Calvin’s Doctrine Of Creation -- By: John J. Murray

Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 17:1 (Nov 1954)
Article: Calvin’s Doctrine Of Creation
Author: John J. Murray


Calvin’s Doctrine Of Creation

John Murray

IN historical theology there are two dangers of which we need to be aware. One is that we impose upon a theologian of a particular period the thought-forms and distinctions which really belong to later developments of theological discussion. When we do this we place the theologian in question in a perspective which is not true to his position. The other danger is in the opposite direction, namely, the failure properly to take account of the continuity and even identity of thought between a particular theologian and his successors. Calvin has suffered from both of these tendencies on the part of his interpreters.

The subject of creation is one of basic interest to Christian theology. As is our concept of creation so will be the character of our theism. It may contribute a little to the better understanding of what is involved in the doctrine of creation and particularly to a better understanding of the concepts entertained by the protestant theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries if we study Calvin’s utterances on this question in relation to the formulations which became current among the protestant theologians who succeeded Calvin.

Immediate And Mediate Creation

In formulating the doctrine of creation both Lutheran and Reformed theologians, particularly those of the seventeenth century, distinguished between immediate or primary creation, on the one hand, and mediate or secondary creation, on the other. The former they conceived of as that action of God by which he brought things into being ex nihilo by the mere fiat of his will, the latter they conceived of as the creative action of God superinduced upon the material brought into existence by the antecedent ex nihilo fiat. Immediate creation

is primary because prior to this action of God there was no preexisting or prejacent material through which the effect was wrought or upon which the action supervened: the whole effect embraced within the action designated as immediate creation is due to a completely originative action of God. Mediate creation, on the other hand, is secondary because there is presupposed the material antecedently brought into existence by the primary and originative fiat: the effect of the action designated as mediate creation draws within its scope previously existing material and comprises the use of that material. This is the distinction between ex nihilo and ex materia. In immediate creation the terminus a quo is nihil, in mediate creation it is materia.

A few quotations will illustrate this construction. John Wollebius, for example, says: “Creation is that by which God produ...

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