Claim. During the growing period, all created beings grow by virtue of the autonomy and governance given by God’s Principle. God Himself does not interfere directly — He regards only the fruits of growth produced through the Principle. This entire growing period is the “realm of indirect dominion” or “realm of dominion based on accomplishments through the Principle.”
Elaboration. Per 5.2.2. The Realm of Indirect Dominion: “During the growing period, all beings in the creation grow by virtue of the autonomy and governance given by God’s Principle. God, the Author of the Principle, has regard only for the fruits of their growth which are based on the Principle. In this way, He governs all things indirectly. We call this growing period the realm of God’s indirect dominion or the realm of dominion based on accomplishments through the Principle.”
The structure is significant for DP’s theology of divine-constraint: God created with a built-in non-interference protocol. God could intervene in growth processes; God does not. The Principle, once authored, has standing that even God respects.
For non-human creation, indirect dominion is straightforward: physical laws and biological growth proceed under the Principle without consultation. For humans, indirect dominion takes on an additional dimension — humans are unique in that the Principle alone does not guarantee their growth. They must also fulfill their own portion of responsibility (see dp-human-portion-of-responsibility-inviolable-even-by-god). This is why for humans the growing period is doubly indirect: God will not intervene, and the Principle alone is insufficient — human free response is required.
The implication for the providence of restoration: God’s apparent absence during human historical crises is not abandonment but structural. The Principle establishes the rule of indirect-only governance during growth, and even providential figures must work within that rule.
See also. dp-human-portion-of-responsibility-inviolable-even-by-god, dp-realm-of-direct-dominion-as-realm-of-perfection