The term ‘cosmological’ derives from two Greek words: ‘kosmos’ and ‘logos’. ‘Kosmos’ is translated into English as ‘cosmos’ and is synonymous with ‘universe’, whereas ‘logos’ means ‘blueprint’ or ‘plan’. So ‘cosmology’ refers to the ‘blueprint of the universe’. It is hardly surprising that the term has a Greek derivation, because, as we have seen, the origins and make-up of the universe were a preoccupation for many Greek philosophers. Modern-day cosmologists (those who study the nature and origins of the universe) tend to be scientists, but most religious traditions also possess a cosmology.

The reason the first argument for the existence of God that we will look at is called the cosmological argument is because it begins by looking at the ‘blueprint’ of the universe and then goes on to conclude that the nature of the universe suggests that there must be a God. This might seem to you to be a giant leap to make, so we need to consider carefully the steps taken in reaching such a conclusion.

The cosmological argument is sometimes referred to as the ‘causal argument’ or the ‘first cause argument’ and this should give you some indication as to what is at the heart of the argument. Following on from the fact that there is a universe it seems perfectly justified in asking, why is there a universe? The main difficulty, of course, is what we can be sure of when we talk of the origins of the universe and this is really where views differ.