The death of the author is akin to the rejection of God’s immanent role in creation, of the nature of creation as a reflection of its Author. How can we say that it is not the hand of the creator that guides the work? Choosing our own interpretation without reference to the Creator is sin, placing ourselves in the role of Author.

This doesn’t mean that we are merely passive observers. Indeed, our active participation is necessary for any aesthetic encounter (including with that most primal creative act), but we must acknowledge the ontological priority of the Creator.