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Creation vs. temporal beginning. In the first question of Book II of Bonaventure’s
Commentary on the Sentences, Bonaventure divides ancient philosophers into four groups based
on their treatment of the origin of the material universe. The first group consists of philosophers
who advocated pantheism by believing the universe arose out of God. The second group believed
in pre-existing matter independent from God. The third group, including Plato, held the existence
of pre-existing matter, separate forms and a Maker who introduced forms into matter. The last
group, including Aristotle, taught that the universe was caused but eternal. 50 According to
Bonaventure only two positions explaining the origin of the world are reasonable: “first, the
theory of the philosophers according to which the world is eternal and the matter of the universe
is without ultimate causal origin; second the Christian doctrine of creation according to which
the universe depends entirely for its being on God, is produced ex nihilo, and is temporally finite
50
Noone, "The Originality,” 291-292).
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