This seminar will be led by Dr. Jake Grefenstette, St. Vincent University.

There is a long tradition in Christian theology of referring to God as “author” of creation. In Genesis, God seems to “speak” creation into existence. In the Prologue to the Gospel of John, Christ is described as the eternal “Word” (Λόγος). In Exodus 31:18, we learn that God pens the Commandments with his own finger. Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us that “one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Is there deeper spiritual significance to thinking of God as “author”? Or does this language simply represent an extended metaphor for creation? Is there any theological danger to taking this metaphor too seriously?

This seminar explores two versions of the title question in relation to the two natures (divine and human) of Jesus Christ. First: regarding the divine, is it fruitful (or even appropriate) to refer to the Son of God as “poet”? And second: speaking of his human nature, does it make sense to speculate about the historical Jesus of Nazareth as an artist (whether carpenter, poet, or otherwise)? The Letter to the Hebrews tells us Jesus was like us in all things apart from sin (4:15). Does this extend to human creativity?

Reading: Excerpts