Ordinary Splendor: Living in God’s Creation

What does creation have to do with Christians? In Ordinary Splendor, Lydia Jaeger presents the doctrine of creation and what it means to live it out. Grounded in the Bible At just under 200 pages, this book is curious about what it means to live in a created world. Starting at Genesis 1:1, Jaeger explores what it means to be created and to have a creator. This book is not a defense for the doctrine of creation -- pitting faith against science. However, Jaeger is not afraid to interact with theologians, Greek, mythology, philosophers, and other creation stories from the ancient near east. She stays grounded in the Bible, showing the beauty of our God. Order and Structure I was most interested to see that our God is one of order and structure. This has profound effects on how we view our own knowledge and intelligence. And while our knowledge is derivative in nature, this is what gives us the possibility of actually knowing the true world. Hunan intelligence and nature are both created by God. This should give us confidence as we set out to explore the world. It’s remarkable how much can be learned from studying the doctrine of creation so closely. Jaeger speaks on human dignity, entering into God’s blessing, and accepting your limits. Of course, Jaeger also speaks on distinguishing between women and men, and embracing a fully human sexuality. God Cares About his Creation I was most challenged with the chapter on accepting your limits. Localization in space and time is an example of a God-given limit. No amount of technical progress can free us from the human condition. We have one life to live. But Christians have hope — the limit of death is done away with at the cross. The book calls us to enter into God’s rest. Jaeger assures us that God cares about our human condition in its entirety. Reading this book will help you see that God does care about his creation. Moreover, he cares to redeem his creation. I received a media copy of Ordinary Splendor and this is my honest review.

Jaeger provides a rather helpful, yet accessible book regarding the doctrine of creation. What sets this work apart from many others is the particular content. She does not seek to develop a doctrine of creation, argue over creational timeliness, or the particulars of Eden (even though some of these are handled here). Instead, Jaeger sets out to develop a helpful guide as to how our understanding of the created universe shapes the rest of the life we live. The implications of Genesis dictate how we consider nature, rest, dignity, and ourselves. Littered throughout the work are small sections devoted to lengthy external quotes or questions that dig deeper. Whether these pages are lyrics to French pop songs, quotes from Calvin, or inquiries regarding Edenic vegetarianism they are a nice break. I do not, however, read them at the moment. Find a good time to flip back to them during the chapter, but don't break your flow of thought for them. The primary concern with Jaeger is a rather small one. While the book, as a whole, is great there are a few pages that lean into social trinitarian dogma. Though it is not explicit whether or not Jaeger supports this system of thought it is implicit in her writing. The language of human relationships is taken back into the trinitarian model. But, as I noted above this is rather small, only a few pages. This thought does not pervade the entire work. What Jaeger does is write an applicable and understandable work regarding human life and creation. The student/professional theologian may, at times, find the book unengaging. But this is not because Jaeger fails in any capacity. She instead reaches her goal, she writes a book that the laity can pick up and enjoy. She teaches us to accept our limits. She helps show why rest is a blessing and not just a command. But most importantly she demonstrates that life itself is a gift we have received. Because of this, we should be thankful day in and day out. *I received a media copy to review. This is my honest review