The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross
From the Covalence Archives
by the Rev. Dr. George L. Murphy
Reviewed for Covalence by Charles F. Smith Ph.D.
This book, by George Murphy, a pastor with a doctorate in physics, makes use of the Theology of the Cross as a means to explain the fabric of the wide expanse of the universe. The saving event of the death of Jesus is seen as a chiasmic point in time and space. The word chiasmic itself refers to the centrality of the Cross of Christ in the cosmos. So, Murphy sees the world through the life and resurrection, and, especially, the death of Jesus. How this sheds light on understanding the universe is the central task of the book.
To get at the "crux" of this matter, the nature of the "Theology of the Cross" must first be examined. This comes down to what is meant by the effect of the crucifixion on the nature and history of planets, stars, galaxies, and living things. One level of meaning is a "hard" theology of the Cross. Here, hard refers to actual physical events occurring in nature, physics, and history, while soft has to do with analogies and symbols.
The hard approach says that the actual event of Jesus expiring outside of Jerusalem at Golgotha on planet Earth two thousand years ago had a profound and definite effect on the way things are over untold light years and parsecs of distances and billions of years of time—"worlds without end," as expressed by the Church.
The other option is a so-called "soft" approach. In it, the Theology of the Cross is not a one-to-one correspondence connected with the dance of atoms, energy, molecules, fields and their configurations across the material screen of existence. Rather, it takes shape in a symbolic manner. From the outset, care must be taken when bringing symbols into the discussion. Symbols are often misunderstood. They are not the stuff of "myths"—false constructs of the mind divorced from true reality. Nor are they shadowy things that have no substance. Symbols actually stand for ideas in human minds that serve to sort out the world and what's going on in it. As such they serve as necessary filters that permit thought to embrace existence.
So, the first task at hand is to examine The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross with the intent of discerning if Murphy takes a "hard" or "soft" approach as just defined. One place which may be of help is Murphy's discussion of Martin Luther's Theologica Crucis. Luther staked his whole theological system on the Theology of the Cross.
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things that have actually happened. [Romans 1:20]
20. He who deserves to be called a theologian, however, is he who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering and the Cross.
21. A theology of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theology of the cross calls a thing what is actually is. (Murphy, Cosmos in the Light of the Cross, page 35)
Luther in Theologica Crucis statements 19 to 21 gives witness to how he views the biblical witness. George Murphy agrees with this estimation: the Cross instructs humans how to interpret the natural world. It is a hard estimation. The Cross informs knowledge in more than a symbolical fashion. It differs in that it transcends helpful constructs of the mind but rather pertains to actual events, patterns, and processes in material existence. Through the Crucified One, not only can good and evil be objectively ascertained, but the cross calls a thing what it actually is. Following along these lines, the focus is on this hard approach. This way of thinking appeals to believers who traditionally see the faith reflected in the world around them. It is less attractive to those who see doctrines such as the Theology of the Cross as more figurative than fixed in physics. As such, The Theology in the Light of the Cross is perhaps more attuned to those with a perspective that goes back to God literally active in the universe as opposed to interpreting divine action in the scheme of things.
The argument proceeds to view each topic through such a "hard" lens as defined. However, pre-Reformation natural theology is played down as the Theology of the Cross is the focus. The topics of the cosmic realm, made up of energy fields, quanta, time, space, plants and animals, and ecosystems, are all examined under the overarching figure of the Cross. Epistemology—how we know what we know and how we know that the Cross is central—is presented. The Cross is seen as the center of divine action almost by default. It is then factored into the origin of the universe, evolution, technology, and bioethics. So the argument can be perceived as somewhat circular. When push comes to shove, the Cross is the center because the Cross is the center.
There are some glimmers of light where Murphy breaks free from this tautology. The discussion of kenosis—God in Christ humbles God's own self to be part of creation—is helpful. Kenotic talk leads to a discussion of the Incarnation and the evolutionary process which ties up some loose ends about how the cosmos is impacted by "the light of the Cross." Along these lines, moving fast-forward through the book, Christ as the goal of creation is discussed. Here, the anthropic principle (specifically, the theanthropic principle), the Body of Christ in the future of evolution, and eschatology are juxtaposed. This is reminiscent of the Omega Point of Teilhard de Chardin. Also, opportunities for employing the Theology of the Cross in a "worship of the universe" (which refers to the universe itself worshipping God) may hint at a softer approach using symbols of praise and adoration.
Topics that have been considered include a sketch of the scientific picture of the world. This is expanded to a treatment of "what can we know about the world?" which leads into "God’s action in the world." Science and theology are connected in this manner. Likewise, the "Big Bang" origin of the universe is paired with "evolution as creation" and the two are presented one after the other. This sequence is logical and lends itself to examining how the Cross and cosmos interact. Kenosis and suffering as they take part in the Incarnation and evolution are significant issues in the huge tapestry as presented.
The following chapters deal with technology and ethics, medicine and bioethics, and the environment. The argument veers away from the theoretical and theological to the practical. How can the Cross shed light on making decisions about technology and medicine, new inventions, death, and life? Can the Cross speak to the care of the earth and ecological science? Here, good arguments are made that the salvation emanating from the death and resurrection of Jesus has a real effect on ethics in the world.
One may ask, can any religious (or even nonreligious) concept be seen as a means for explaining all of creation? Could Buddha Nature be brought to bear on such a quest? Even areas of physics such as string theory or quantum chromodynamics may fall short. Adherents of other faiths might attempt to visualize the Cosmic All through the Qu'ran or the esoteric mysteries of Hinduism. In an arena of pluralism, can any construct or doctrine, even a "Theology of the Cross," presume to explain it all? Murphy makes a mighty effort in lifting up the Cross before the disciplines of science. But can that effort withstand claims from other world religions as well as the expanding scope of science itself from Big Bang through quantum singularities to dark matter and energy all the way to the heat death of the universe?
It is indeed a challenge to see the cosmos in the light of the Cross. Yet, at the same time, it is perhaps equally difficult to see Jesus, the Christ of history, hanging on the cross hairs of the cosmos. Our minds reel at deciphering the vast universe through the life, death, and resurrection of one individual life among the galaxies. At the same time, the arrival of that human life must be understood through the processes that precipitated it over billions of years.
The role of the faith of the believer is a critical factor. Just as an observer has an inevitable effect on what is observed in quantum physics, the faith of the person perceiving the universe makes all the difference. If one believes that the cosmos is ordered and transfixed by the Cross, such a situation may be the case, in more than a subjective way. Nature is subtle and how soft and hard interplay can be paradoxical and not always well defined.
George Murphy has answered many questions and made considerable strides in The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross. Still, an accompanying volume may be called for: Christ in the Light of the Cosmos. But it goes without saying that whether in the structure of the universe itself, or in the way humans interpret that great range of existence, light emanates from the Cross, as professed by the Catholic Church: light which is light within light itself. In terms of doxology, the psalmist proclaims:
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Bless the Lord, O my soul,
O Lord my God,
how excellent is your greatness!
You wrap yourself with light
as with a cloak
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.
Psalm 104:1-2
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