The Drama of the World

Why is it a good thing for the world to exist? And why should we actively engage with it, rather than stoically withdrawing into caves and mountain retreats? One answer was that the drama of the world adds meaning to god's existence from the vadic hymns of the first millennium b c. The chrishna tradition in particular, affirmed the creation of the world as an exercise in divine lila, or spontaneous activity. Later, sixteenth century aesthetic theologians glossed this in romantic terms: 'The divine manifests as the lover, the beloved'