1. GOD AS CREATOR

2.  According the Genesis – world is created by God  However, bible is not a work of philosophy  It does not set out to prove that God exists  Simply describes God’s relationship with human beings  i.e. written from within a situation of faith  Everything within it reflects a religious response rather than exploration

3.  The bible does not give a systematic explanation of how God creates and we shouldn’t expect it  Usual interpretation of biblical account is that God 1 st created the world in a formless state and then over a period presented as 6 days, gave it form and structure.  Later thinkers thought this interpretation would limit God in some way.

4.  Seeing his creative power as dependent upon the material he uses.  Therefore moved to the idea that God created the world out of nothing – ex nihilo  This is an important idea – because it suggests that God is not some external force coming in to work with some pre existent material to shape or animate it but that he is the absolute origin of everything

5.  Everything that comes into existence does so as a creative act of God.  This ides is of fundamental imp. For understanding the arguments presented in the philosophy of religion.  If God creates as an external designer or manipulator of pre existing material then the Q of God can be separated from a consideration of the nature & origin of the universe.

6.  However if he creates ex nihilo then he is both within & beyond everything that is created, as its origin as well as its designer.

7.  The Jewish religion had been developing its ideas about God a millennium before Plato and Aristotle.  They based their beliefs about God on the relationship between God and His people.

8.  This relationship was based on the understanding that God was creator and covenant maker.  A covenant is an agreement /contract between God and his people.

9.  Three stages of the covenant-Noah Abraham, Moses.

10.  The covenant was about God ‘looking ‘ after the people and they worshipping him.  I will be your God and you will be my people.

11.  The three main features of the Jewish picture of God 1.Creator 2.Goodness 3.God’s activity in the world.