Understanding the Creator from the Things That Are Made

Abstract

IN A WELL-KNOWN PASSAGE in Romans, St. Paul writes: wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since creation of world his [God's] invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, have been clearly perceived in things that are (Rom 1:18-20). This doctrine is also found in Hebrew scriptures, especially in Wisdom literature. Psalm 19:1 reads: heavens are telling glory of God, and firmament proclaims his handiwork. And Wisdom 8:1 affirms: She [Wisdom] reaches mightily from one end of earth to other, and she orders all things well. These scriptures became basis for Christian teaching that God could be known by reason from things that were made. This argument remained persuasive throughout most of Christian tradition, down to twentieth century. And yet today it is widely regarded as unconvincing. Very few theologians resort to arguments from nature to God--what is known as natural theology. Generally, philosophy of nature has been turned over by default to natural scientists. (1) If theologians advance arguments for God's existence at all, they are likely to begin not with external world, but with an analysis of human subject, as in theologies of Karl Rahner and Bernard Lonergan, or with a kind of revelational positivism in which revelation of Christ in Christian scriptures becomes starting point (rather than natural world). My query in this article is: Can we still claim that God can be known from things that are made by reason and apart from revelation? In considering this claim, I will first look briefly at Christian tradition. Second, I will consider modern atheistic interpretations of nature, especially that of Richard Dawkins. Finally, I will argue that we can, indeed, know something of God from things that are made. I. Christian Tradition The comparison of what has been called of with of Scripture seems to go back at least to fourth-century writer St. Ephrem Syrian: The keys of doctrine which unlock all of Scripture's books, have opened up before my eyes Book of Creation, The treasure house of Ark, crown of Law. this is a book which above its companions has in its narrative made Creator perceptible and transmitted His actions; It has envisioned all His craftsmanship, made manifest His works of art. (2) Ephrem's comparison of two books through which God is made known is not shared by Paul, for he seems to think that God is made known in Book of Creation only by the keys of doctrine. So knowledge of God in creation is not open to unaided reason, but only to reason enlightened by revelation. This is a point to which I will return at end of article. Writing somewhat later than Ephrem, Augustine argues in many places that created world points beyond itself to its Creator. He offers one example in Confessions: See, heaven and earth exist, they cry aloud that they are made, for they suffer change and variation. ... They also cry aloud that they have not made themselves: manner of our existence shows that we are made. For before we came to be, we did not exist to be able to make ourselves. And voice with which they speak is self-evidence. You, Lord, who are beautiful, made them for they are beautiful. You are good, for they are good. You are, for they are. Yet they are not beautiful or good or possessed of being in sense that you their Maker are. In comparison with you they are deficient in beauty and goodness and being. (3) In his five proofs, or demonstrations for God, Thomas Aquinas also begins with world, things that are made, and argues from there to existence of God. …