God in Creation – A Defense of Panentheism

I’m currently re-reading God in Creation, Jürgen Moltmann’s ecological doctrine of creation.  It’s my third time through the book — maybe fourth. It’s a beautifully written systematic theology text.  In the preface, Moltmann admits that he didn’t mean to write a thorough monograph on the doctrine of creation, but the more he got into the subject, the more topics he felt he had to cover.

He addresses some pretty cool topics, which will be out-there for some readers. For instance, the Kabbalistic idea of God’s tzimtzum is central to Moltmann’s understanding of how an all-consuming God made room for a creation that is other-than-god. Moltmann also turns to Jewish theology for the understanding of God’s Spirit as Shekhinah — that is, presence.

I’ll be exploring these ideas in posts as I read through the book, especially in light of the interest in Process Theology that’s being generated here and elsewhere.

But what’s likely to generate the most interest here is Moltmann’s wholehearted defense of panentheism. How Moltmann’s panentheism intersects with and differs from Process Theology is something that I definitely want to explore.

If anyone wants to read along with me, jump in!