--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Creation is not simply past; it is not…" description: "\"“Creation is not simply past; it is not just associated with \"the beginning.”\" — Terence E. Fretheim" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/terence-e-fretheim-34120_beginning_creation-is-not-simply-past-it-is-not-ju_271338.jpg" --- # Creation is not simply past; it is not just associated… ![“Creation is not simply past; it is not just associated with "the beginning.” quote by Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/terence-e-fretheim-34120_beginning_creation-is-not-simply-past-it-is-not-ju_271338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/terence-e-fretheim-34120_beginning_creation-is-not-simply-past-it-is-not-ju_271338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f2/terence-e-fretheim-34120_beginning_creation-is-not-simply-past-it-is-not-ju_271338.jpg) > ““Creation is not simply past; it is not just associated with "the beginning.”” [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creation is an ongoing process, not confined to a past event or a single beginning. **In simple terms:** Creation continues now, not just in the past. Key Takeaway Recognize the present as part of creation. Themes creation process time Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - environmental stewardship - artistic innovation - personal growth Key Concepts ongoing continuity theology Questions to Reflect On - How do you participate in ongoing creation? - What does “beginning” mean to you? A Different Perspective May overlook past influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [That great, mighty current of evolution which is advancing the life of everything in creation is simply invincible - no one can resist it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/that-great-mighty-current-of-evolution-which-is-advancing-the-life-of/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [The reasons are likely rooted in religion. Playing around with God's creation is simply not allowed. Incidentally, in the past it was precisely the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-von-storch/the-reasons-are-likely-rooted-in-religion-playing-around-with-god-s/) [Hans von Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-von-storch/) > [ “\[T\]hese people lived close to the ground, if you will, and the natural world filled their lives. Creation was a lived reality for them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/t-hese-people-lived-close-to-the-ground-if-you-will-and-the-natural/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [ “\[T\]he creativity of the human creature is such that genuinely new realities are regularly brought into being.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/t-he-creativity-of-the-human-creature-is-such-that-genuinely-new/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“The human is not a fixed entity from the beginning but, along with the rest of creation, is in the process of becoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/the-human-is-not-a-fixed-entity-from-the-beginning-but-along-with-the/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“The life of God will forever include the life of the people of God as well as the life of the world more generally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/the-life-of-god-will-forever-include-the-life-of-the-people-of-god-as/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Each created entity is in symbiotic relationship with every other and in such a way that any act reverberates out and affects the whole,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/each-created-entity-is-in-symbiotic-relationship-with-every-other-and/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Our most basic images of God will shape our lives, willy-nilly, including how we think about the larger environment in which we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/our-most-basic-images-of-god-will-shape-our-lives-willy-nilly/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God is the God of the entire cosmos; God has to do with every creature, and every creature has to do with God, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-is-the-god-of-the-entire-cosmos-god-has-to-do-with-every-creature/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God works from within a committed relationship with the world and not on the world from without in total freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-works-from-within-a-committed-relationship-with-the-world-and-not/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Sin and evil have their origins in the human will, not in God or in God's plan. At the same time, when sin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/sin-and-evil-have-their-origins-in-the-human-will-not-in-god-or-in/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [ “\[C\]reation" is not simply viewed as a matter of origination or a divine activity chronologically set only "in the beginning.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/c-reation-is-not-simply-viewed-as-a-matter-of-origination-or-a-divine/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God works creatively with already existing realities to bring about newness. This understanding also entails the idea that the present (and future) is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-works-creatively-with-already-existing-realities-to-bring-about/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [When religious believers invoke miracles and acts of creation ex nihilo, that is the end of the search for them, whereas for scientists, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/when-religious-believers-invoke-miracles-and-acts-of-creation-ex/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-brought-the-beginning-tomorrow-brings-the-end-and-somewhere/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Terence E. Fretheim > [“The heart of the matter for Israel, therefore, is not subscription to an external code of conduct. It is a matter of faithfulness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/the-heart-of-the-matter-for-israel-therefore-is-not-subscription-to/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God works creatively with already existing realities to bring about newness. This understanding also entails the idea that the present (and future) is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-works-creatively-with-already-existing-realities-to-bring-about/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [ “\[C\]reation" is not simply viewed as a matter of origination or a divine activity chronologically set only "in the beginning.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/c-reation-is-not-simply-viewed-as-a-matter-of-origination-or-a-divine/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Sin and evil have their origins in the human will, not in God or in God's plan. At the same time, when sin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/sin-and-evil-have-their-origins-in-the-human-will-not-in-god-or-in/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God works from within a committed relationship with the world and not on the world from without in total freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-works-from-within-a-committed-relationship-with-the-world-and-not/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“God is the God of the entire cosmos; God has to do with every creature, and every creature has to do with God, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/god-is-the-god-of-the-entire-cosmos-god-has-to-do-with-every-creature/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“At the least, the volume of material demonstrates the importance of worship to the narrator. Moreover, the movement in the book of Exodus as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/at-the-least-the-volume-of-material-demonstrates-the-importance-of/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Each created entity is in symbiotic relationship with every other and in such a way that any act reverberates out and affects the whole,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/each-created-entity-is-in-symbiotic-relationship-with-every-other-and/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“The life of God will forever include the life of the people of God as well as the life of the world more generally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/the-life-of-god-will-forever-include-the-life-of-the-people-of-god-as/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“The human is not a fixed entity from the beginning but, along with the rest of creation, is in the process of becoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/the-human-is-not-a-fixed-entity-from-the-beginning-but-along-with-the/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [ “\[T\]he creativity of the human creature is such that genuinely new realities are regularly brought into being.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/t-he-creativity-of-the-human-creature-is-such-that-genuinely-new/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [ “\[T\]hese people lived close to the ground, if you will, and the natural world filled their lives. Creation was a lived reality for them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/t-hese-people-lived-close-to-the-ground-if-you-will-and-the-natural/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) > [“Our most basic images of God will shape our lives, willy-nilly, including how we think about the larger environment in which we live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-e-fretheim/our-most-basic-images-of-god-will-shape-our-lives-willy-nilly/) [Terence E. Fretheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) [Explore all 14 Terence E. Fretheim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-e-fretheim/) ## More Beginning quotes > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The only vocal training I had was playing with a tape recorder as a kid, and you know, doing the beginning of the 'Lone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buffer/the-only-vocal-training-i-had-was-playing-with-a-tape-recorder-as-a/) [Michael Buffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buffer/) > [January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/january-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-year-for-us-in-the-western-world/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/) [Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [When there is a mission before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/when-there-is-a-mission-before-you-you-see-it-from-its-beginning-to/) [Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [From the beginning at Intel, we planned on being big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-noyce/from-the-beginning-at-intel-we-planned-on-being-big/) [Robert Noyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-noyce/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. The whole concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/in-the-very-beginning-yelp-started-as-a-service-where-we-really-didn/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [Some projects feel like the stars are aligning for them from the very beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-smith/some-projects-feel-like-the-stars-are-aligning-for-them-from-the-very/) [Gregory Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-smith/) > [Do not judge me by my beginning, Only by my end, Nor by the path I took, But where it led me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacklyn-h-lucas/do-not-judge-me-by-my-beginning-only-by-my-end-nor-by-the-path-i-took/) Jacklyn H Lucas [Browse all 3,566 Beginning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Creation is not simply past; it is not just associated with \"the beginning.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence E. 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