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Laurence Michel, exploring the "Possibility of a Christian Tragedy," suggests that the creation account of Genesis opens the possibility for a "tragic sense of life." How? "To have a world imitative of the simple perfection of God one must have multiplicity and diversity of goods. Various evils and contraries will be found in it and, therefore, physical evils will exist. From the very outset, in a creative act there are elements of destruction and danger and hardship; but somehow at the end there is life abundantly, and blessedness, and rest." Hardly. This displays quite clearly the anti-Trinitarian bases for the "tragic sense." Multiplicity makes for "evils and contraries," and therefore "destruction and danger and hardship" are potential within the original creation. But suppose God is not "simple perfection," but Himself a harmony of "multiple" and "diverse" persons, then the creation can display and imitate Him without any discord.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 at 06:55 PM
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Brazos Theological Commentary
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Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
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Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
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