CREATION: Good and Fallen

Question 1

Creatio ex nihilo

Answer 1

creation out of nothing; church father’s created this term in opposition of Gnostic beliefs; necessary implication of God as maker of all things in heaven and earth

Question 2

Dualism

Answer 2

the belief that some of the divine substance in creation fell into a material mode of existence, which is the source of evil as two substances opposite of each other; belief in good and evil as two substances opposite from one another

Question 3

Monism/emanationism

Answer 3

reduces all of reality into one substance; (ex. pantheism- the strict identification of creation with a Divine being); emanationism is the opposite of creation ex nihilo- all of reality is some form of the divine being, some emanations have “hardened” and “forgotten” their true origin of God

Question 4

Naturalism

Answer 4

belief that has ancient precursors, but is largely due to; the Enlightenment; naturalism’s idea of creation is rooted in chance; naturalist believe the universe is an ultimate accident

Question 5

Theistic Evolution

Answer 5

the idea that Darwin’s theory of natural selection is true and is not in conflict with essential Christianity

Question 6

Young Earth Creationism

Answer 6

Taught by seventeenth century Irish Anglican Bishop James Ussher who published a book citing the year of creation itself, 4004 BC; literal 6, 24 creation

Question 7

Progressive Creationism-

Answer 7

according to Bernard Ramm, author of the classic book A Christian View of Science and Scripture pointed out the weakness of both the theistic evolution and young earth creationism views and argued for a belief in a combination of ancient creation, evolutionary development of life and special acts of God at certain thresholds within the history of creation