Digital Logos Edition
The Christian claim that the triune God is the creator of the universe is both exegetically grounded and theologically rich.
Yet discussions about God’s work of creation are often overwhelmed by questions such as the age of the earth and the relationship between divine creation and evolution. Without completely ignoring such issues, Peter Leithart offers a decidedly theological interpretation of the creation account from Genesis 1.
By engaging with classic discussions of creation, including those of Plato and Aristotle, as well as Christian articulations as varied as those of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Sergius Bulgakov, Karl Barth and Robert Jenson, Leithart embraces the challenge of talking about God and God’s first work. Here, readers will discover what it means to articulate a theology that is rigorously grounded in the first chapter of the Bible and the creedal affirmation of God the Father almighty, who is the creator of the heavens and earth.
Creator is theological exegesis at its finest. Leithart brings forth from the oldest of biblical wineskins startling fresh insights, enabling him to critique classical and process theism alike with his alternative ‘metaphysics of Genesis.’ Creation here becomes the site for a new battle for the Bible and for the doctrine of God. To read Genesis 1 with Leithart is an exhilarating, even intoxicating experience.
—Kevin J. Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Yes, this is a theological interpretation of Genesis 1―but it is so much more. Leithart boldly argues that God is the always-already Creator, whose triune love determines what we should take divine simplicity to mean. While scrupulously Protestant in attention to the biblical text, Creator builds creatively on the metaphysical insights of theologians as varied as Milbank, Bulgakov, and Jensen. Leithart’s scintillating composition makes for joyful music, echoing the triune song that sings creation into being.
—Hans Boersma, Saint Benedict Servants of Christ Professor in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary
Few prolific theologians are always worth reading, but Peter Leithart is the rare exception. Here he explores and praises the triune Creator, in critical dialogue with the recent turn to Aquinas in some Reformed and Catholic circles. His construal of Aquinas’s perspective is itself worth the price of the book and will stimulate a rich debate!
—Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary