Misinterpretations of Creation and Natural World in Church History
Throughout church history, various misinterpretations of creation and the natural world have emerged, often stemming from attempts to elevate creation above the Creator or to deny God's direct involvement in the world. One significant misinterpretation involves the worship of creation itself rather than the God who made it. one tradition notes that some "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" [1]. This tendency to revere nature, or aspects of it, as divine rather than as a testament to God's power, has been a recurring issue. Athanasius of Alexandria, for instance, addressed "nature-worship," arguing that the mutual dependence of all parts of nature points to God and prevents any single part from being considered supreme [4].
Another misinterpretation involves denying the supernatural origin of the world or God's ongoing intervention. Some ancient thinkers, like Celsus, argued that the world was uncreated and eternal, suggesting "many conflagrations and many deluges" over vast periods, thereby casting doubt on the Mosaic account of creation which posits a world much younger than ten thousand years [6]. This perspective removes God as the singular Creator, a belief that Irenaeus affirmed as the "constant belief of the Church" [7]. Similarly, the idea that the natural world can, by itself, teach humanity about God's creative act without revelation is considered a misinterpretation; rather, faith is necessary to understand that "the world's creation by God" occurred, even though the natural world confirms this truth once apprehended by faith [5].
In later theological discussions, some views have blurred the lines between God's creative act and natural processes. For example, some theologians have proposed that the divine-human life of Christ develops in the Church through a "natural, historical process," akin to an acorn developing into an oak [2]. This perspective can lead to the rejection of supernatural events like the resurrection, replacing them with a naturalistic development [2]. Charles Hodge critiques this view, noting that while creation is supernatural in its beginning, some argue it then becomes a "natural process" [8]. This can extend to the idea that God's relationship with the world is one of necessary self-evolution, where "creation is the self-evolution or self-manifestation of God," thereby precluding special divine intervention or miracles [10]. Such views can lead to a "presumptuous skepticism" that places "nature and its so-called laws above the God of nature and revelation," arguing against any future interruption of natural phenomena [3].
Augustine of Hippo also addressed misinterpretations concerning the goodness of creation. He noted that some, while believing in one Creator, refused to accept the "good and simple reason of the world's creation, that a good God made it good" [9]. This suggests a misunderstanding of God's benevolent intent in creating a world that, while distinct from God, is inherently good [9].
Sources
- Romans “Romans 1:25 (BSB) — They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 28: of the soul by the supernatural power of the Spirit, and the resurrection of the body by the power of God at the last day, are rejected and despised; and the doctrine substituted for them is, that the divine-human life of Christ, as a new organic law, develops itself in the Church, just as the life of the acorn develops itself in the oak and in the forest, by a natural, historical process, so that the members of the Church, in virtue of their participation of this life, are justified and sanctified, and their bodies (since the life of Chr”
- 2 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Peter 3:4: (Compare Psa 10:11; Psa 73:11.) Presumptuous skepticism and lawless lust, setting nature and its so-called laws above the God of nature and revelation, and arguing from the past continuity of nature's phenomena that there can be no future interruption to them, was the sin of the antediluvians, and shall be that of the scoffers in the last days. Where--implying that it ought to have taken place before this, if ever it was to take place, but that it never will. the promise--which you, believers, are so continually looking for the fulfilment of (Pe2 3”
- CCEL (Patristic) “Athanasius of Alexandria, Select Works and Letters, section 72: §27. The refutation of popular Paganism being taken as conclusive, we come to the higher form of nature-worship. How Nature witnesses to God by the mutual dependence of all her parts, which forbid us to think of any one of them as the supreme God. This shewn at length. But perhaps those who have advanced beyond these things, and who stand in awe of Creation, being put to shame by these exposures of abominations, will join in repudiating what is readily condemned and refuted on all hands, but will think that they have a well-ground”
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 11:3: we understand--We perceive with our spiritual intelligence the fact of the world's creation by God, though we see neither Him nor the act of creation as described in Gen. 1:1-31. The natural world could not, without revelation, teach us this truth, though it confirms the truth when apprehended by faith (Rom 1:20). Adam is passed over in silence here as to his faith, perhaps as being the first who fell and brought sin on us all; though it does not follow that he did not repent and believe the promise. worlds--literally, "ages"; all that exists in tim”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XIX.: After these statements, Celsus, from a secret desire to cast discredit upon the Mosaic account of the creation, which teaches that the world is not yet ten thousand years old, but very much under that, while concealing his wish, intimates his agreement with those who hold that the world is uncreated. For, maintaining that there have been, from all eternity, many conflagrations and many deluges, and that the flood which lately took place in the time of Deucalion is comparatively modern, he clearly demonstrates to those wh”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 1: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus — CHAP. IX.--THERE IS BUT ONE CREATOR OF THE WORLD, GOD THE FATHER: THIS THE CONSTANT BELIEF OF THE CHURCH. (part 1): 1. That God is the Creator of the world is accepted even by those very persons who in many ways speak against Him, and yet acknowledge Him, styling Him the Creator, and an angel, not to mention that all the Scriptures call out [to the same effect], and the Lord teaches us of this Father(4) who is in heaven, and no other, as I shall show in the sequel of this work. For the present, however, that pr”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 85: 387 Page 7 of the same volume. 388 Schleiermacher (Zweites Sendschreiben zu Lücke; Works, edit. Berlin, 1836, first part, vol. ii. p. 653), says: “Where the supernatural occurs with me, it is always a first; it becomes natural as a second. Thus the creation is supernatural, but afterwards it is a natural process (Naturzusammenhang). So Christ is supernatural as to his beginning, but He becomes natural as a simple or pure human person. The same is true of the Holy Spirit and of the Christian Church.” In like manner Dr. Nevin repeatedly say”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 23.---OF THE ERROR IN WHICH THE DOCTRINE OF ORIGEN IS INVOLVED. (part 1): But it is much more surprising that some even of those who, with ourselves, believe that there is one only source of all things, and that no nature which is not divine can exist unless originated by that Creator, have yet refused to accept with a good and simple faith this so good and simple a reason of the world's creation, that a good God made it good; and that the things created, being different from God, were inferior to Him, and yet were good, being cr”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 85: the world are correlata , the one supposes the other; without the world there is no God; creation is the self-evolution or self-manifestation of God: and is therefore necessary and eternal. God can no more be without the world, than mind without thought. The preservation, progress, and consummation of the world is by a necessary process of development, as in all the forms of life. There is no possibility of special intervention, on the part of God. Miracles whether spiritual or physical are an absurdity and an impossibility. 392 392 “Eige”