The created world is not a stage of empty props moved only by God’s hidden hand. Origen teaches that the Father gives existence, the Son imparts reason, and the Holy Spirit makes holy — each working distinctly yet inseparably. Augustine reflects on how his early thoughts about “matter” were shaped by false images until God taught him to think more clearly about what is formless and mutable. Aquinas then considers whether material things have any real power to act. His answer is yes — bodies act truly on other bodies, though never on the soul or will, and always under God’s providence. Creation is a living network of secondary causes, all sustained by the First Cause Himself (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6).
Readings:
Origen, On the Holy Spirit, Chapter 3 (Abridged)
Augustine, The Confessions, Book 12, Chapter 6 (Sections 6)
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 115
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