Theology & Religious Studies

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.

This introduction to Catholicism "combines scholarly depth with an engaging style to present the what and why of Catholic belief with exceptional clarity" (Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia). In The Light of Christ, Fr. Thomas Joseph White provides an accessible presentation of Catholic doctrine that is both grounded in traditional theology and engaged with contemporary concerns. Inspired by the theologies of Irenaeus, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman, Father White covers the major doctrines of the Christian religion including knowledge of God, the mystery of the Trinity, the incarnation and the atonement, the sacraments and the moral life, eschatology and prayer. The Light of Christ also addresses topics such as evolution, the modern historical study of Jesus and the Bible, and objections to Catholic moral teaching. Authoritative yet accessible, this book serves as an excellent introduction for general readers or as a helpful text for theology courses in a university context. "This is a book that offers itself as a companion ... My goal is to make explicit in a few broad strokes the shape of Catholicism. I hope to outline its inherent intelligibility or form as a mystery that is at once visible and invisible, ancient and contemporary, mystical and reasonable." 'Father White, from the Introduction.

Human beings are uniquely equipped with a capacity and curiosity to consider mystery. Four countless generations, people have asked and answered existentially urgent and provocative questions: What is the meaning of life? Is there some ultimate being at work in the universe, or is the world as we experience it entirely arbitrary? What does it mean to be a good person, and how do we do it? Religions of the world have traditionally been an outlet for dealing with mystery, though at different times and in different places, people have responded to these time-honored questions with various stories, myths, rituals, symbols, and even scientific exploration. In this book, Michael Horace Barnes presents a chronicle of the human quest to make sense of these mysteries through religious traditions. Tracing this quest from the mythic tales of hunter-gatherers to modern scientific atheism, this text sheds light not only on the mysteries people face, but also--more importantly--on the people who face them. With charts, pictures, and discussion questions at the conclusion of each chapter, the book makes questions of ultimate meaning accessible and engaging for any audience.-- Publisher's description.

"This book explains the development, sources, and methods of Catholic social teaching and describes its major themes and applications. It brings the tradition up to date, with the inclusion of the major social teaching of Pope Francis"-- Provided by publisher.

"This book explains the development, sources, and methods of Catholic social teaching and describes its major themes and applications. It brings the tradition up to date, with the inclusion of the major social teaching of Pope Francis"-- Provided by publisher.