Chapter 6: An evaluation of Sallie McFague's body of God theology
6.2 The world as God's body
6.2.2 McFague's claim that the body of God model is a form of panentheism
6.2.2.2 Divine agency: God as the embodied spirit of the universe
The fourth metaphor McFague uses to describe divine agency is God as "embodied spirit of the universe" (1993a: 150). She argues that if the G-W relationship were understood analogously to the relationship between spirit and body then an agential-organic model is possible. In other words God is to world as spirit is to body. McFague insists both spirit and body are metaphors and relate to the back of God and not His or Her face. She prefers the use
of spirit rather than other agential metaphors such as soul, heart, self or mind, because it is generic (: 144). It is only human beings that possess a mind or self. In other words by making use of spirit, McFague attempts to negate anthropocentrism. She takes issue particularly with theories that use the mind-body dynamic to understand the G-W relationship, because they operate within a dualistic framework and often explain divine agency as controlling. The implication of such theories is that God orders, directs and controls the universe. McFague has a valid argument, because the mind-body analogy seems to imply an asymmetrical relationship where God assumes the majority of power and this in turn may limit the freedom of the
universe. Spirit, on the other hand, promotes a relational view of the G-W dynamic.
The body of God model therefore appears to have a significant pneumatology. It understands the world as God's body, a body that the spirit enlivens and empowers. McFague understands this process of enlivening as the work of the spirit as the breath of life (: 143). She argues the breath of life makes creation dependent on God. In addition to this the spirit as the breath of life unites creation, because all creatures require it for their existence. McFague uses Gen. 2 to support her view. She insists that this story shows the universe's dust to be empowered by God's breath. In this manner God is viewed as the creator and renewer of the universe.
McFague understands God as the source of the dynamic and diverse universe. She therefore argues it is God that allows creation to evolve in the manner that it does. The stress of the body of God model is therefore on the continuous creative activity of God. McFague asserts that divine activity, when God is understood as the breath of life, is not focused on direction or purpose, but on divine presence (: 146). Her logic is that all bodies are inspirited and evolving.
God is the spirit of these bodies and is therefore in the process of evolution, or as she puts it,
"continuous with this evolutionary process" (: 146). By doing this McFague attempts to explain divine agency in relation to postmodern science.
By stressing a form of permanent incarnation, she argues against divine intervention. McFague stresses the notion of empowerment vis-a-vis divine agency. She writes,
God's presence and action are evident as the breath of life that gives all bodies, all forms of matter, the energy or power to become themselves (: 148).
McFague insists one of the values with the body of God model is that it overcomes dualism and thus makes salvation relevant to both the spiritual and physical aspects of life. Her argument is that if God is embodied then bodies matter to Him or Her (1988: 672).
McFague stresses the empowering role of the spirit, rather than its function as the guide or director of the evolutionary process. God as the spirit of the world acts in a ubiquitous manner by providing creation with the ability to diversify. The spirit of life initiates this diversification mechanism. The researcher understands McFague to mean that the evolutionary process was begun by the spirit of life and is maintained by it.
In addition to this McFague stresses the redemptive role of God. It was noted before that the role of God as friend is to sustain creation. McFague imports the sustaining function of God into her pneumatology. She differentiates between the spirit, which is the source of life, and the Holy Spirit, which renews life. For the body of God model it is not the spirit that gives direction to the creative process, but the Holy Spirit that does this (: 147-8). McFague appears to be implying that the Holy Spirit does not direct natural processes, but gives them direction.
In other words it does not coerce, but lures creation5 . The Holy Spirit not only gives creation direction at the biological level, but also at the cultural and historical levels. It therefore functions through humankind. In this manner human beings become the, "hands and feet of the body of God on our planet" (: 148). By giving creation direction, the Holy Spirit is bringing it to fulfillment. In other words there is an eschatological role for the Holy Spirit, which will bring, "creation into harmonious union" (: 147).
These insights from McFague appear to bear resemblance to Tillich's notion of God's originating, sustaining and directing creativity (1968: 281-298) . For Tillich God's
originating creativity is His or Her act of creation. Tillich accepts the doctrine of creation ex nihilo, unlike McFague who believes it is unbiblical (1993a: 151). However, what is
significant about Tillich's views on God's act of creation is his idea of creatureliness. He maintains creation out of nothing prevents dualism. In other words Tillich appears to be endorsing a monistic view of reality. Thinkers may argue that Tillich, with his extensive existential analysis, is orientated primarily towards humankind. However, monism implies that everything is in some manner interconnected and interrelated. The consequence of this is God, humankind and natures are in a dynamic relationship. Tillich insists creatureliness, "carries in itself the power of being" (: 281). In a monistic view of reality, creatureliness may be extended from the human level to creation in general. In other words all creation inherently has the
56 See L. Ford's understanding of the manner in which God lures creation to higher possibilities from a process perspective in his, The Lure of God.
57 This is taken from volume one of Tillich's Systematic Theology.
power of being. What is unique about human beings is that they are able to participate in the God who is the ground of being in order to overcome nonbeing (i.e. anxiety). These reflections on Tillich's view on creatureliness imply the dependence of creation on God, a notion that resonates through McFague's thought.
In terms of sustaining creativity, Tillich accepts the notion that God preserves the world and thus rejects deism (: 290). For Tillich, God's relationship with the world is characterised by continuous creation. This divine action operates within the natural laws and structures set in place by God. Tillich insists that God by God's nature is creative and functions creatively within temporal reality. God gives, "the power of being to everything that has being out of the creative ground of the divine life" (: 291).
Finally, Tillich refers to the directing creativity of God (: 293). He understands this as divine providence. For Tillich providence must be understood such that the freedom of both God and creation is preserved. It is a permanent form of divine agency where God brings everything to fulfillment. This direction is available in every finite situation. Tillich does not understand God's directing creativity as coercion, but rather as a quality of God that "drives" or "lures"
(: 296).
McFague insists that the spirit as the source of life is panentheistic (: 149-150). The world is in God and God is in the world, yet the world is dependent on God for its existence. In other words God is the breath of the world. God does not require breath from the world. For McFague,
God is embodied but not necessarily or totally. Rather, God is sacramentally embodied:
God is mediated, expressed, in and through embodiment, but not necessarily or totally (: 150) (Emphasis the researcher's).
McFague argues that this approach does not reduce God to the world; neither does it locate God in another reality. In terms of divine immanence God is present as the breath of life and in His or Her transcendence is the empowerer of the universe.