Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Nathan J. Chambers: ברא does not necessarily denote creation ex nihilo

In an overall weak (“pathetic” to be blunt) attempt to defend creatio ex nihilo from Genesis 1, Nathan Chambers is forced to admit that ברא does not necessarily denote creation ex nihilo:

 

While I am unconvinced by the newer proposals for the meaning of bārā’, I also hesitate to simply equate the verb with creation ex nihilo since in a number of instances it is unclear what it would mean that the object in question is created from nothing (I.e., Israel in Isa 43:1; 43:15 or the army of Babylon, Ezek 21:35; Psalm 51:10[12] is a particularly interesting example . . . Is creating a new heart ex nihilo?) (Nathan J. Chambers, Reconsidering Creation Ex Nihilo in Genesis 1 [Journal of Theological Interpretation 19; University Park, Pa..: Eisenbrauns, 2020], 227)

 

Further Reading


Blake T. Ostler, Out of Nothing: A History of Creation ex Nihilo in Early Christian Thought

Daniel O. McClellan, James Patrick Holding refuted on Creation Ex Nihilo