Ex Nihilo Imago Dei
Assignment 1 Ex nihilo: creation from or out of nothing. The very idea of something coming from nothing goes against all logic and science. Yet, when we talk about the creation of the world and the creation of art, the concept is easy to grasp. Take the creation of the world for example. In the Bible, it says God created the world in seven days, each day adding to what He had created the day before. The world began in darkness, nothing in existence. Just by His words, God created everything we know to exist today. God, the creator, is the prime example of a creative mind. Much like the creation of the world, art is created in the same manner, growing on itself, evolving into something big, and great, and wonderful. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is a masterpiece in itself. The symphony is based on a four-note motif that continues to grow and evolve into different permutations while keeping the same basic structure. It begins with an imposing presence, starting small then growing into a thirty-six minute long work. Much like the symphony, the creation follows a motif of good works. On the seventh day He rested. God would create something one day, see that it was good, then stop until the following sunrise. Each day ended with God surveying His progress of the day, and when He deemed it to be good, He stopped. God was an imposing presence in the nothingness. By His words, the world was created, little by little, until it was great. Beethoven, in a sense, created something from nothing. He couldn’t audibly hear the music he was creating, but he heard it in his head. As it grew, it evolved into a masterwork, just like the world evolved into life as we know it today. God created the world, and with the world came man. Man was created in God’s image, imago dei. All of the things man is capable of doing comes from God. God is the creator, so if man is truly created in His image, then man has the underlying desire to create and be creative. Art