Panteism and Panenteism: a necessary Distinction

21/04/2012 Leonardo BoffDeixe um comentário

A radical and coherent cosmological vision holds that the ultimate subject of everything that happens is the universe itself. The universe causes the appearance of beings, complexities, biodiversity, consciousness, and the contents of that consciousness, of which we are a part.

Thus, before it arose as an idea in our heads, the reality of God was in the universe itself. Because the reality of God was in the universe, the idea of God could come forth in us. Starting from this concept, we can understand that God is inherent in the universe. God is mixed with all the processes, without being diluted by them. Better yet, God orients the arrow of time towards the formation of ever more complex and dynamic orders, (that, consequently, distance themselves from the equilibrium to seek new adaptations), that are filled with purpose. God appears, in the language of cross-cultural traditions, as the creative Spirit, and organizer of all that exists. God is mixed with all things, participating in their development, suffering with mass extinctions, feeling crucified with the impoverished, and happy with the advances towards more convergent and interrelated diversities, pointing towards an Omega end point.

God is present in the cosmos and the cosmos is present in God. The old theology expressed this mutual inter-penetration by the concept of «pericoresis» applied to the relationships between God and creation, and thereafter, to the Persons of the Divine Trinity. Modern theology has coined another expression, «panenteism» (in Greek: pan=all; en=in; theos=God). This is: God is in everything and everything is in God. This word was proposed by an Evangelical, Frederick Krause (l781-1832), who was fascinated by the divine splendor of the universe.

Panenteism must be clearly distinguished from panteism. Panteism (in Greek: pan = all; theos=God) affirms that all is God and God is all. It holds that God and the world are identical; that the world is not a creation of God, but the necessary mode of being of God. Panteism accepts no differentiation: heaven is God, the Earth is God, the rock is God and the human being is God. This lack of differentiation easily leads to indifference. All is God and God is all, consequently it makes no difference whether I concern myself for a girl abused in a bus of Rio, or about the Carnival, or the indigenous peoples facing extinction, or a law against homophobia. This is manifestly erroneous, because differences exist and persist.

Not all is God. Things are what they are: things. However, God is in things and things are of God, by reason of His act of creation. The creature always depends on God and without God the creature would return to the nothingness whence it came. God and the world are different, but they are neither separated nor closed, they are open one for the other. They are different so as to make possible mutual encounter and communion. Through it, transcendence and immanence, the contrasting categories of Greek origin, are left behind.
Immanence is this world, here. Transcendence is the world that is beyond this. Christianity, by the incarnation of God created a new category: transparence, that is the presence of the transcendence (God) within the immanence (world). When this happens, God and the world mutually make each other transparent. As Jesus said: \”who sees me, sees the Father\”. Teilhard de Chardin lived a moving spirituality of the transparence. In The Divine Milieu, an essay on the interior life, (Le milieu divin, 162), he said: «the great mystery of Christianity is not the apparition, but the transparence of God in the universe. Not only the ray that emerges, but the ray that penetrates. Not the Epiphany but the Diaphaneity».

The universe in cosmogenesis invites us to live the experience that underlies panenteism: in every minimal manifestation of being, in every movement, in every expression of life we are in the presence and action of God. Embracing the world we embrace God. Those who are sensitive to the Sacred and to the Mystery pull God out of anonymity, and give the Divine a name. They celebrate the Divine with hymns, songs and rites, through which they express their experience of God. They are witness to what Paul said to the Greeks from Athens: “We live, we move, we exist in God.” (17, 28).

Prece para o dia da Mãe Terra – 22 de abril

21/04/2012 Leonardo Boff6 Comentários

No dia 22 de abril de 2009 na 63ª Sessão da Assembléia Geral da ONU foi aprovado por unanimidade o projeto segundo o qual todo o dia 22 de abril não será mais simplesmente o dia da Terra mas o dia da Mãe Terra. Em razão desta data vale, em agradecimento, fazer a seguinte prece:

Terra minha querida, Grande Mãe e Casa Comum! Vieste nascendo, lentamente, há bilhões e milhões de anos, grávida de energias criadoras.

Teu corpo, feito de pó cósmico, era uma semente no ventre das grandes Estrelas Vermelhas. Elas depois explodiram e te lançaram pelo espaço ilimitado. Vieste te aninhar como embrião, no seio de uma estrela ancestral, o Sol primevo, no interior da Via-Láctea, transformada depois em Super Nova. Esta também sucumbiu de tanto esplendor e explodiu. E vieste então parar no seio acolhedor de uma Nebulosa, onde já, menina crescida, perambulavas em busca de um lar. E a Nebulosa se adensou virando um Sol esplêndido de luz e de calor: o nosso Sol.

Ele se enamorou de ti, te atraiu e te quis em sua casa, como um planeta seu, junto com Marte, Mercúrio, Venus e outros companheiros. E celebrou um esponsal contigo. De teu matrimônio com o Sol, nasceram filhos e filhas, frutos de tua ilimitada fecundidade, desde os mais pequenos como as bactérias, os virus e os fungos até os maiores e mais complexos como os peixes, os dinossauros, os animais, as aves, as plantas e todas as formas de vida. E como expressão nobre da história da vida, nos geraste a nós, homens e mulheres, com consciência, sentimento, inteligência e amor.

Como seres humanos somos aquela porção tua, que num estágio avançado de tua complexidade, começou a sentir, a pensar, a amar, a cuidar e a venerar. Por isso somos a Terra que venera, cuida, ama, pensa e sente.

Embora já adulta, continuas coevoluindo para dentro do universo rumo ao Grande Atrator que é o seio do Deus-Pai-e-Mãe de infinita ternura. Dele viemos e para Ele retornamos para assistirmos a suprema realização de todas potencialidades escondidas em cada ser e em cada um de nós e que somente Tu nos podes conceder.

Queremos, ó Deus-Pai-e-Mãe de bondade, mergulhar em Ti junto com a nossa querida Mãe Terra, para comungar de Tua vida feita de amor, de comunicação e de beleza.

E agora, nesse teu dia, nós seres humanos, nos sentimos um sacerdote universal. Ousamos realizar o gesto sagrado de Jesus na força de seu Espírito. Como Ele, cheio de unção, te tomamos, oh Mãe Terra, em nossas mãos impuras, para pronunciar sobre ti a Palavra Sagrada que o universo sempre guardou dentro de si e que tu , agora, queres ouvir:

“Hoc est corpus meum: Isto é o meu corpo. Hoc est sanguis meus: Isto é o meu sangue”

Oh maravilha: o que era Terra se transformou em Paraíso e o que era vida humana se transfigurou em Vida Divina. O que era pão se fez Corpo de Deus e o que era vinho se fez Sangue Sagrado.

Finalmente, Mãe Tierra, com teus filhos e filhas reunidos ao teu redor, chegaste ao seio infinito do Deus-comunhão conosco e com todos os seres do Universo. Contigo, Mãe generosa, nos sentimos como o Corpo Sacrossanto de Deus no pleno esplendor de sua glória.

Enfim, depois de tanto peregrinar, chegamos em casa. Nela permaneceremos, felizes, para sempre. Pelos séculos dos séculos sem fim. Amém.

Leonardo Boff, membro da Comissão Central da Carta da Terra

Panteísmo y panenteismo: una distincción necesária

20/04/2012 Leonardo Boff7 Comentários

Una visión cosmológica radical y coherente afirma que el sujeto último de todo lo que ocurre es el universo mismo. Él es quien hace surgir los seres, las complejidades, la biodiversidad, la conciencia y los contenidos de esta conciencia, pues somos parte de él. Así, antes de salir de nuestra cabeza como idea, la realidad de Dios estaba en el propio universo. Porque estaba en él, puede irrumpir en nosotros. A partir de esta concepción, se entiende la inmanencia de Dios en el universo. Dios viene mezclado con todos los procesos, sin diluirse dentro de ellos. Antes bien, orienta la flecha del tiempo hacia la formación de órdenes cada vez más complejos y dinámicos (que, por tanto, se distancian del equilibrio para buscar nuevas adaptaciones) y cargados de propósito. Dios aparece, en el lenguaje de las tradiciones transculturales, como Espíritu creador y ordenador de todo lo que existe. Viene mezclado con todas las cosas. Participa de sus desarrollos, sufre con las extinciones en masa, se siente crucificado con los empobrecidos, se alegra con los avances rumbo a diversidades más convergentes e interrelacionadas, apuntando hacia un punto Omega terminal.

Dios está presente en el cosmos y el cosmos está presente en Dios. La teología antigua expresaba esta mutua interpenetración por el concepto de «pericóresis» aplicado a las relaciones entre Dios y la creación y después a las divinas Personas de la Trinidad. La teología moderna ha acuñado otra expresión, el «panenteísmo» (en griego: pan=todo; en=en; theos=Dios). Es decir: Dios está en todo y todo está en Dios. Esta palabra fue propuesta por un teólogo alemán evangélico, Frederick Krause (l781-1832), fascinado por el fulgor divino del universo.

El panenteísmo debe ser distinguido claramente del panteísmo. El panteísmo (en griego: pan = todo; theos=Dios) afirma que todo es Dios y Dios es todo. Sostiene que Dios y mundo son idénticos; que el mundo no es una criatura de Dios sino el modo necesario de existir de Dios. El panteísmo no acepta ninguna diferencia: el cielo es Dios, la Tierra es Dios, la piedra es Dios y el ser humano es Dios. Esta falta de diferencia lleva fácilmente a la indiferencia. Todo es Dios y Dios es todo, entonces es indiferente si me ocupo de una niña violada en un autobús de Río o del carnaval, o de los indígenas en extinción o de una ley contra la homofobia. Lo cual es manifiestamente un error, pues las diferencias existen y persisten.

Todo no es Dios. Las cosas son lo que son: cosas. Sin embargo, Dios está en las cosas y las cosas están de Dios, por causa de su acto creador. La criatura siempre depende de Dios y sin él volvería a la nada de dónde fue sacada. Dios y mundo son diferentes, pero no están separados o cerrados, están abiertos uno al otro. Si son diferentes es para posibilitar el encuentro y la comunión mutua. Mediante ella se superan las categorías de procedencia griega que se contraponían: transcendencia e inmanencia. Inmanencia es este mundo de aquí. Transcendencia es el mundo que está más allá de este. El cristianismo, por la encarnación de Dios creó una categoría nueva: la transparencia, que es la presencia de la trascendencia (Dios) dentro de la inmanencia (mundo). Cuando esto ocurre, Dios y el mundo se hacen mutuamente transparentes. Como decía Jesús: “quien me ve a mí, ve al Padre”. Teilhard de Chardin vivió una conmovedora espiritualidad de la transparencia. Decía: «el gran misterio de cristianismo no es la aparición, sino la transparencia de Dios en el universo. No solamente el rayo que aflora, sino el rayo que penetra. No la Epifanía sino la Diafanía» (Le milieu divin, 162).

El universo en cosmogénesis nos invita a vivenciar la experiencia que subyace tras el panenteísmo: en cada mínima manifestación del ser, en cada movimiento, en cada expresión de vida estamos ante la presencia y la acción de Dios. Abrazando al mundo estamos abrazando a Dios. Las personas sensibles a lo Sagrado y al Misterio sacan a Dios de su anonimato y le dan un nombre. Lo celebran con himnos, cánticos y ritos mediante los cuales expresan su experiencia de Dios. Testimonian lo que Pablo dijo a los griegos de Atenas: “en Dios vivimos, nos movemos y existimos” (17, 28).

How does God emerge in the evolutionary Process?

16/04/2012 Leonardo BoffDeixe um comentário

The new cosmology, derived from the sciences of the universe, the Earth, and life, is set in the broad scope of evolution. This evolution is not lineal. It includes stops and starts, and experiences set backs, mass destructions, and rebirths. But, if we look back, the process shows a direction: forward and up.

We are aware that some well-known scientists refuse to accept directionality in the universe. It simply would make no sense. Others, such as the well-known British physicist, Freeman Dyson – to name only one– says: «The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe, somehow, had to have known that we were on the way».

Looking back at the process of evolution, that has been going on for 13.7 billion years, we cannot deny that there was an upward path: energy became matter, matter became filled with information, the destructive chaos turned generative, what was simple became complex, from a complex object sprang life, and from life, consciousness emerged. There is a purpose that cannot be denied. In effect, if things in their minuscule details had not occurred as they did, we would not be here talking about them.

As the well-known mathematician and physicist, Stephen Hawking, wrote in his 2005 book, A Very Brief History of Time: «The whole universe seems to have been finely tuned to allow for the development of life. For example, if the electric charge of the electron had been a little different, the equilibrium in the stars between the electromagnetic and gravitational forces would have been altered and, they either would have been incapable of turning hydrogen into helium, or they would have exploded». Either way, life could not have existed.

How does God emerge in the cosmogenic process? The idea of God arises when we posit this question: what was there before the big bang? What gave the initial impulse? Nothingness? But nothing comes from nothing. If despite that, beings appeared, it is a sign that Someone or Something called them into existence and maintains them in being.

What we can reasonably say is: before the big bang the Unknowable existed and the Mystery was present. About the Mystery and the Unknowable, by definition, we literally can say nothing. By their nature, they are before the word, the energy, before matter, space and time.

Well then, the Mystery and the Unknowable are precisely the names that religions, including Christianity, use to denote what we call God. In front of God silence is better than words. Nevertheless, God can be perceived by reverent reason and felt by the heart as a Presence that fills the Universe and generates in us the feelings of greatness, majesty, respect and veneration.

Sitting between heaven and Earth, when we see the night filled with stars, we are breathless and become filled with reverence. The questions naturally come: Who made all this? Who hides behind the Milky Way? As the great rabbi from New York City, Abraham Heschel, said: «We can say anything, or doubt everything in our air-conditioned offices or between the four white walls of the classrooms. But we cannot be silent when we are faced with the complexity of nature and drenched with its beauty. It is impossible to underestimate the morning dawn, to be indifferent when a flower blooms, or not to be amazed when we see a newborn child». Almost spontaneously we say: it was God who set it all in motion. God is the originating Source and the Abysm that nourishes everything.

There is another important question: what does God want to express with creation? Answering this is the concern not only of the religious consciousness, but of science itself. Let us use as an illustration what Stephen Hawking also said in his well-known book, Brief history of time, 1992: «If we were to find the answer to why we and the universe exist, we would have the definitive triumph of human reason; because then we would have reached the knowledge of the mind of God». Scientists are still searching for the hidden design of God.

From a religious perspective we can succinctly say: It would seem that the meaning of the universe and of our own conscious existence resides in the fact of being the mirror in which God sees the Divine. God creates the universe as an overflowing of the divine plenitude of being, of goodness and intelligence. There is creation, so that others may participate in the divine superabundance. The human being with consciousness is created in order to be able to hear the messages the universe wants to communicate to us, so that the human being may capture the histories of the beings of creation, of the heavens, the seas, the animals, and the human process itself, linking everything to the original Source, whence it all comes.

The universe is still being born. The tendency is to finish being born and to show the hidden potentialities. For that, expansion also means revelation. When all has been realized, then the design of the Creator will be completely revealed.