Consider one of the most basic things that theistic religious people say about God: God is the creator of the universe. This statement is so common, so essential to most western religious perspectives, that it may go unconsidered. But what, exactly, are we saying when we say God created1 the universe?
The idea of creating something is not itself strange. We humans create things all the time. Right now, I am creating this substack post. Last night, I created a lentil curry. On two separate occasions, my wife and I have created children. So when we talk about God as the creator of the universe, we are likely thinking that God creates more or less like we do.
But if we think about this for a moment or two, questions—and problems—will arise. While it’s true that I can create texts, food, and even new humans, my creative process is hemmed in and limited in all kinds of ways. Let’s consider my skills as a writer. I can create texts in English, but not any other language. I am also pretty decent (I hope!) at creating non-fiction about philosophy and theology, I have never been able to write fiction, and my poetry is basically just repackaged philosophy and theology.
Wrestling with the Angel 