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spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

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Conradie 54 shows, based on Van Ruler’s typology, that <strong>the</strong>re are four different perceptions <strong>of</strong><br />

this relationship 55 , <strong>and</strong> he focuses on <strong>the</strong> classic Reformed position which considers salvation as<br />

re-creation. In contrast with <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> creatio nova, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> contrast with <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> elevation,<br />

re-creation implies that ultimately every aspect <strong>of</strong> creation will be permeated with God’s<br />

wholeness (salvation), <strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong> whole be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> creation will be sanctified. Re-creation<br />

emphasizes cont<strong>in</strong>uation, <strong>the</strong> preservation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial creation. Creation, <strong>in</strong>deed, needs to be<br />

renewed by God due to <strong>the</strong> reality <strong>of</strong> s<strong>in</strong>, but simultaneously creation is <strong>of</strong> a quality that cannot<br />

be replaced.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> perception <strong>of</strong> salvation as re-creation, <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> coram Deo plays an important role as<br />

well. The Reformed perspective stresses that our entire reality is lived before God, <strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong>re<br />

is no separation between secular <strong>and</strong> religious dimensions <strong>of</strong> creaturely life. So <strong>the</strong>re is no aspect<br />

<strong>of</strong> creation that falls outside <strong>the</strong> horizon <strong>of</strong> God’s love. Coram Deo means that <strong>the</strong> focus is not so<br />

much on “<strong>the</strong> horizon, God, but on <strong>the</strong> mov<strong>in</strong>g space <strong>of</strong> creaturely <strong>and</strong> cosmic existence that is<br />

encompassed <strong>and</strong> transformed by this horizon. This space is a space constituted by <strong>the</strong> relation<br />

between God <strong>and</strong> cosmos <strong>and</strong> among God <strong>and</strong> creatures <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>dividuality, sociality, <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>terdependence” (Culp 2010:6). One could also say that <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> coram Deo implies that<br />

<strong>the</strong> entire creation is <strong>in</strong>fluenced by God’s love, which says someth<strong>in</strong>g about <strong>the</strong> goodness <strong>of</strong><br />

creation.<br />

9.2.3 Vulnerability <strong>of</strong> creation<br />

The doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> creation is about <strong>the</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> creaturely life <strong>in</strong> relation to <strong>the</strong> Creator. This<br />

mean<strong>in</strong>g also refers to <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> creaturely life <strong>in</strong> all its forms. The motifs <strong>of</strong> God’s creative<br />

love <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> creation’s cont<strong>in</strong>gency expla<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> relationship between God <strong>and</strong> creation: <strong>the</strong> world<br />

depends on God for its order <strong>and</strong> well-be<strong>in</strong>g. The biblical creation stories witness to <strong>the</strong> same<br />

idea, namely that <strong>the</strong> breath <strong>of</strong> God gives life to everyth<strong>in</strong>g that exists. The human be<strong>in</strong>g is<br />

formed from <strong>the</strong> dust <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ground, <strong>and</strong> filled with <strong>the</strong> breath <strong>of</strong> life by <strong>the</strong> Spirit. This<br />

perspective draws attention to a particular aspect <strong>of</strong> creaturely life: that is, its physicality <strong>and</strong><br />

54. Conradie, EM. Creation <strong>and</strong> salvation? The legacy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reformed term re-creatio. Forthcom<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

55. The four different accents <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> relationship between salvation <strong>and</strong> creation are (1) <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> nova creation,<br />

which means that <strong>the</strong> first creation will be replaced by an entirely new creation where <strong>the</strong>re is no space for evil <strong>and</strong><br />

suffer<strong>in</strong>g; (2) <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> elevation, mean<strong>in</strong>g that created nature has to be complemented by div<strong>in</strong>e grace <strong>in</strong> order<br />

to reach a higher level <strong>of</strong> reality; <strong>the</strong> implication is that this creation is <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>ferior quality; (3) <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong><br />

predicatio, which refers to <strong>the</strong> s<strong>in</strong>fulness <strong>of</strong> creation; creation will never be free <strong>of</strong> s<strong>in</strong>fulness, but creation is<br />

declared righteous before God on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> predicatio <strong>of</strong> God’s word <strong>in</strong> this world; <strong>and</strong> (4) <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong><br />

sanctification, which means that <strong>the</strong> emphasis is on <strong>the</strong> renewal <strong>of</strong> creation on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> its focus on God.<br />

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