Skip to main content
Log in

No creation, no revelation

  • Article
  • Published:
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is a strong claim that the world’s createdness, if true, cannot be known but through revelation. In this paper we try to dismiss this claim by arguing that creation cannot be merely a revealed truth (revelabile tantum), since it is on the contrary the very preamble to any genuine revelation. Ontologically, no revelation can happen in a self-existent world. No creation, no revelation. Epistemically, no revelation is to be admitted but on the assumption that the world depends, for its existence and operation, on a supernatural agent. No admittance of creative power, no justified identification of any revelatory activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barth, K. (1999). Church dogmatics, I, I, § 10 (3rd ed.). God as creator (G.W. Bromley & G.T. Thomson, Trans.). London: T&T CLARK LTD (1936).

  • Brunner E. (1947) Revelation and reason. SCM, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Clavier P. (2011) Ex nihilo, L’introduction en philosophie du concept de création. Hermann, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Eliade M. (1987) The encyclopedia of religion. Collier MacMillan, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrer A. (1957) Revelation. In: Mitchell B. (Ed.), Faith and logic, Oxford essays in philosophical theology. George, Allen and Unwin, London

    Google Scholar 

  • French, W. C. (1988). Returning to creation, Moltmann’s eschatology naturalized. The Journal of Religion, 68, no. 1, 78–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geach P. T. (1969) God and the soul, causality and creation. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerrish, B. A. (Jan 1998). Errors and insights in the understanding of revelation: A provisional response. The Journal of Religion, 78, no. 1, 1–88.

  • Helm P. (1982) The divine revelation: The basic issues. Marshall, Morgan and Scott, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendry G. (1972) Eclipse of creation. Theology Today 28(4): 406–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heschel A. J. (1955) God in search of man, a philosophy of Judaïsm. Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hick, J. (1990). Philosophy of religion (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

  • Marion J.-L. (2008) Au lieu de soi. L’approche de Saint Augustin. PUF, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Mavrodes G. (1988) Revelation in religious belief. Temple University Press, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Moltmann, J. (1985). God in creation: An ecological doctrine of creation: The Gifford Lectures 1984–1985, (M. Kohl, Trans.). London: SCM Press. (1985).

  • Morris T. V. (1983) Creation ‘ex nihilo’: Some considerations. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 14(4): 233–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pascal, B. (1909). Thoughts (W. F. Trotter, Trans) New York: P. F. Collier and Son Company.

  • Pouivet R. (2012) Steps towards an epistemology of revelation. In: Lukasiewicz D., Pouivet R. (Eds.), The right to believe: Perspectives in religious epistemology. Ontos Verlag, Heusenstamm

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwöbel C. (1990) Particularity, universality and the religions. Towards a Christian theology of religions. In: D’Costa G. (Ed.), Christian uniqueness reconsidered, the myth of a pluralistic theology of religions. Orbis Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwöbel C. (1992) God, action and revelation. Kok Pharos, Kampen

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, A. (1999). This immense panorama: Studies in honour of Eric J. Sharpe, Sydney studies. In Religion (Vol. 2), The University of Sydney.

  • Shepherd J. J. (1980) The concept of revelation. Religious Studies 16(4): 425–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swinburne R. (2004) The existence of God (2nd ed.). Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Swinburne R. (2005) Faith and reason (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Swinburne, R. (2011). Why Hume and Kant were mistaken in rejecting natural theology. International conference in philosophy of religion in the 21st century, 27th June 2011, Krakow.

  • Torrance, F. T. (1969). Theological science. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Our quote is from the paperback edition, 1996, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Ltd).

  • Torrance, T. F. (1996). Theological science (1969). Edinburgh: T&T CLARK LTD.

  • Wolterstorff N. (1995) Divine discourse. Philosophical reflections on the claim that God speaks. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Clavier.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Clavier, P. No creation, no revelation. Int J Philos Relig 73, 255–268 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-012-9377-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-012-9377-y

Keywords

Navigation