Re: Fw: Who's Burden of Proof?

Steve Petermann wrote:
>
> (Was off list by mistake)
>
> Dave wrote:
> >Oops! This assumes that God cannot know or cannot control the outcome of
> >what we see as natural selection. I contend that this requires making a
> >god (not God) in our image. If done deliberately, it's idolatry.
>
> This brings up my earlier point about a kenotic designer. I'd appreciate
> some comments from the theologians in the group. One of the consistent
> themes of incarnation schemes is the idea of kenosis. In incarnations God
> accepts, in some fashion, the limitations of mundane reality. Now I
> realize
> that typically kenosis refers the self emptying of the second person of the
> trinity in the incarnation. However, there are examples of non-Christian
> theologies that also posit the self-limitation of the Creator. The most
> current example of this is process theology. Now I think there a major
> problems with the process picture of God, but the view that the Creator is,
> in some sense, self limiting in this reality does have merits in the S/R
> dialog.
>
> My question for Christian theology is whether this idea that God's ongoing
> creative activity could also be considered kenotic as well. This would mean
> that in some respect the results of design changes might not be totally
> known to God at least in some aspect. This would also fit well with a God
> who creates within natural mutation and selection.

        Kenosis in the narrow sense refers only to the 2d Person of the Trinity & his
Incarnation but its implications go beyond that. As Gordon Fee says in his commentary
on Philippians, with regard to 2:5-11, "In 'pouring himself out' and 'humbling himself
to death on the cross' Christ Jesus has revealed the character of God himself." If this
is the case then it makes sense to develop kenotic understandings of all the works of
the Trinity.

        In process thought God is limited, but limited by nature of God & God's
relationship with the world. Thus it is not a volunntary _self_-limitation like that of
kenosis.

                                                        Shalom,
                                                        George
George L. Murphy
gmurphy@raex.com
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
Received on Sat Nov 29 20:14:30 2003