Moorad Alexanian wrote:
> This may be a minor point but the creation was "good" not perfect. Moorad
Not minor at all! The biblical story is best understood as one in
which God creates a world that can develop toward the goal that God intends
for it. Even in Genesis 1 the 7th day points toward the ultimate Sabbath of
God with creation. In the eastern church humanity has been thought of as
being created in an immature childlike state. (E.g., "The man [Adam], was
very little, since he was an infant, and it was necessary for him to reach
full development by growing in this way" - Irenaeus.) The western notion that
the first humans were created "perfect" in the sense that they had great
intelligence, physical abilities, beauty, &c, not only has no support in the
Genesis accounts but is false to the general tendency of the biblical story.
In other words, the biblical story is "evolutionary", or
"developmental" if we want to avoid a loaded word. But it is NOT one of a
creation of static perfection. & redemptoion is getting creation back on
track toward the goal God intends for it, not a return to a perfect primordial
age.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Interface"
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