
Creatio Ex Nihilo: A Historical Survey | Dr. Brannon Ellis | S2E5
From World Upside Down by Indianapolis Theological Seminary
December 16, 2025 · 1h 17m · Episode 19
About this episode
This episode explores the early church's confrontation with rival worldviews and the essential nature of creation in the gospel.
In this episode of World Upside Down, we trace how the early church confronted rival worldviews like Gnosticism, Marcionism, Arianism, and ancient materialism, and why confessing God as the maker of all things, visible and invisible was not a side issue, but essential to the gospel itself. Along the way, we consider how creation and redemption are inseparable, why the Trinity grounds creation as a free act of divine generosity, and how losing the doctrine of creation leads to confusion about truth, meaning, human dignity, and vocation. Interested in going deeper? Learn more about Indianapolis Theological Seminary and how you can take your next step toward robust theological education: https://go.indysem.org/request-more-info
People in this episode
Host: Brannon Ellis
Topics covered
- Gnosticism
- Marcionism
- Arianism
- materialism
- creation
- redemption
- Trinity
- truth
- meaning
- human dignity
- vocation
Keywords
- creatio ex nihilo
- early church
- doctrine of creation
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: World Upside Down
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