Magneto as Givenness
A Theological Exploration through Magneto and Divine Relationality
Abstract
This paper explores the concept of basic action within a theological context, examining its parallels within Catholic theology through the lens of the Self-Standing Givenness Ontology (SSGO). This philosophical framework provides a deeper understanding of basic action as an act performed directly, without prior mediation or antecedents, aligning with SSGO’s portrayal of God as inherently relational and fully self-giving. An illustrative example from the comic book series Resurrection of Magneto 4 demonstrates this concept through Magneto’s actions and serves as a foundation for analyzing divine actions within the SSGO framework.
Thus, this paper aims to present a Catholic relational ontology as articulated in SSGO. Within this framework, God’s acts are understood as self-standing and relational, where all existence and essence are rooted in self-giving relationality—even when the ontological divide between God and creation challenges human comprehension.
Introduction
The concept of basic action in philosophy refers to actions performed directly by an agent without any prior action. Such actions are marked by their immediacy and directness, akin to a “flow state” in psychology, where actions are instinctive or reflexive, performed without conscious effort. This paper examines basic action through the Self-Standing Givenness Ontology (SSGO), considering how it illuminates the nature and actions of the Christian God as relational and self-giving.
Illustration from Popular Culture: Magneto’s Decisive Act
In Resurrection of Magneto issue #4, written by Al Ewing, with art by Luciano Vecchio, David Curiel, Jesus Aburtov, and VC’s Joe Sabino (Ewing et al., 2024), Magneto’s decisive action exemplifies the concept of basic action. Magneto, a character from the X-Men series known for his metal manipulation abilities, faces a life-threatening situation in an Orchis detention facility. Soldiers equipped with suits designed to neutralize his abilities confront him, intending to detain him permanently. These suits detect any intentional use of magnetic powers and trigger mechanisms to counteract his abilities.
In response, Magneto bypasses conscious decision-making and reflexively crushes the metal components of their suits in an instant, neutralizing the threat without apparent premeditation. His manipulation of metal, performed instinctively under immense pressure, serves as a philosophical illustration of basic action—a direct expression of his intrinsic nature. This scene provides a basis for theological reflection on the nature of agency and identity.
Theological Reflection: God as Self-Standing Relationality in SSGO
In SSGO, the concept of basic action reflects an understanding of God as self-sufficient and fundamentally relational. God embodies Self-Standing Givenness, meaning His essence is realized in an unmediated act of self-giving, needing nothing beyond Himself to be fully actualized. This self-standing quality is central to God’s identity, where His actions and being are actualized within an internal relational unity. Each Person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—exists as a distinct, irreducible mode of this self-givenness, fully actualizing the same undivided divine essence without fragmentation. Therefore, God’s nature is not merely capable of relationality; it is intrinsically and continuously relational.
This relational self-givenness among the divine Persons indicates that God’s nature is an eternally active, self-giving reality. Each Person of the Trinity embodies a unique relational mode through which God’s essence is expressed and shared in unity, with each Person fully divine yet relationally distinct without composition or separation. This intrinsic self-givenness does not end within the Trinity but extends outward in what SSGO calls Exocentric Givenness—a gratuitous act inviting creation to participate in divine life. This outward movement remains rooted in God’s self-sufficiency, manifesting the same pure actuality and relational fullness that defines the Godhead.
Philosopher Gaven Kerr adds perspective on this point:
“Insofar as creatures are dependent on God for their esse, creatures bear a real relation to God; should that relation cease, creatures would cease, since they would no longer depend on anything for their esse. On the other hand, insofar as God does not depend on anything in any way, for He is pure esse, He does not bear a real relation to creatures, only a rational one; should that relation cease, i.e., should creatures cease to be, God would in no way change” (Kerr, 2023).
Within SSGO, we can interpret this understanding of God’s self-standing relationality as meaning that His actions do not arise from anything prior or external but are intrinsic to His nature. Creatures depend on God for their existence, establishing a real relation where their essence relies on God’s sustaining presence. Conversely, God, being self-standing, maintains no real dependence on creatures. His relational self-givenness is an uncaused, foundational expression of His being.
In SSGO, God’s omnipotence and engagement with creation are manifestations of His self-standing relational nature. Emphasizing relational self-givenness as a metaphysical primitive, SSGO offers a coherent explanation of God’s unity and relational distinctions, presenting a direct “basic” action within a relational ontology as effectively as within the classical theistic framework.
The key term here is Exocentric Givenness. In SSGO, exocentric givenness represents the outward, continuous act of God’s self-disclosure toward creation. This act embodies God’s intrinsic relational self-givenness, inviting creation to participate in divine life while preserving God’s essence in simplicity and independence. Rooted in the same relational unity that defines the Godhead, exocentric givenness reveals divine relationality without implying any need or dependency in God. This understanding is derived externally—from Christ’s teachings, apostolic witness, and doctrinal development—each of which conveys this divine relational nature.
Returning to the Magneto Analogy
Magneto’s basic action, rooted in his intrinsic nature, serves as an analogy for God’s self-standing actions within SSGO. Magneto’s immediate response exemplifies an action emerging from his very being, without antecedent process. Analogously, God’s actions are expressions of His self-standing relational nature, performed without mediation and rooted in His essence.
In SSGO, God’s self-giving nature is the ultimate, irreducible foundation, relying on nothing beyond itself. This concept allows us to understand God as both unified and relational, providing a coherent basis without requiring additional categories or distinctions.
Within this framework, God’s essence operates as a unique, self-ordering principle of relationality, fully possessed, expressed, and realized within the distinct yet unified persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God, wholly engaged in relational self-givenness, embodying the divine essence in a way that is both unified and distinct. This intrinsic relationality is central to God’s being, allowing us to conceive of divine unity and personal distinctions without contradiction or external dependencies. Through self-giving relationality, SSGO reveals God’s nature as the ultimate reality—an irreducible principle grounding all existence.
Exocentric givenness, in this context, gains meaning from reflecting on its gratuitous nature as revealed in both revelation and actuality, aligning with the nature to which, for which, and through which it is ordered. It reflects God’s self-giving as an outward, continuous act that extends beyond the divine essence, yet is meaningful only in light of foundational self-givenness. Flowing from God’s relational core, exocentricity illuminates creation as an invitation to participate in divine life. This outward act doesn’t disrupt or alter God’s nature but rather manifests His self-sufficiency, becoming evident in revelation as it draws all things back to their ultimate source without implying dependency or need. In Christ, God’s nature is not only fully God but also fully participatory.
The Eternal Now and Relational Ontology in SSGO: A Doorway to God’s own fundamentality and theological reflection in grace
Incorporating the concept of the Eternal Now within SSGO, God’s eternal present provides a basis for understanding divine action. Here, God’s self-standing relationality operates within an eternal framework, where all moments of time are present to Him in an atemporal manner. This ensures that God’s actions are not limited by time but are grounded in His self-standing nature, preserving His transcendence and immutability.
The doctrine of Perichoresis in Trinitarian theology emphasizes the mutual indwelling and interpenetration of the Trinity. These relationships are eternal and intrinsic, constituting a perpetual self-giving essential to God’s being.
Using the analogy of Magneto, we can understand God’s nature as a single, unified action arising from self-standing relationality. This continuous act reflects God’s omnipotence, simplicity, and immutability, demonstrating how His eternal now facilitates His foundational self-giving relationality within creation, without division or dependency. God’s eternal now encapsulates His essence as fully complete, independent, and relationally unified, without needing external support. Furthermore, this givenness can be seen as the ultimate transmundane reality in a foundational sense. Ultimately, beyond philosophical reflection, we know this as grace, which extends this timeless self-giving to us, inviting participation in God’s intrinsic relational unity—continuous and unbroken in the divine Persons’ mutual self-giving.
Conclusion
Both Magneto’s actions and divine actions in Christian theology, as understood through SSGO, illustrate the concept of basic action. Magneto’s manipulation of metal and God’s self-standing acts of creation and salvation highlight a seamless integration of power and identity. By integrating God’s eternal now and self-standing relational ontology, SSGO provides a nuanced perspective on divine actions, reinforcing the coherence of God’s immutable and relational nature. God’s actions, rooted in His essence as self-standing relationality, exemplify the ultimate expression of relational ontology in SSGO, bridging philosophical concepts with theological insights to explain how God’s unity and Trinitarian distinctions coexist without contradiction.
References
– Ewing, A., Vecchio, L., Curiel, D., Aburtov, J., & Sabino, J. V. C.
(2024). Resurrection of Magneto 4. Marvel Comics.
– Kerr, G. (2023). God and the Alone World. Irish Theological Quarterly, 88(1), 76-89. https://doi.org/10.1177/00211400221144750
