The origin of the Universe is addressed both by current physical cosmology and by religious interpretations of the Bible. This course explores how these approaches to the cosmos’s origins differ and how they might be mutually informative. Core concepts in each domain will be examined and definitions carefully distinguished (e.g., ‘nothing’, ‘cause’, ‘matter’): topics will include the question of temporal beginnings (scientific theories of spontaneous creation or an eternal universe vis-à-vis the doctrine of creation from nothing) and the problem of cosmic fine tuning (the multiverse vis-à-vis the idea of divine intervention).
The origin of the Universe is addressed both by current physical cosmology and by religious interpretations of the Bible. This course explores how these approaches to the cosmos’s origins differ and how they might be mutually informative. Core concepts in each domain will be examined and definitions carefully distinguished (e.g., ‘nothing’, ‘cause’, ‘matter’): topics will include the question of temporal beginnings (scientific theories of spontaneous creation or an eternal universe vis-à-vis the doctrine of creation from nothing) and the problem of cosmic fine tuning (the multiverse vis-à-vis the idea of divine intervention).
