Page 29 - AECA.org.uk ¦ Koinonia 68
P. 29
Creation and Evolution: The Problem of Evil in the
Writings and Lectures of Alexander Men 1
DANIEL MULLANEY
Alexander Men (1935–1990)
WE SHALL begin by discussing Men’s understanding of the nature of humanity
and the Fall of Adam, before considering his interpretation of Genesis 1
including cosmic and angelic Falls. Finally, we shall look at Men’s understanding
of metaphysics, freedom and the nature of evil.
A. The Nature of Humanity and the Fal of Adam
I. A QUALITATIVE SHIFT TOWARDS HUMANITY
We have already discussed in Part 1 the importance for Men of a real
qualitative distinction between animals and humans. Men sees the breathing of
God’s spirit into a man made from the dust of the earth (Gen 2:7) as the
scriptural evidence for this. Adam is miraculously created as capable of
2
carrying spirit and this is an aspect of his being that is beyond rational and
therefore scientific comprehension.
For Men, The Garden of Eden of Genesis 2 is a reflection of this period
when the first humans were able to communicate with God directly in spirit.
Its depiction in Genesis 2 is the result of ‘obscure reflections of that hour of
3
dawn’ of God’s blessing , stored in the common human memory. The Garden
4
represents a time when the first humans were still in harmony with God, with
nature and each other. Men illustrates this in A Tale of Human Origins, where
Ugly has dreams given to him by the Lord of al beasts and people. Ugly can
communicate directly with God, and God provides for him.
1 This is the continuation of a thesis from the previous issue.
2 Men: Magicism and Monotheism, Appendix 8, Part 6. В Поисках Пути, Истины и Жизни – Том
2. Магизм и Единобожие. [Издательство “Слово”. Москва. 1991 г] (In search of the Way, the
Truth and the Life – Book 2: Magicism and Monotheism. Publishing House ‘Word’. Moscow. 1991).
Can be found at http://www.alexandermen.ru/pan.html
3 Men: Magicism and Monotheism, Appendix 8, Part 6
4 Represented by the motif of a garden, as in Isaiah 41:18-19
27