The Christian Interpretive Paradigm
The fundamental arc of biblical history, which serves as the exegesis and interpretation of the true world, constitutes the fundamental structure and narrative arc of the history of the human family and, through the human family, the history of the entire creation. This framework, known as Christianity, is an interpretive paradigm that purports to shed light on all reality.
It views the story of the world as centred on the incarnate Jesus Christ, the only begotten eternal Son of the Father, for whom the world was made and in whom the world is glorified. This glorification is achieved through the Son taking on human nature and lifting that nature up to participation in divine glory, culminating in His resurrection and ascension.
The concept of existence itself is rooted in the constant and conscious continuing will of God to hold creation in existence. Existence pertains intrinsically and necessarily only to God, who exists as Father of the only begotten Son, whom He loves by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, what it means for a thing to be has its source in the Trinitarian life of God, a life shared with the human family and, through the human family, with all creation.
Glorification and Perfection
The principle end of God’s creation and the centre of the biblical and human stories is the glorification of the world, or the perfection of the world. Perfection in this context does not denote the correcting of a flaw, but rather the bringing of a particular thing to the fullness of what it ought to be.
Perfection is the complete realisation of everything intrinsic to a thing's nature, moving from a state of potentiality to actuality. This distinction between potential and actual (act and potency) is a classical metaphysical concept. Time, accordingly, is the grammar used to articulate what it means for a thing to move from potency to actuality. Actuality is synonymous with activity or work (Greek: _energeia_ or _energon_).
The story of the world is thus intelligible even without mention of sin or evil, as sin and evil are contingent realities. Sin, in its nature, is a corruption on existence that piggybacks illegitimately on divine existence and perfection, possessing no existence in and of itself.
Redemption as the Principle Subplot
While the notion of forgiveness and pardon from sin is fundamental and central to the Christian confession, it is not the centre of the divine economy—God’s management of the world in its creation, redemption, and final glorification. Instead of redemption from sin being the main plot of the narrative, it functions as the principle subplot.
Redemption is the necessary precondition for the fulfilment of the original purpose in creation. God redeems the world in the very same activity whereby He glorifies and matures it.
Justification, which means to declare righteous, is a positive act, not solely existing in relation to sin. God’s word is that by which the world was formed, and when God declares humanity righteous, He creates a new person, a new creation.
Justification includes participation in the life and glory of God. Baptism, described as justification, is carried out by the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which heals wounds and glorifies the human being.
The Purpose of Human Existence
The purpose of human existence in the world is the glorification of creation. This is the bringing of creation from potential to actual. God places the human being in the centre of the relation that constitutes the world as existent. Human beings are the instrument by which the world is restructured and built up into a house wherein God can totally reveal His glory.
This endeavour is cooperative. While creation has potentials by divine gift, there are multiple ways those potentials can be actualised, allowing for genuine choice among different goods. The work of humanity involves shaping and moulding creation, and this process of glorification always entails particularisation, making the cosmos more fully itself and more particular. This capacity for choice among equal splendours is a source of delight, mirroring God's own non-arbitrary choice to create the world.
The Cosmos and the Microcosm
Creation is an integral unity, wired together comprehensively, where everything that occurs affects everything else. The human family is both a part of the created cosmos and the instrument responsible for its development.
The human family is a miniature universe, a microcosm. Everything the world ought to be is present in the human family, reflecting the divine archetype (Logos). The world is perfected in its existence when the human being knows the world, apprehending its inner principles (the _logoi_, or individual archetypes). Knowing the world is not a passive reception; through understanding, humanity brings the world closer to its perfection.
God conceals matters in the world for His own glory, and it is the glory of kings to search them out. This hiding is done so that the truth might eventually be revealed. Working hard to find truth, whether in scripture or the world, causes it to be valued more.
The Role of the Church
The Church’s vocation is not confined merely to being a hospital for sinners. It is integral as the instrument by which Christ continues to act in the world. All things in heaven and on earth are united in Christ, and God declares that unity through the Church, through which the glory of God is proclaimed to all creation. The Church is the body and bride of Christ, and the book of Acts describes the continued ministry of Jesus through the Spirit within the Church.
The spirit, often analogised with water, has a creative purpose. The outflow of the Spirit, which began on the Day of Pentecost, is a creative act that matures and glorifies the world. The mountains dripping with sweet wine symbolise glory and maturity, illustrating the deepening of the world’s internal connections. Wine is associated with society, unity, communion, and delight, and is used in the sacrament of the Eucharist where the Church becomes one body in Christ.
The calling of Christians, including those outside the ministerial clergy (the laity), is significant because the glorification of the world is accomplished by its assimilation to and union with the human family.
All legitimate work and labour possess great theological significance, as they involve restructuring the world to correspond more precisely to the life of the Creator, making it more valuable, richer, and more glorious. The scientist, engineer, or labourer participates in the creative work of God.
Image, Likeness, and Corporate Unity
Humanity, or Man, is created in the image of God. The human family is a single corporate organism, reflecting the Trinitarian communion. The corruption of death, known as original sin, affects the whole, demonstrating that mankind is a single organism. The human family, in its plural unity, is an echo of Trinitarian communion, which is why God says, Let us make man in our own image.
The distinction between image and likeness is subtle: image is what is given by creation, while likeness is the state of perfection in the glory of God that humanity is shaped into. The different prepositions used in Genesis suggest that image and likeness refer to distinct, yet associated, concepts. Humanity’s mirroring of God’s image intrinsically contains Trinitarian characteristics, expressed in the two-in-one nature of male and female. The diversity of nations and cultures reflects the plenitude of personal modes in which human nature is expressed.
Liturgy and the Structure of the World
God creates liturgically. The creation narrative itself is a liturgy, beginning with God’s liturgical and rhythmic speech. The structure of the world and the pattern of God's activity are reflected in the Divine Liturgy, which is the means by which humanity enters into God’s activity and the communion of Saints.
The six-day work week represents the creative process of restructuring and remoulding the world. The Sabbath, upon which the Fall occurred, is the day when God comes to dwell in the restructured world. Christian worship on Sunday, the Eighth Day, symbolises the resurrection and the completion of the old cosmos.
The human response to God’s creative procession is participation in the world’s reversion—its flow back into the heart of God. The proper mode of this reversion is thanksgiving.
Humanity’s work in the world, which produces value, is offered back to God as a tribute in the Eucharist. Christ, through His offering, presents the whole cosmos to God as a gift of thanksgiving, and the Church participates in this offering, thereby fulfilling the human calling to creatively restructure the world to make it more glorious.
Liturgy and reigning are two aspects of a single process, as the temple (or palace) is the place from which God governs the world. The Divine Liturgy is a network of rituals conducted in the throne room of God by which the world is sustained and developed according to the divine purpose.
Through the Eucharistic celebration, prayers are offered for the dead, and the saints of the Old Covenant (who are under the altar, in the good part of _Sheol_) are brought up into the throne of God. Even those who die outside the canonical boundaries of the Church, if saved, are saved by Christ through the intercessions of the Church.
The ultimate end of the story is the glorification of the world as the bride of Christ, where God dwells with man in totality, moving from the creation of the heavens and the earth to the construction of the City of God (Revelation 21). The world is filled and permeated by divine purpose, and the divine light fills all things.
The entire narrative arc of reality can be conceived metaphorically as a magnificent, infinitely complex symphony that the Creator intended to write and perform.
The core theme (Glorification) is the unfolding and perfection of the music itself, ensuring every instrument reaches its highest potential and blends into a perfect harmony. The resolution of discord (Redemption) is not the central purpose of the symphony, but an essential section (the principle subplot) necessitated by a false note played by the performers.
The human family is cast as the collective conductor and first violinist, whose choices and labour guide the orchestra (creation) toward the intended, glorious climax, while the Church serves as the rehearsal hall where the musicians gather to align their efforts with the Master’s Score (Liturgy).