1.2.1.2 Augustine (born 354)
Augustine believes in the superiority of the human soul. He places the human soul higher than material creation. For Augustine, “the human soul is the glory of the world and rightful lord of the irrational creation” (Osborn 37). This understanding marks the human soul as prominent and makes it as the primary focus at the expense of all other creation. Also, in his City of Joy, Augustine talks about the ongoing struggle between the two cities–the city of God and the city of man or the “temporal city” (4) where at the end, the victory of the struggle is won by the city of God. For Augustine, the concern of Christians should be on the City of God which is more spiritual than the earthly reality. The consequence of …show more content…
It does not describe God’s acts in creating the universe. He says, “The feeling of absolute dependence, accordingly, is not to be explained as an awareness of the world’s existence, but only as an awareness of the existence of God, as the absolute undivided unity” (Schleiermacher 132). Schleiermacher states that humans are able and are a rational being. Here, the idea is about the Christian’s awareness, and the mind which points to Schleiermacher’s focus on humans themselves.
1.2.1.5 Herman Bavinck (born …show more content…
He opines that many Christians believe in the truth that God is the Creator of all things, but neglect the implication of that truth (Stott, Balanced Christianity 50). He maintains that a better doctrine of creation is needed for many Christians. He says, “We have tended to have a good doctrine of redemption and a bad doctrine of creation” (Stott, Balanced Christianity 49), and asserts that there is a need for “a better doctrine of creation” (Stott, The Birds Our Teachers 10). He believes in God the Creator who has concern for all people, not just the church or the Christians. He says that the Creator is interested in the whole of life. For him, creation care is one of the characteristics of Christian discipleship which is to be taken seriously but is often neglected (Stott, The Radical Disciple 17). Stott is in the opinion that humans have “noble calling to cooperate with God for the fulfilment of his purposes, to transform the created order for the pleasure and profit of all” (The Radical Disciple 59). To him, our care for creation is a reflection of our love for the Creator, which is the intention of God. Stott develops the overall concern for human beings, and the rest of creation. His concern for God's relation to the world, human beings' relation with God, how we should live in the world as a disciple of the Lord, is seen in his various