Participation and Theology: A Response to Schindler’s “What’s The Difference?”

Schindler raises a compelling question: How can we uphold the goodness of creatures as creatures, the goodness of difference as difference, in a monotheistic context? Specifically, Christian philosophy asks whether in God there may be difference such that the difference of creatures from God might receive ultimate justification. In this paper, I note the strengths of Schindler’s proposal, attempt to further his core concern by reference to Christ’s theandric action, and present four criticisms. Chiefly, I ask whether Schindler observes with sufficient care the distinction between analogy and metaphor and whether, in the end, his solution begs the question.