Doctrine of Creation - Ch 2-3 Flashcards
creatio ex nihilo
“Creation out of nothing”
ex nihilo nihil fit
“Out of nothing comes nothing”
3 options to consider for creation (when including God)
- God made the world out of himself
- God made the world out of something besides himself
- God made the world out of nothing
Pantheism
If God made the world out of himself, then the world is divine
-Argues that the spirit (mind) is real and rejects the reality of matter.
Dualism
If God made the world out of something besides himself, then those materials would also have to be divine and eternal.
-It excludes any notion that God is almighty.
-The Bible clearly states that only God is divine and eternal.
Theism
God created out of nothing
Aseity of God
God is complete within himself, dependent on nothing, and creation adds nothing to him
Deism
Although God created the world, he does not interact with it
Transcendence of God
God is distinct from and greater than creation
Immanence of God
God is omnipresent and is thoroughly involved in every aspect of the universe
Polytheism
Belief in more than one god
Materialism
Matter is the sum of all reality. Other things (soul, spirit, mind) either do nor exist or can be reduced down to matter.
Monotheism
Belief in one god
Monism
The idea that all of reality is made of one substance
Panentheism
“the world in God”
-The world is God’s body
-God needs creation to complete him
-God is just as dependent on the world as the world is to him.
