In last night’s in Thinking Theologically class a we were looking at God as Creator. And side-tracked into an excellent conversation about the origin of evil, and whether or not God creates evil.
Did spoken language exist prior to God’s acts of creation? If not – I’m not sure evil could have existed. Evil could only come into being as God relates Godself to other. When God reveals Godself to another God reveals God’s own goodness. It is in speaking of Godself that God creates evil; by declaring what goodness is evil is born. So from a philosophy of language perspective: when God, in the process of creating speaks, declaring “it is good” God also creates evil.
Could it be that the seeds of evil came into being the moment God first spoke? The seeds of evil flower in the gift of freedom which God gives to humanity. Freedom is the gift that curses.
In this way ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are are both created by God in Word. God is never subject to God’s own creation, thus God is inadequately described as good or certainly inadequately described as evil. God is beyond both good and evil (to use Nietzsche’s phrase). Thus the Jewish faith maybe be very wise to have a name for God which is never spoken. To speak God’s name maybe to give power to evil. To live God is evaporate the faux power of evil. It may in fact reveal why those who speak of God with Fundamental certainty (from any faith system) contribute to the spread such evil in the world.
If God is beyond good and evil. Then it stands to reason that both good and evil find fulfillment in God. And that sounds like redemption or like a physician coming to heal the sick.
I believe that the Gospel invites people to live toward the fulfillment of evil in Christ. The “fulfillment of evil in Christ” is communally living into Trinitarian love.
Peace, dwight
Dwight, Interesting thoughts! Wish I could have been part of that class. Why is it necessary for God to be beyond good (evil I understand)? Isnt that a neo-platonic definition? Ive always thought of God as creating out of his own goodness rather than creating goodness? Maybe God is subject to the goodness in his own creation. Maybe this is a limitation he chooses to take on in that act. Or am I missing your point? I like the idea of goodness and evil as relational categories. Also found your statement that both good and evil find their fulfillment in God provocative. What is the fulfillment of evil? Thanks for the entry! ~Amber
Amber,
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I certainly did not intent to go in a dualistic direction so forgive me if it read that way my hope was that by emphasizing God as beyond good and evil that Neo-Platonism would be rendered mute. My starting point for creation is that God creates out of Gods own being. That creation is a loving act of self-empting. I like your phrase, "God is subject to the goodness in his own creation." It seems to me that prior to a word of Creation uttered by God neither good nor evil could have existed. God is; and needs no descriptor. The persons of the Godhead are dancing without need to communicate Godself to another. The phrase, "the fulfillment of evil in Christ" is what redemption or reconciliation are all about. As Joseph once said, "what they meant for evil God meant for good," Paul says something similar, and of course the cross is the great example evil finding its fulfillment in Christ. Evil is a twisted pursuit of life – it simply warps – so when evil is fulfilled in Christ full life results. At least thats loosely where Im at with this these days.