Book Review: Creation Regained

Wolters, Albert M. Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

   Wolters advocates building a worldview founded upon the three categories of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. All of reality can considered under one or more of those three rubrics. He concludes that Creation consists of creative acts in three realms, (1) the creation of the physical cosmos, (2) the creation of natural laws, (3) the creation of norms, or normal behavior within the various spheres of the creation. The Fall has corrupted creation in its three parts. Redemption redeems, not just man, but all of creation.

    Wolters then advocates that the Christian’s role is to promote redemption in all three of the realms of creation. He proposes doing this by looking at the world through the grid of “structure” and “direction”. Structure has to do with analyzing something to see what part of it is part of the original good creation. What part of it is creational? Direction has to do with trajectory, discerning how the Fall (or Redemption since the Fall) is influencing it.

    Wolters firmly believes that it is the job of the Christian not to wholly reject any portion of the creation, but to rather bring redemptive direction back to it, ie, to redeem it.

    His categories and analysis are fascinating and very provocative. Of particular note is his argument that there are “norms” in creation, norms which have been perverted and warped by the Fall. There are also a few weaknesses to the book: it really does not engage the cataclysmic destruction of the earth and world systems contained in Revelation. His eschatological view appears to be probably post-millennial or a-millennial; hence, in his viewpoint the kingdom just continues to advance. His view of spiritual gifts is a little weak (what part of miraculous healing, for example, is creational?). At a few points he contradicts himself (no one human institution is above another; but government creates laws to regulate business).

But these are minor issues; on the whole the book is excellent in providing a path to form the right questions (this is how Wolters puts it) to properly analyze modern cultural issues. I recommend it highly. At just 97 pages its probably the best-in-class short book on worldview out there.