God and Ultimate Origins

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

   PDF

2. The Question of Ultimate Origins

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 1-27

3. Is the Number of Prior Causes and Durations Infinite? An Assessment of the Current Literature

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 29-83

4. Formulating a New Cosmological Argument

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 85-107

5. Is There a Causal Loop Which Avoids a First Cause?

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 109-123

6. Did the Initial State of Reality Begin to Exist Uncaused?

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 125-158

7. What is the Nature of the First Cause?

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 159-182

8. The Conclusion of Our Quest

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages 183-191

9. Erratum to: Is the Number of Prior Causes and Durations Infinite? An Assessment of the Current Literature

   • Andrew Ter Ern Loke

   Pages E1-E2

10. Back Matter

    Pages 193-200

    PDF

This book develops a novel argument which combines the Kalam with the Thomistic Cosmological Argument. It approaches an ongoing dispute concerning whether there is a First Cause of time from a radically new point of view, namely by demonstrating that there is such a First Cause without requiring the controversial arguments against concrete infinities and against traversing an actual infinite (although the book presents original defenses of these arguments as well). This book also develops a novel philosophical argument for the Causal Principle, namely that ‘everything that begins to exist has a cause’, and offers a detailed discussion on whether a First Cause of time can be avoided by a causal loop. It also addresses epistemological issues related to the Cosmological Argument which have been relatively neglected by recent publications, and demonstrates (contra Hawking et al) the continual relevance and significance of philosophy for answering ultimate questions. 

• Kalam
• Thomistic Cosmological Argument
• First Cause
• Causal Principle
• New Atheism
• actual infinite
• Leibnizianism
• Cosmology
• Metaphysics
• Causality
• Time

“This book discusses the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA) as popularised by William Lane Craig. The author suggests modifications and rebuttals against counter-arguments to it. … This is a good book if you have heard of the KCA … in comprehensive detail.” (Gavin Merrifield, Science & Christian Belief, Vol. 31 (1), 2019) 

“Professor Loke has rapidly become a leading thinker in metaphysics and philosophy of religion.  His body of writings simply must be considered if one is going to treat a relevant topic appropriately.  God and Ultimate Origins is no exception to the rule.  In it, Loke skillfully interacts with all the relevant issues on the way to formulating a new cosmological argument that combines key features from the Thomist and Kalam arguments while adding his own twists.  This is an exceptional book.  I highly recommend it.” (JP Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University, USA, and co-editor of The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology)

“Loke brings together a wealth of resources to tackle the cosmological argument…The reader will find that Loke effectively interacts with recent literature in a dialogical and persuasively analytic fashion.” (Dr Bruce Reichenbach, Professor of Philosophy, Augsburg College and author of ‘Cosmological Argument’ in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

• Faith and Global Engagement, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  Andrew Ter Ern Loke

Andrew Ter Ern Loke is Research Assistant Professor in Faith and Global Engagement at the University of Hong Kong. He is the author of The Origins of Divine Christology (forthcoming), A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation (2014), and various articles in leading international journals in philosophy, science and religion, and theology.