Routledge sent copies yesterday of a new book I edited, Theologies of Creation: Creatio Ex Nihilo and Its New Rivals. It explores current thinking about creation out of nothing, and several essays propose alternative theories of creation.
Of course, humans have long wondered about the origin of the universe. And such questions are especially alive today as physicists offer metaphysical theories to account for the emergence of creation.
Those who believe in God have attributed the universe’s origin to divine activity. Many claim God created something from absolute nothingness: creatio ex nihilo. The venerable doctrine of creatio ex nihilo especially emphasizes God’s initial creating activity.
Some contributors to this book explore new reasons creatio ex nihilo should continue to be embraced today. But other contributors question the viability of creation from nothing and offer alternative initial creation options in its place. These new alternatives explore a variety of options in light of recent scientific work, new biblical scholarship, and both new and old theological traditions.
I especially want to thank those who contributed essays to the book, which include Philip Clayton, Catherine Keller, Michael Lodahl, Richard Rice, Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Marit Trelstad, Eric Vail, Stephen Webb, and Michael Zbaraschuk. I also contributed an essay.
Please consider getting a copy and wrestling with the issues of creation from nothing (or something)! (Here’s an amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Theologies-Creation-Creatio-Nihilo-Rivals/dp/0415712157)
[bctt tweet=”For those who want to think deeply about creation from nothing (or from something)! http://www.amazon.com/Theologies-Creation-Creatio-Nihilo-Rivals/dp/0415712157)”]