Creation Ex Nihilo: Part 1, Creation and Theodicy

One of the issues that comes up in discussions about theodicy is creation ex nihilo, God creating "from nothing."

The concern is that, if God is the ultimate source of everything that exists, then God is ultimately responsible for everything that happens with creation, evil and suffering included. The response here is generally an appeal to creaturely freedom, that humans misuse their freedom and are the ones responsible for falling away from love and grace. But the response to that response is that God foreknew this misuse of freedom, and the vast weight of horrific suffering it would introduce into creation, and God created anyway. For some, that foreknowledge puts God back on the hook.

So the theodicy question is this: If God creates ex nihilo is God ultimately responsible for what transpires in creation? Some think so.

Which creates a theodicy pressure upon the doctrine of creation ex nihilo. So much so, some have argued that we should jettison the doctrine. I, myself, have flirted with this notion, seeking some theodicy relief. But I've recently cooled on this theological move.

So, a few posts to share how we could think about creation without it being ex nihilo and how that is believed by some to help with theodicy. But also some reflections about why this relief might not be as forthcoming as some would think.