Helmut, Jon, List, While recent reflection is bringing about changes in my religious views, I thought that at this point in the discussion that it might be helpful to outline how I've understood Cosmic Christian theology. It is certainly not classic theology, and was not Peirce's explicit view as Jon has shown. Yet I would maintain that there is enough in his metaphysical, cosmological, semeiotic, and trichotomic work to support it, or something like it.
In my understanding, and as I have employed this theology in the past, the Cosmic Christ refers to the universal, pre-existent Christ who permeates all of creation and unites the cosmos to God within the Trinity which represents the relational, threefold nature of God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Cosmic Christ concept means to expand the understanding of the Son (the second Person of the Trinity) to relate His divine work to *all of creation and the cosmos itself*. Cosmic Christic theology emphasizes the pre-existent Christ, the eternal Word (*Logos*), who was with God from the beginning, as described in the Gospel of John (John 1:1-3) and Colossians 1:15-17. In Trinitarian terms, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father and *is* before creation. The Cosmic Christ is therefore identified with this Logos and involved in the creation and sustaining of the universe. This establishes the Son’s role not only in salvation but also in the very structure of the cosmos itself. There is New Testament support for this: "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:3, and, "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth [. . .]. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17 So, in a word, the Son as the Logos is the divine principle through which God the Father creates and sustains the universe, reflecting the central role of the Logos in the cosmic working of the Trinity. Thus, in Cosmic Christic theology Christ’s work of redemption is not limited to humanity alone but extends to the entire cosmos. This cosmic redemption is rooted in the so-called *economy** of salvation* where the Father sends the Son to reconcile creation to Himself. In Trinitarian theology, the Incarnation is not only about human salvation, but also concerns the restoration of the whole created order. Again, there is Biblical support for this: Romans 8:21-22 speaks of all creation groaning and waiting for redemption. See: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven. . ." Colossians 1:19-20 Thus, through the Cosmic Christ the entire cosmos is reconciled to God, making Christ the Redeemer who brings all creation into unity with the divine life of the Trinity. As Jon has noted, in classical Christian theology it's clear that the Father is understood to be transcendent, But in Cosmic Christic theology, the Son and the Holy Spirit are seen as God’s presence within the world: Christ pervades the entire universe and sustains it, and the Holy Spirit is active within creation. Thus, both the Son and the Spirit are expressions of God's presence, while the Father is the source and principle of divine life. Once again, there is textual support for this: "He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe." Ephesians 4:10 In short, Cosmic Christ theology points to the unity of all creation in Christ, and this aligns with the Trinitarian idea that all things are brought into the divine life through the Son and by the Holy Spirit. See: Ephesians 1:10: "To bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." The Father creates through the Son, and the Spirit brings creation to fulfillment. In this Trinitarian framework, the Cosmic Christ is not a separate or additional aspect of Christ’s identity but, rather, an expansion of His Trinitarian role as the mediator of both creation and *the new creation*: the redemption of the whole world. Additionally, while Cosmic Christic theology emphasizes Christ’s universal presence and role in creation, there is also a strong connection to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is understood as the one who brings Christ’s presence into the world and into the hearts of humans, as well as His being active in all of the creation and sustaining of the universe. In other words, the Spirit's role complements the Cosmic Christ’s role as the Spirit actualizes and perfects the union of creation with Christ. In sum: Cosmic Christic theology is integrally related to the Trinity, particularly through the role of the Son in world creation and cosmic redemption; it highlights Christ’s pre-existence and His cosmic scope, showing how the Son’s work encompasses the entire cosmos. This cosmic dimension shows the Son's essential role in Trinitarian economy, where creation is brought into unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making the Trinity’s life not only personal. Jon wrote: Theism (classical or otherwise) and panentheism are two different and mutually exclusive philosophical/metaphysical conceptions of God. I disagree that they are "mutually exclusive." Orthodox, dogmatic, credal Christianity will find them so, but I will leave it up to you and forum members, perhaps especially to those who may have -- or may have had -- a connection to Christianity -- to decide for themselves. Best,Gary R On Sun, Sep 15, 2024 at 2:58 PM Jon Alan Schmidt <[email protected]> wrote: > Helmut, List: > > Theism (classical or otherwise) and panentheism are two different and > mutually exclusive philosophical/metaphysical conceptions of God. > Christianity is a religion that *traditionally *affirms classical > theism--as do other religions, including Judaism and Islam--but some > (including Gary R.) suggest that it is also compatible with panentheism. > Nevertheless, Peirce explicitly and repeatedly affirmed theism (which Gary > R. acknowledges), including the classical definition of God as *Ens > necessarium*; and as I have explained before ... > > - Peirce prepared the entry for "immanent" in *The Century Dictionary*, > which includes the statement, "The doctrine of an immanent deity does not > necessarily imply that the world, or the soul of the world, is God, but > only that it either is or is in God." > - Pantheism is the doctrine that the world or its soul *is *God, while > panentheism is the doctrine that the world or its soul *is in* God. > - Peirce referred to "One Incomprehensible but Personal God, not > immanent in but creating the universe" (CP 5.496, EP 2:421, 1907), and > likewise emphatically denied that God is "immanent in Nature" or "immanent > in the Universes" in four different manuscript drafts for "A Neglected > Argument" (R 843, 1908). > - Therefore, Peirce plainly rejected both pantheism and panentheism. > > Regards, > > Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA > Structural Engineer, Synechist Philosopher, Lutheran Christian > www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt / twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt > > On Sun, Sep 15, 2024 at 10:43 AM Helmut Raulien <[email protected]> wrote: > >> suppsupppsupplement: This classificational thing is becoming complicated, >> but before I lose mental control, I am, with my last residue of overlook, >> able to utter a last conclusion: With this whole figure, to say, that >> Peirce was a theist, and not a panentheist, only works if: >> -- Panentheism is a kind of theism, >> -- The term "Panentheism", or the concept, existed at Peirce´s time, >> -- Peirce was aware of this term or concept, and did not approve of it. >> Supp-supplement: Ok, classical theism, claiming, that God is unchanging >> and unaffected, is not something, christianity can be subsumed under, but >> merely has an influence on christianity and other religions. So, Jon, you >> are right, of course. Sorry! >> Supplement: I have googled, and found, that christianity is a kind of >> theism. Ok, the other way, my post could have been wrong, is, that I was >> thinking, that panentheism would not be a kind of theism, but maybe it is. >> This way, panentheism may be compatible with christianity, but not with >> some other kinds of theism, like, as you wrote, "classical theism", of >> which I don´t know, what that is. >> Jon, List, >> >> well, I had thought, that christianity is a kind of theism. So it is not, >> so I am sorry for my post. >> >> Best regards, Helmut >> > _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ > ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at > https://cspeirce.com and, just as well, at > https://www.cspeirce.com . It'll take a while to repair / update all the > links! > ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON > PEIRCE-L to this message. 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