real relations ad extra

In my gift-ontology, real relations ad extra names the classical asymmetry: creatures have real relations to God as effects to their source, but God does not acquire real relations to creatures that would introduce intrinsic novelty. This is not anti-relational. It is the metaphysical mechanism that preserves Creator-creature distinction and divine immutability while allowing real creaturely change and real divine causality. The world can become newly related to God. God does not become newly conditioned by the world. This asymmetry also supports the non-competitive causality doctrine: God’s causal role is not within the same relational field as creaturely relations.