Confessions - Book Xii - Chapter Xix
St. Augustine reflects on God's eternal wisdom as the unchanging source of all creation, emphasizing the relationship between form, formlessness, and the mutable world.
In this profound exposition, St. Augustine delves into the nature of creation, emphasizing God's eternal wisdom as the foundation of all things. He explores the philosophical concepts of form and formlessness to reveal how mutable creation relates to the immutable Creator. This sermon invites listeners to deepen their understanding of God's unchanging nature and His sovereign role in the universe.
Text
28. For it is certainly true, O Lord, that thou didst create the heaven and the earth. It is also true that \"the beginning\" is thy wisdom in which thou didst create all things. It is likewise true that this visible world has its own great division (the heaven and the earth) and these two terms include all entities that have been made and created. It is further true that everything mutable confronts our minds with a certain lack of form, whereby it receives form, or whereby it is capable of taking form. It is true, yet again, that what cleaves to the changeless form so closely that even though it is mutable it is not changed is not subject to temporal process. It is true that the formlessness which is almost nothing cannot have temporal change in it. It is true that that from which something is made can, in a manner of speaking, be called by the same name as the thing that is made from it. Thus that formlessness of which heaven and earth were made might be called \"heaven and earth.\" It is true that of all things having form nothing is nearer to the unformed than the earth and the abyss. It is true that not only every created and formed thing but also everything capable of creation and of form were created by Thee, from whom all things are.[488] It is true, finally, that everything that is formed from what is formless was formless before it was formed.
Sermon Outline
-
I. The Eternal Creator
- God as the source of heaven and earth
- Creation rooted in divine wisdom
- The unchanging nature of God
-
II. The Nature of Form and Formlessness
- Distinction between mutable and immutable
- Form arising from formlessness
- Relationship between earth, abyss, and form
-
III. Temporal Change and Eternity
- Mutable things subject to temporal process
- Immutable things beyond time
- God’s creation transcends temporal change
Key Quotes
“For it is certainly true, O Lord, that thou didst create the heaven and the earth.” — St. Augustine
“Everything mutable confronts our minds with a certain lack of form, whereby it receives form, or whereby it is capable of taking form.” — St. Augustine
“Not only every created and formed thing but also everything capable of creation and of form were created by Thee, from whom all things are.” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Recognize God's unchanging nature amidst the changing world around us.
- Reflect on how God's wisdom shapes all aspects of creation.
- Embrace the mystery of form and formlessness as part of God's creative process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Augustine mean by 'form' and 'formlessness'?
Augustine explains 'form' as the defining shape or nature of things, while 'formlessness' refers to the potential or raw material before form is given.
How does Augustine describe God's role in creation?
God is the eternal, unchanging source from whom all things, both formed and capable of being formed, originate.
Why is the earth described as near to formlessness?
Because the earth and abyss are seen as the closest to the unformed state, representing the raw material from which form is derived.
What is the significance of temporal change in this sermon?
Temporal change applies to mutable things, but God and His wisdom remain unchanging beyond time.
Is this sermon more philosophical or theological?
It blends both, using philosophical concepts of form and change to explore theological truths about God and creation.