Levinas’ Interpretation of Creation Versus Christian Theology
Keywords:
Emmanuel Levinas, creation, theology, Jürgen Moltmann, Marc HarrisAbstract
The biblical notion of creation lies at the very heart of Levinas’ anthropology and metaphysics. He realises that the notion is totally ignored by modern philosophy, and he does not endeavour a discussion of the subject within the framework of philosophy. Instead, he frequently engages in a polemic with the concept of creation which prevails in traditional Christian theology. His perception of man as a created being, as well as his metaphysics as a whole, draws on desire rather than thought seeking to comprehend, or ontology;
he demonstrates that modern scepticism, or post-modernism, opens a way to better see man s a created being. He argues that the notion of creation is far more closely related to the
concept of separation that that of participation which pervades traditional theology, while man, as a created freedom, is atheistic by nature. The temporality of human life, on the other hand, is a relation to God. All the above mentioned strands of Levinas’ thought, developed in a controversial way, may prove inspiring for modern theological reflection on creation. This inspiring and critical function of Levinas’ philosophy is clearly visible against the background of Jürgen Moltmann’s theology and the theological project of Marc Harris.
References
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