Eriugena on the eternity and creation of the world

Abstract

John Scotus Eriugena devotes a substantial portion of his Periphyseon to a longstanding cosmological question of whether the cosmos is eternal or created at a moment in time. This paper explores his examination of the question in light of the broader history of cosmology, as he straddles both antiquity and the Middle Ages by trying to integrate a Platonic ontology within a particular Christian framework. As a result, Eriugena produces a highly original solution to the debate that has been hitherto neglected in the broader conversation on this question. Finally, the paper situates this within Eriugena’s broader philosophical system and its significance in relation to his methodological approach.