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title: "George Pell on The Kalam cosmological argument"
description: "Pell accepted that the universe had a beginning and a cause, though he preferred the Thomistic cosmological framework to the Kalam formulation."
canonical: https://opendoubt.com/people/george-pell/on/kalam-cosmological-argument
source: html
---

# George Pell on The Kalam cosmological argument

> Pell accepted that the universe had a beginning and a cause, though he preferred the Thomistic cosmological framework to the Kalam formulation.

Position

# George Pell on _The Kalam cosmological argument_

Argues forCardinal of the Catholic Church

Pell accepted that the universe had a beginning and a cause, though he preferred the Thomistic cosmological framework to the Kalam formulation.

George Pell was broadly sympathetic to the Kalam cosmological argument's conclusion — that the universe had a beginning and therefore a cause — though his own philosophical formation was more Thomistic than Islamic. He affirmed that the Big Bang is consistent with the Christian doctrine of creation ex nihilo and regarded the scientific evidence for a temporal beginning of the universe as a welcome confirmation of what theology had always taught.

However, Pell was careful to note, following Aquinas, that the existence of God does not depend on the universe having a temporal beginning. Even an eternal universe would require a sustaining cause. The Kalam argument, in Pell's view, was a useful supplement to the classical cosmological arguments but not a replacement for them.

In public discussion, Pell was comfortable citing the Big Bang as evidence that something brought the universe into existence, while acknowledging that the deeper philosophical arguments about contingency and necessity were more fundamental to the case for God.

Key quotes

> “The Big Bang fits beautifully with the Christian doctrine of creation. The universe had a beginning, and beginnings require causes.”

Continue exploring

[

George Pell

Full profile — positions, quotes, and key moments.

](/people/george-pell)[

The Kalam cosmological argument

The full argument — stated fairly, then answered.

](/arguments/kalam-cosmological-argument)

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