Creation and the God of Abraham

Develops perspectives of the foundational doctrine of creation from Judaism, Christianity and Islam, exploring their relevance in the modern world.

David B. Burrell (Edited by), Carlo Cogliati (Edited by), Janet M. Soskice (Edited by), William R. Stoeger (Edited by)

9780521518680, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 September 2010

288 pages, 1 table
23.5 x 16 x 2 cm, 0.6 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This book is an example of inter-faith dialogue at its most constructive … This collection is a magnificent achievement. It left me hoping for a thoroughgoing formulation of 'theology and science' which started from what this book lays before us. I venture that almost all we need for the renewal of that field could be found in this exceptional volume.' Church Times

Creatio ex nihilo is a foundational doctrine in the Abrahamic faiths. It states that God created the world freely out of nothing - from no pre-existent matter, space or time. This teaching is central to classical accounts of divine action, free will, grace, theodicy, religious language, intercessory prayer and questions of divine temporality and, as such, the foundation of a scriptural God but also the transcendent Creator of all that is. This edited collection explores how we might now recover a place for this doctrine, and, with it, a consistent defence of the God of Abraham in philosophical, scientific and theological terms. The contributions span the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and cover a wide range of sources, including historical, philosophical, scientific and theological. As such, the book develops these perspectives to reveal the relevance of this idea within the modern world.

List of contributors
Preface David D. Burrell and Janet M. Soskice
Introduction Carlo Cogliati
1. Creation ex nihilo: early history Ernan McMullin
2. Creatio ex nihilo: its Jewish and Christian foundations Janet M. Soskice
3. The act of creation with its theological consequences David D. Burrell
4. Scotistic metaphysics and creation ex nihilo Alexander Broadie
5. Creation and the context of theology and science in Maimonides and Crescas Dan Davies
6. Creation: Avicenna's metaphysical account Rahim Acar
7. Four conceptions of creatio ex nihilo and the compatibility question Pirooz Fatoorchi
8. Will, necessity, and creation as monistic theophany in the Islamic philosophical tradition Ibrahim Kalim
9. Trinity, motion and creation ex nihilo Simon Oliver
10. The big bang, quantum cosmology and creatio ex nihilo William R. Stoeger
11. What is written into creation? Simon Conway Morris
12. Creatio ex nihilo and dual causality James R. Pambrun
13. God and creatures acting: the idea of double agency Thomas F. Tracy
14. Thomas Aquinas on knowing and coming to know: the Beatific vision and learning from contingency Eugene F. Rogers.

Subject Areas: Theology [HRLB], History of religion [HRAX], Religious issues & debates [HRAM], Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Religion: general [HRA], Religion & beliefs [HR]