In the Twilight of Western Thought
Craig Press edn p. 149-51
Mellen Press edn p. 103-04
I refer, for example, to the question concerning the sense of the six days of creation. By disregarding the faith-aspect of the temporal order and by utilizing astronomical and geological concepts of time, theology was entangled in the following [pseudo-theological - editorial insertion in the Mellen edn] dilemma: if these days are not to be understood in the sense of astronomical days of twenty-four hours, they are [then they ought - Mellen version] to be interpreted as geological periods. A curious dilemma indeed [1]. For it has not occurred to any theologian to apply this alternative to the seventh day, the day on which God rests from all his work which he had made [wrought - Mellen version]. This [Such an interpretation - Mellen version] would be rightly considered blasphemous. But why was it overlookd that the same blasphemy presents itself if God's creative deeds are conceived of in natural scientific time-concepts? The reason is that the theologians who posed the [aforementioned - Mellen version] dilemma mentioned did not realize the fundamental difference between the divine creative deeds and the [genetic - Mellen version] genetical process occurring within the created temporal order as a result of God's work of creation. Here the influence of Greek philosophy clearly manifested itself. For because of its pagan religious basic motive, this philosophy excluded any idea of creation. It merely accepted a temporal genesis, at the utmost [at most - Mellen version] conceived as the result of a formative activity of a divine mind which presuppoes a given material. The scholastic accommodation of the biblical revelation of creation to this Greek idea of becoming gave rise to the false view that creation itself was a temporal process.
God's creative deeds surpass the temporal order because they are not subjected to it. But as a truth of faith of God has revealed these creative deeds in the faith-aspect of this temporal order which points beyond itself to what is supra-temporal. It was God's will that the believing Jew should refer his six work days to the six divine creative works and the sabbath day to the eternal sabbathic rest of God, the Creator. This is the biblical exegesis given by the Decalogue. And it eliminates the scholastic dilemma concerning the exegesis of the six days of creation, which originated from a fundamental disregard of the faith-aspect of the temporal order. This disregard is also to be observed in the Augustinian interpretation of the six days as a literary form or framework of representation which lacks any temporal sense, through this conception is, no doubt, preferable by far to the astronomical or geological interpretation.
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[1] Footnote in Mellen edn
Dooyeweerd would view any form of scientific creationism as an interpretation of Geneis 1-2 which fails to understand the meaning 'day' within the faith-aspect, thereby reducing it to the physical aspect .
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Thursday, March 03, 2005
The Secularization of Science
The concluding paragraph of the booklet The Secularization of Science reads:
Let us remember the words of our Savior, “No man can serve two masters.” And let us pray to God, that He will send faithful workmen into the harvest field, which is the entire earth, and which therefore includes also the domain of scientific knowledge.
Let us remember the words of our Savior, “No man can serve two masters.” And let us pray to God, that He will send faithful workmen into the harvest field, which is the entire earth, and which therefore includes also the domain of scientific knowledge.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
New Critique I, p. 33 (1955) Gn 1
New Critique I, p. 33 (1955)
Under the subtitle 'The eschatalogical aspect of comic time'
To be sure, cosmic time has its limiting aspect in faith and there is a temporal oder and duration in the special meaning of the latter. The modal meaning of faith, as we shall see in the second volume, is by its nature related to divine revelation. In this eschatalogical aspect of time faith groups the "eschaton" and, in general, that which is or happens beyond the limits of cosmic time. In this special sense are to be understood the "days of creation", the intitial words of the book of Genesis, the order in which regeneration precedes conversion etc.
Under the subtitle 'The eschatalogical aspect of comic time'
To be sure, cosmic time has its limiting aspect in faith and there is a temporal oder and duration in the special meaning of the latter. The modal meaning of faith, as we shall see in the second volume, is by its nature related to divine revelation. In this eschatalogical aspect of time faith groups the "eschaton" and, in general, that which is or happens beyond the limits of cosmic time. In this special sense are to be understood the "days of creation", the intitial words of the book of Genesis, the order in which regeneration precedes conversion etc.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
New Critique II, p. 486 (1955) Jn 13:8
New Critique II, p.486 (1955)
And in this process a truly Christian philosophy will realize, with ever increasing clarity, that the fulfilment of meaning refracted in cosmic time into the various modalities, is not given us in an eidetic intuition but in the religious self-reflection on our part with Christ [1].
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[1] St. John 13:8.
And in this process a truly Christian philosophy will realize, with ever increasing clarity, that the fulfilment of meaning refracted in cosmic time into the various modalities, is not given us in an eidetic intuition but in the religious self-reflection on our part with Christ [1].
________
[1] St. John 13:8.
New Critique II, p. 418 (1955) allusion to 1 Cor 12:12ff
New Critique II, p.418 (1955)
In Christ, the root of the reborn creation, the transcendent fulness of its individuality has been saved. The 'corpu Christianum' in its radical religious sense is not a colourless conceptual abstraction without any individuality. Rather it is, according to the striking metaphor used by St PAUL, a religious organism in which the individuality of its members is ultimately revealed in all its fulness and spleandor. Individuality, in other words, is rooted in the religious centre of or temporal world: all temporal individuality can only be an expression of the fulness of individuality inherent in this centre. However, obfuscated by sin, it springs from the religious root. If the modalities of meaning are temporal refractions of the religious fulness of meaning, then the fulness of individuality must also be refracted prismatically within the modal aspects, and temporal individuality must be diversified in all the meaning-modalities.
In Christ, the root of the reborn creation, the transcendent fulness of its individuality has been saved. The 'corpu Christianum' in its radical religious sense is not a colourless conceptual abstraction without any individuality. Rather it is, according to the striking metaphor used by St PAUL, a religious organism in which the individuality of its members is ultimately revealed in all its fulness and spleandor. Individuality, in other words, is rooted in the religious centre of or temporal world: all temporal individuality can only be an expression of the fulness of individuality inherent in this centre. However, obfuscated by sin, it springs from the religious root. If the modalities of meaning are temporal refractions of the religious fulness of meaning, then the fulness of individuality must also be refracted prismatically within the modal aspects, and temporal individuality must be diversified in all the meaning-modalities.
New Critique II, p. 307 (1955) (Gen, Jos, Deut; Heb 12:2)
New Critique II, p. 307 (1955)
The independent line of development of a revalatio particularis which was no longer universal, did not start before Abraham. Presently the people of Israel was to be the provisional bearer of this special revelation. Israel, which was to bring forth the redeemer, was separated from the other nations because of the t[h?]reatening general apostasy from Word-revelation, until the Word appeared in the flesh[1].
In the Word-revelation God addresses the human race in its religious root, and man has only to listen faithfully. As this Word-revelation was originlly a revelation to a community, and not to individuals, its adressee was not each inividual believer apart, but mankind in community with its first head Adam. The function of faith can likewise again be truly directed to God only in Christ, as the Head and root of the regenerate human race. But now in such a way that only Christ is the Finisher and the Subject of the Covenant of faith (Hebr. 12:2). Only in faithfully listening to the divine Word is the true meaning of God's reveltion in 'created nature' revealed to man.
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[1] Gen. 14:18-20; 20:3 ff; 21:22 ff; 23;6; 24: -50 [sic]; 26:19; 40:8 etc.
Jos. 24:2, 14, 14; Deut. 26:5 etc. see also BAVINCK's exposition in his Philosophy of Revelation (1908), pp. 161 ff.
The independent line of development of a revalatio particularis which was no longer universal, did not start before Abraham. Presently the people of Israel was to be the provisional bearer of this special revelation. Israel, which was to bring forth the redeemer, was separated from the other nations because of the t[h?]reatening general apostasy from Word-revelation, until the Word appeared in the flesh[1].
In the Word-revelation God addresses the human race in its religious root, and man has only to listen faithfully. As this Word-revelation was originlly a revelation to a community, and not to individuals, its adressee was not each inividual believer apart, but mankind in community with its first head Adam. The function of faith can likewise again be truly directed to God only in Christ, as the Head and root of the regenerate human race. But now in such a way that only Christ is the Finisher and the Subject of the Covenant of faith (Hebr. 12:2). Only in faithfully listening to the divine Word is the true meaning of God's reveltion in 'created nature' revealed to man.
_______
[1] Gen. 14:18-20; 20:3 ff; 21:22 ff; 23;6; 24: -50 [sic]; 26:19; 40:8 etc.
Jos. 24:2, 14, 14; Deut. 26:5 etc. see also BAVINCK's exposition in his Philosophy of Revelation (1908), pp. 161 ff.
New Critique II, p. 305 (1955) Jn 1:14
New Critique II, p. (1955)
The transcendental terminal character of the aspect of faith confronts Christian philosophy with the most difficult problems. If pistis, as the transcendental terminal function of the cosmos, has a law-sphere of its own, it must have a law-side and a subject-side. And the law-side can only be the norm prescribing the subjection of our belief to Divine Revelation, as the ultimate guarantee of certainty. The religious consummation of the meaning of Revelation is Christ Jesus, as the Word that was made flesh (John 1:14). This Word-revelation in its aspect of faith establishes the norm and contains the principium of Christian belief.
The transcendental terminal character of the aspect of faith confronts Christian philosophy with the most difficult problems. If pistis, as the transcendental terminal function of the cosmos, has a law-sphere of its own, it must have a law-side and a subject-side. And the law-side can only be the norm prescribing the subjection of our belief to Divine Revelation, as the ultimate guarantee of certainty. The religious consummation of the meaning of Revelation is Christ Jesus, as the Word that was made flesh (John 1:14). This Word-revelation in its aspect of faith establishes the norm and contains the principium of Christian belief.
New Critique II, p. 248 (1955)
New Critique II, p.248 (1955)
It ought to be completely restored in its irrelaceable value within the divine world-order by considering its modal sense in the light of the biblical motive. For it is of Divine origin and finds its religious consummation [1] in Christ Jesus as the Incarnate Word, in Whom God's omnipotence finds its pure expression, not tainted with sin.
It has not been included in the world-order because of sin only. For God created man after His own Image as ruler and lord of the earthly world [2]
_________
[1] Matth. 28 18 ; John 3 35.
[2] Genesis 1 26, 28.
It ought to be completely restored in its irrelaceable value within the divine world-order by considering its modal sense in the light of the biblical motive. For it is of Divine origin and finds its religious consummation [1] in Christ Jesus as the Incarnate Word, in Whom God's omnipotence finds its pure expression, not tainted with sin.
It has not been included in the world-order because of sin only. For God created man after His own Image as ruler and lord of the earthly world [2]
_________
[1] Matth. 28 18 ; John 3 35.
[2] Genesis 1 26, 28.
New Critique II, p. 147 (1955)
New Critique II, p.147 (1955)
There cannot exist a moral disposition of the will independent of the central religious disposition of the heart [1].
_______
[1] This word is meant here in its pregnant Biblical sense.
There cannot exist a moral disposition of the will independent of the central religious disposition of the heart [1].
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[1] This word is meant here in its pregnant Biblical sense.
New Critique II, p.262 (1955) Gen 1 & 11
New Critique II, p.262 (1955)
For the rest of the arguments may be alleged for the thesis that from the Biblical standpoint the principle of cultural differentiation is to be acknoledge as a fundamental norm of historical development. The history of the building of the tower of Babel, viewed in the light of the cultural commandment of Genesis I, shows that seclusion and isolation in cultural development is contrary to the Divine ordinance.
For the rest of the arguments may be alleged for the thesis that from the Biblical standpoint the principle of cultural differentiation is to be acknoledge as a fundamental norm of historical development. The history of the building of the tower of Babel, viewed in the light of the cultural commandment of Genesis I, shows that seclusion and isolation in cultural development is contrary to the Divine ordinance.
New Critique II, p. 53 (1955) (Gen 1)
New Critique II, p. 53 (1955)
According to the temporal relationship between foundation and superstructure in the cosmic world-order, man is not there before the things of inorganic nature. But, viewed from the supertemporal creaturely root of the earthly world [1], this organic nature, just as the vegetable kingdom and the animal kingom, has no existence apart from man, and man has been created as the lord of the creation.
_____
[1] This is what in Genesis I is called the "earth" in its contradistinction to the "Heavens", viz. the temporl world concentrated in man.
According to the temporal relationship between foundation and superstructure in the cosmic world-order, man is not there before the things of inorganic nature. But, viewed from the supertemporal creaturely root of the earthly world [1], this organic nature, just as the vegetable kingdom and the animal kingom, has no existence apart from man, and man has been created as the lord of the creation.
_____
[1] This is what in Genesis I is called the "earth" in its contradistinction to the "Heavens", viz. the temporl world concentrated in man.
New Critique II, p. 35 (Rom 7:8)
Sin, as the root of all evil, has no meaning or existence independent of the religious fulness of the Divine Law. In this sense St PAUL's word is to be understood [1].
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[1] Rom. 7: 8 choris gar nomou amartia nexra.
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[1] Rom. 7: 8 choris gar nomou amartia nexra.
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