ABSTRACT
The Christian view of creation developed in the first couple of centuries according to the theological and rhetorical needs of the church. From its beginning, Christianity assumed the doctrine of creation contained in the Mosaic Law, which fostered a common cosmological perspective shared by Christian and Jewish teachers alike. The emphasis on the mediation of the Creator's governance places the discussion of creation within a hermeneutical framework, rather than a philosophical one. For ancient philosophers, the construction of the cosmos was much more than an objective, academic discussion concerning the distant origins of the world. By the beginning of the second century, Christian theologians were compelled to engage the philosophical assumptions of the educated elite. Christian apologists sought to defend the Christian church from the Roman policy of persecution. Early in the second century, Christian apologists articulated the creation of matter ex nihilo in order to challenge the essential dualism that was inherent in traditional philosophical speculations.
