S7, E1, The Guide of the Perplexed, Creation, 01: Why Creation from Nothing is so Central to Religion

This shiur was generously sponsored by Mr. Ari Schwartz. This series is a project of the Jacob Lights Foundation. 0:00 The Mutakallimun approach to creation and Maimonides' rejection thereof 9:00 The three opinions about how the world follows from God: that of the Torah of Moshe; that of Plato; and that of Aristotle 26:00 The goal of those who follow the Torah of Moshe and Abraham 29:00 The metric to determine what is possible and what is impossible, and how to apply this to creation ex nihilo 35:00 The fundamental difference between a religious person and a philosopher 39:00 Abraham and Moshe and the invention of religion 42:30 The meaning of Abraham's call in the name of "Hashem, God of the world" 51:45 The logic underpinning idolatry 59:00 The connection between idolatry and the eternity of the world 1:02:00 Maimonides as a blend of a religious person and a philosopher