Axiology and the Existence of God

On Wednesdays we “walk in the Word” through study & application of Biblical doctrine. Rightly understanding Biblical doctrine fuels doxology, delight in Jesus, & gospel centered discipleship. Today we continue a short series on knowing God through General revelation, focusing specifically on axiological reasoning for an eternal God.  Previous posts in this series include:
General Revelation & Eternity
Cosmological Reasoning for an Eternal God
Teleological Reasoning for an Eternal God

                  Axiology and Creation
Axiology is simply the philosophical study of value. I was introduced to the field through a talk by Pak James Riady. In his message, Pak James challenged the audience to consider the value of God’s Word compared to other things we value. He used the illustration of a dog: If a dog had two bowls, one bowl filled with gold and the other bowl filled with food, which would the dog choose? Food, of course. Why? He is not aware of the value of the gold. Which would you choose? The gold, every time, even if you are hungry. Likewise, God’s Word is to be desired more than gold, even fine gold because it is more valuable than gold (Psalm 19:10). I am indebted to Pak James for many things, one of them being introducing me to axiology.
 
Fast forward a decade or so… I now live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, SW Colorado. People live here, move here, and travel here because of the beauty and the area is saturated with people who value creation and creatures. Interestingly, more than 60% of the population does not claim a religious affiliation (“Nones”). In fact, the “survey shows!” that @ 65% of the population would not go to a religious service if invited (from Church Answers, Know Your Community). So the question naturally arises: If they value creation and creatures, appreciating the beauty of both, from where do they ascribe the value? This is to ask, what is the criteria people use to assign value to creation and creatures, and what is their standard?
 
If the cosmological argument we explored demanded an “uncaused Cause” or an “unmoved Mover” and the teleological argument we surveyed declares that design demands a Designer, then the axiological argument for an eternal God requires the goodness of creation and creature is  assigned by a Giver.

                    God Alone Ascribes Value
From the opening chapter of Scripture, creation is infused with God’s valuation. Consider the emphasis in the repetition of Genesis 1 “And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). Finally, after making man in His image, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). The goodness of creation has been assigned by a Giver of goodness.

This recognition of objective the value of creation and creatures cannot be explained by naturalism. If the cosmos were the product of blind chance, “good” would be a mere projection of human preference. Creation is not valuable, worth stewarding, protecting or cultivating if there is not a Creator who makes it valuable.

                      Beauty Demands Value
One aspect of creation that demands value from the beholder is beauty. Beauty awakens in us a longing for more than what we feel, experience, can measure, or control. Beauty is  valuable, a goodness that demands a Giver and a trail marker leading us to an eternal Creator. C. S. Lewis captured this in his essay, The Weight of Glory.

 "These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshipers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.”
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Jonathan Edwards agrees, arguing that all created beauty is a reflection of the Divine: “The works of God are but a kind of shadow of the excellency of God.” Our response to beauty is not arbitrary as it displays the value of creation and is a window into God’s eternal glory.
                                              Conclusion
The axiological argument reminds us that the goodness and beauty of creation and creatures are sign-posts pointing us to a Giver, someone who provided creation for us and declares the goodness of creation to us. This is the heart of why Christians should be leading the way in stewarding creation, cultivating fruitfulness, creating beauty,  and conserving what needs to be protected. Creation is valuable because God made it "good." Creatures are valuable because God made them "good." Every glimmer of beauty testifies to the One who is supremely Good because “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). To delight in creation’s value is, ultimately, to be led  to the eternal Creator Himself.

Richly Dwelling
-Where do you see the goodness and beauty of creation? How does the celebration of these realities point you to a greater reality?

-Why is it important to have an objective assignment of value to creation and creatures rather than subjective opinions?

-As a Christian, how does recognizing the beauty of creation lead you to worship? 
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