What happened when God created the earth? When did he create it? How long did it take him to create it? Did it take six days, millions of years, or did he create everything instantaneously? Christians and interpreters have debated these issues for a long time, and these debates have only become more heated in recent decades. Is there more to the doctrine of creation than dates and timetables? In his new book Retrieving Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation, Gavin Ortlund—President of Truth Unites, a ministry promoting gospel assurance through theological depth, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville—say that we have heaps to learn from Augustine. From his doctrine of creation we learn how Christianity as a whole made sense to this theological giant—”how it was better than its rival intellectual and religious systems at providing an explanation for the complexity of the world, the intensity of the contest between good and evil, and the strange longings of the human soul” (3).
Many interpreters of Augustine’s book Confessions have been puzzled over the layout of the book, particularly of its ending. Augustine goes from talking about himself (books 1–10, with book 10 being about memory) to talking about creation in Genesis (books 11–13). It is to the point that the scholarly consensus of the past century doesn’t believe the book really even holds together. But Ortlund points out that “Augustine’s meditation on time and creation in books 10-13 represents the fulfillment of his longing for worship, the great pursuit of books 1-9” (19). Its is Augustine’s doctrine of creation that is the key to Confessions “by situating Augustine’s story in relation to his larger vision of reality” (19).
Rather than jumping to the question of how old the earth is, in chapter one Ortlund lays out what Augustine thought about creation and the Creator-creature distinction, as well as what sin was and how evil affects what is good. God did not make evil. Temporal things, while existing, are always proceeding toward non-existence. Yet we are made by the eternal God and we are dependent upon him. He is “infinitely alien” and other to us, but et he is always our “constant food and source” (34). Evil then takes what is good, such as acts of the self and will —which are God-given and good—and “fouls” them up. Sin turns us inward, and it mimics what is good. It leads to “non-being” because it severs our “dependence on God, which is necessary for [our] being and well-being” (52). Redemption, then, undoes sin ultimately achieves what we were created for—imaging God in union with him (here “deification”—the fulfillment of our creaturely status).
What can all this (and Augustine’s belief on Trinitarian relations in creation) teach contemporary creation theology (for example, Answers in Genesis, Reasons to Believe, and BioLogos)? Augustine helps us to:
- refocus on the central issues,
- remind us of neglected topics,
- and redirect us toward unconsidered possibilities (59).
He helps us refocus on matters that have been most agreed upon throughout church history, those things that are “most relevant to our witness and worship (59). One example of this would be to focus on the God who created more than how long it took him to create. As well, we are not autonomous beings but participatory. We need relationships, and the only one we can truly enjoy is with our Creator.
Chapter two is on the virtue of humility in the science-faith dialogue. Basically, don’t be a headstrong know-it-all. But neither are we to be apathetic. We ought to take an “unflinching allegiance” to what is there logically certain and take “prudential discretion” on murky/peripheral matters.
Chapter three covers Augustine’s “literal” interpretation of Genesis 1, as well as what “literal” means here. I found myself divided throughout this chapter. Sometimes I would think that Augustine made a great point about literary structure or points of theology; other times I was befuddled over why I should regard Augustine as worth reading at all on Genesis (lots of meandering and odd ideas regarding angels, pp. 125, 128, 133, among other things). Ortlund is well aware of this (139). While he doesn’t have space to do so, he encourages us to understand Augustine in his context relative to other church fathers (146). While Augustine writes with both an eye to the literal/literary and another to figurative/allegorical readings, he did truly care about Moses’ intention.
One thing important about this chapter (and the next) is that Augustine wrote in the fourth century AD, some 1500 years before Darwin’s The Descent of Man and The Origin of Species were published. Augustine’s views—instantaneous creation (pp. 123, 128), the connection between the light of Day One and angels (p. 133), how a creation “day” was longer than a 24-hour period (see Gen 2:4–6, pp. 134–36), or how animal death was likely (see all of ch 4)—were not held in an effort to fit the Bible into science. Augustine held his views because of what he read in the Bible and wrestled with from the text. Augustine’s views were backed by good arguments and clear thinking (well, besides the bit about angels, perhaps). In addition to Augustine, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Didymus the Blind, and Athanasius all interpreted the “days” of creation as different than ordinary days.
Chapter five looks at how we can change our thinking and link arms with brothers and sisters in Christ who hold to different views on creation. Augustine believed that Adam, Eve, and the Garden of Eden were historical people and places (198–209). At the same time though, he was willing to believe that one could read them allegorically/symbolically and still be orthodox. In addition, if other evidence (like science or more coherent interpretations) came about, he was willing to read Genesis 2–3 figuratively so that Scripture would not be disproven. Ortlund shows three different interpretations regarding Adam and Even, creation and evolution. He doesn’t land on any particular view and shows both the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Recommended?
Circling back to the discussion about humility, Augustine often holds two different interpretations without trying to account for or “fix” the other. When we don’t have hard-and-fast answers, we have to use our reasoning skills. Augustine’s example helps us see that we don’t have to have every textual interpretation pinned down. There are a number of ways we can be faithful to Scripture. This book is helpful because instead of giving us answers on what to believe, Ortlund shows us the process of interpretation on key issues in Genesis 1–3 by one of the chief patriotic interpreters. While some argue that Augustine wasn’t a good exegete because he knew neither Hebrew nor Greek very well, others have shown that that isn’t quite true. Ortlund’s book helps you to see that you can still be faithful to Scripture and within orthodoxy even if you don’t agree with certain portions of Evangelicalism when it comes to matters of creation.
Buy it on Amazon or from IVP Academic
Lagniappe
- Author: Gavin Ortlund
- Paperback: 264 pages
- Publisher: IVP Academic (July 14, 2020)
- Look Inside
Disclosure: I received this book free from IVP Academic. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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