New Publication: Pantheism and Panentheism by Mariusz Tabaczek, OP

Fr Mariusz Tabaczek, OP has contributed an article to the recently published T&T Clark Handbook of the Doctrine of Creation. The volume provides an expansive range of resources introducing the doctrine of creation as understood in Christian traditions. The publication can be found here.

Here is the abstract of his contribution: “Both pantheism and panentheism have a long history and have recently grown in popularity again. The core ideas construing them as theological positions bring into consideration, approve, challenge, reinterpret, or deny the importance of some aspects or even the entire doctrine of creation in its classical formulation. Strict non-theistic pantheism replaces the classical concept of God with the notion of the divine Unity of the universe, which de facto excludes any notion of creation. However, in its more moderate versions pantheism does allude to both the emanationist and the ex nihilo aspects of the creation dogma. Panentheism, on its part, offers an original and more elaborate development and reinterpretation of these characteristics. It sees God as creating from within himself and asserts that that creative act is kenotic; i.e., it is an effect of divine self-limitation, self-negation, and self-humiliation. It thus introduces a change in God, which makes God’s relation to the universe reciprocal. Moreover, panentheists tend to perceive creation as necessary and, speaking of creatio continua, they attribute to creatures the dignity of participating in God’s creative activity. These propositions are criticized by the contemporary advocates of the classical theistic position.”