Creationism

1) Understanding that God creates and directly infuses a new soul in every person at conception. The soul is understood to be created by God out of nothing. Creationism denies the pre-existence of the soul (Pre-existentialism), and it denies that the soul is transmitted by the parents or generated with the body (Traducianism). 2) Understanding that God created the universe out of nothing by a free act of will. Creationism denies that creation is identical with God, or an emanation from God, or an illusion. 3) Creationism also refers to an understanding that God created the universe without employing an evolutionary process. Many creationists believe that biblical faith is contradicted by scientific theories of evolution. This understanding is associated with a literal reading of the Book of Genesis. On the other hand, many Christian theologians, including William Porcher DuBose of the Episcopal Church, understand evolutionary theory to be compatible with God's continuous process of saving activity in the world. See Fundamentalism; see Process Theology.