, challenging, enlightening, and enjoyable ride of speculative theologizing.
December 31, 2015
Catholic speculative eschatological theology. A wonderful work.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews