creatureliness

Creatureliness is a concept that describes the fundamental condition of beings as creatures rather than autonomous agents. It signals an inherent dependence on causes beyond one’s will, including a Creator in theological contexts, a community of others, and an environment that shapes existence. It also emphasizes finitude: beings are embodied, mortal, and situated in time and space.

Core dimensions of creatureliness include embodiment, vulnerability, contingency, and relationality. To be creaturely is to inhabit a body with needs and limits, to be susceptible to injury and death, and to be formed by history, culture, and ecological networks. This condition implies limits on knowledge, power, and control, and it invites recognition of interdependence with other beings and things.

In theological discourse, creatureliness is often contrasted with divine transcendence, underscoring that humans and other creatures owe their existence to a Creator and participate in a broader order. It is frequently associated with humility, gratitude, and a mandate of stewardship rather than domination, shaping ethics and worship around dependence and responsibility.

In secular and interdisciplinary contexts, creatureliness appears in philosophy, animal studies, ecocriticism, and posthumanist thought. It is used to critique anthropocentrism, explore human–animal continuities, and argue for ethical attention to vulnerable beings and ecosystems. Critics warn that the term can oversimplify differences among beings, so careful use preserves the distinctions between biological, ethical, and existential forms of creatureliness.