Relational Theology of Creation

Question: Discuss about the Relational Theology of Creation. Answer: Introduction: This paper is based on evaluating Terence E.Fretheims God and the World in the Old Testament: a relational theology of creation (chapter 1 "Theological perspectives "). The main aspect of this article is to examine the fundamental issues that have been interpreted by the author in the creation part of the Old Testament. The article explains the meaning of the word creation. According to the author the internal metaphors include the shaping of the world as the womb of a mother. The world creation does not refer to formation of new things, but mainly to inform that cosmos does not exist, but it was created by God. There is a process through which creation is done that includes origination, continuing and completing (p. 4). The article provides the deep analysis of the creation (as a verb) found in Old Testament. The view presented by the author about God is displayed through the opinion that creation is connected as well open ended. The article has made the two substantial claims about the Old Testament. First is that creation is the indispensible foundation of the Old testament in terms of explaining redemption and salvation. The study explains that not only God is the main creator of the world before being a redeemer, but it also explains that redemption is very necessary for creation. The word creation used in the Old Testament is not just associated with the technicalities of the creation of world, but it is something created out of nothing. Creation is not just the matter of originating something, but it is the beginning of something more divine. The second substantial claim of the study is that God is not unaffected by the process of creation, rather he has a genuine relationship with what he has created. The chapter Theological Perspective is the presentation of the theological assumptions associated with creation. The chapter Theological Perspective presents the different understanding of the creation. Earlier my perspective towards creation was just that God created the earth, animals, and humans on earth to serve his purpose of letting others know about God. But, according to the study of Terence E. Fretheims God and the World in the Old Testament: a relational theology of creation, in the first chapter Theological Perspectives. The book of creation explains the divine relationship of God with humans. God has begun out of nothing and has included humans in the process of creation by giving them power to create their generations. So I learnt that creation is the openness of God and participation of the human in ongoing process of creation. The creation made by God is not the threat to the creator, or the one that must be defeated by the God, but the creation of God is something to be praised. The main aspect or the new information that I have gained through this chapter is that redemption and creation are associated with each other and creation is associated with the life that humans experience in real life. Bibliography Archer, Kenneth J. "GodCreation's Hope, CreationGod's Home: A Pentecostal Theological Response to Terence E. Fretheim's God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation."Journal of Pentecostal Theology19, no. 2 (2010): 198-212. Brueggemann, Walter.Old Testament theology: an introduction. Abingdon Press, 2010. Stallman, Robert. "A Review of Terence E. Fretheim's God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation."Journal of Pentecostal Theology19, no. 2 (2010): 183-189. Tilling, Chris.Paul's divine Christology. Mohr Siebeck, 2012.