. . . the text of Gen. 1.2 was
clearly vulnerable to the perception of a preexisting, albeit formless, mass
awaiting the Creator’s intervention; and certain Christian authors – including
Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria and Hermogenes – happily
conceded that God shaped a preexistent matter. (Paul M. Blowers, “The early
church’s developing theology of (new) creation,” in T&T Clark Handbook
of The Early Church, ed. Ilaria L. E. Ramelli; John Anthony McGuckin; Piotr
Ashwin-Siejkowski [London: T&T Clark, 2022], 650)
The references for the above are:
Cf. Justin, 1 Apol., 10,
59; Athenagoras, Leg.,15.1‒3;
Clement, Strom., 5.14.90. 92; Hermogenes, as cited in Tertullian, Hermog.
(Ibid., 650 n. 21)
With respect to Athenagoras, here is the text of Embassy for
the Christians 15:
15. But suppose they all do admit
the same. What then? Since the multitude, not being able to distinguish what a
gulf there is between God and matter, approach with reverence material idols,
are we on their account to come forward and worship their statues when we know
and distinguish created from uncreated, being from not-being, intellect from
sense, and give each its proper name? If God and matter are the same, two names
for the one thing, then we are atheists for not reverencing as gods stones and
wood, gold and silver. But if they are utterly different, as far apart as the
craftsman from the materials of his trade, why are we being accused? As with
the potter and his clay, the clay is material and the potter is the craftsman;
so God is the craftsman and matter serves Him for His craft. The clay cannot
become vessels without craft, and matter that is potentially all things did not
receive its differentiation and shape and order without God the maker. We do
not regard the vessel as more worthy of honour than its maker, nor the
cups—even the gold cups—as more honourable than the smith. If there be any
skill about their craftsmanship, we praise the craftsman, and he receives the
praise for them. Even so, with God and matter, it is not matter that has the
just praise and honour for the arrangement of beautiful things, but its maker,
God. Therefore, if we consider the forms of matter to be gods, we shall be
deemed blind to the true God for equating fragile and mortal things with the
eternal. (Athenagoras, Athenagoras: Embassy for the Christians, The
Resurrection of the Dead [trans. Joseph Hugh Crehan; Ancient Christian
Writers 23; New York: Newman Press, 1956], 45-46)
Here is the Greek text:
15. Ἀλλʼ ἔστωσαν τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἄγοντες·
τί οὐν, ἐπεὶ οἱ πολλοὶ διακρῖναι οὐ δυνάμενοι τί μὲν ὕλη, τί δὲ Θεὸς, πόσον δὲ
τὸ διὰ μέσου (9) αὐτῶν, προσίασι τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης εἰδώλοις, διʼ ἐκείνους καὶ ἡμεῖς
οἱ διακρίνοντες καὶ χωρίζοντες τὸ ἀγένητον καὶ τὸ γενητὸν, τὸ ὂν καὶ τὸ οὐκ ὂν,
τὸ νοητὸν καὶ τὸ αἰσθητὸν, καὶ ἑκάστῳ αὐτῶν τὸ προσῆκον ὄνομα ἀποδιδόντες,
προσελευσόμεθα καὶ προσκυνήσομεν τὰ ἀγάλματα; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ταὐτὸν ὕλη καὶ Θεὸς,
δύο ὀνόματα καθʼ ἑνὸς πράγματος, τοὺς λίθους καὶ τὰ ξύλα, τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον
οὐ νομίζοντες θεοὺς, ἀσεβοῦμεν· εἰ δὲ διεστᾶσι πάμπολυ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, καὶ τοσοῦτον
ὅσον τεχνίτης καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὴν τέχνην αὐτοῦ παρασκευὴ, τί ἐγκαλούμεθα; Ὡς γὰρ ὁ
κεραμεὺς καὶ ὁ πηλὸς (ὕλη μὲν ὁ πηλὸς, τεχνίτης δὲ ὁ κεραμεύς (10)), καὶ ὁ Θεὸς
δημιουργὸς, ὑπακούουσα δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ ὕλη πρὸς τὴν τέχνην. Ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ πηλὸς καθʼ ἑαυτὸν
σκεύη γενέσθαι χωρὶς τέχνης ἀδύνατος, καὶ ἡ πανδεχὴς (11) ὕλη ἄνευ τοῦ
δημιουργοῦ διάκρισιν καὶ σχῆμα καὶ κόσμον οὐκ ἐλάμβανεν. Ὡς δὲ οὐ τὸν κέραμον
προτιμότερον τοῦ ἐργασαμένου (12) αὐτὸν ἔχομεν, οὐδὲ τὰς φιάλας καὶ χρυσίδας τοῦ
χαλκεύσαντος· ἀλλʼ εἴ τι περὶ ἐκείνας δεξιὸν κατὰ τὴν τέχνην, τὸν τεχνίτην ἐπαινοῦμεν,
καὶ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς σκεύεσι δόξαν καρπούμενος· καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ὕλης καὶ
τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς διαθέσεως τῶν κεκοσμημένων, οὐχ ὕλη τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν
δικαίαν ἔχει, ἀλλʼ ὁ δημιουργὸς αὐτῆς Θεός. Ὡς, εἰ (13) τὰ εἴδη τῆς ὕλης ἄγοιμεν
θεούς, ἀναισθητεῖν τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ δόξομεν, τὰ λυτὰ καὶ φθαρτὰ τῷ ἀϊδίῳ ἐξισοῦντες.
