Few of us can venture outside on a clear, dark night and not pause for a silent, reflective look at the stars. For countless centuries people have felt a sense of wonder about the heavens. How did our universe come into being? Has it always been here? Is our existence due to random chance or supernatural design? Is God "out there"? If so, what is He like? Traditionally, the church has answered such questions with Scripture, while science has contributed theories and formulas of its own. Torn between a deep respect for church doctrines and an intellectual need for answers that support what their senses are telling them, many Christians have avoided such discussions altogether. Actually, the two sides are no longer that far apart. In The Creator and the Cosmos, astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross explains how recent scientific measurements of the universe have clearly pointed to the existence of God. Whether you're looking for scientific support for your faith or new reasons to believe, The Creator and the Cosmos will enable you to see the Creator for yourself.

The need to position Christianity in relation to other religions, most notably Judaism and Islam, has brought about a renewed interest in the theme of creation, which has been off the theological agenda for much of the 20th century. Environmentalists, biologists, feminists and process theologians have all registered concerns, from their different perspectives, about the way in which the traditional doctrine of creation characterizes the relationship between the cosmos and its creator. Furthermore, the hoilism of the New Age and its resonance with eastern patterns of thought seems to offer something radically different from the Judaeo-Christian understanding of the creation. It is in the light of these concerns that the author argues for the doctrine of creation as a distictively Christian article of faith. By recognizing at the the same time that criticisms which have been made of its traditional formulations must be properly acknowledged and accommodated, the author is able to use the best insights from secular disciples to construct a theology of creation which is responsible.

This study is the first volume in the new Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series. It contains a new English translation of Philo's famous treatise "On the creation of the cosmos" (the first for seventy years), and the first ever commentary in English. In this work the Jewish exegete and philosopher gives a selective exegesis of the Mosaic creation account and the events in Paradise as recorded in Genesis 1-3. It is the first preserved example of Hexaemeral literature, and had a profound influence on early Christian thought. The commentary aims to make Philo's thought accessible to readers such as graduate students who are just beginning to read him, but also contains much material that will be of interest to specialists in Hellenistic Judaism, ancient philosophy and patristic literature.

Increasingly astronomers recognize that if the cosmos had not unfolded exactly as it did, humanity would not, could not, exist. Yet these researchers--along with countless ordinary folks--resist belief in the biblical Creator. Why? They say a loving God would have made a better home for us, one without trouble and tragedy. In Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross draws from his depth of study in both science and Scripture to explain how the universe's design fulfills several distinct purposes. He also reveals God's surpassing love and ultimate purposes for each individual. Why the Universe Is the Way It Is will interest anyone who wonders where and how the universe came to be, what or who is responsible for it, why we are here, or how and when the universe ends. Far from leaving the reader at this philosophical jumping-off point, Ross builds toward answering the big question of human destiny and the specific question of each reader's personal destiny.

Pocos de nosotros podemos aventurarnos afuera en una noche oscura y clara sin detenernos para dirigir una mirada reflexiva y silenciosa a las estrellas. Por siglos incontables la gente ha tenido un sentimiento de asombro acerca de los cielos. Como llego a existir nuestro universo? Ha estado siempre ahi? Es nuestra existencia el resultado de la casualidad aleatoria o del diseno sobrenatural? Esta Dios "ahi afuera"? Si es asi, como es el? Tradicionalmente, la iglesia ha contestado este tipo de preguntas con las Escrituras, mientras que la ciencia ha aportado sus propias teorias y formulas.

Distinguished scholar Matthew Levering examines the doctrine of creation and its contemporary theological implications, critically engaging with classical and modern views in dialogue with Orthodox and Reformed interlocutors, among others. Moving from the Trinity to Christology, Levering takes up a number of themes pertaining to the doctrine of creation and focuses on how creation impacts our understandings of both the immanent and the economic Trinity. He also engages newer trends such as ecological theology.