Abstract

The Judeo-Christian concept of creatio ex nihilo provides a unique view of reality: God, the transcendent creator who has brought all things into being from nothing, is nonetheless profoundly immanent in his creatures. Such a worldview was apparently absent in classical Greek philosophy.1 It has been suggested by scholars, however, that similar understandings of the Deity's relation to the world can be found in Hinduism and other Eastern philosophies.2 It makes one wonder whether there are strands of ancient Chinese philosophy that resonate with creatio ex nihilo. In this area, pioneering work has been carried out by American philosopher-theologian Robert Neville, who argues consistently that implications of...