The Doctrine of Creatio ex Nihilo

Abstract

The kalām cosmological argument is a philosophical argument in favour of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo (creation out of nothing ), which states that God brought the universe into existence out of nothing or without the use of pre-existing materials. In this chapter I discuss the theological background of the kalām cosmological argument, first, by evaluating whether there is any biblical support for creatio ex nihilo and, second, by examining several ancient influential Jewish and Christian thinkers who affirmed creatio ex nihilo.