now reject. Empirical problem: We have no evidence that our universe originally came into being from absolutely nothing. Creation-at-an-instant problem: We have no evidence in the history of the Universe after the Big Bang that entities can emerge instantaneously from absolute nothingness. As the earliest philosophers noted, out of nothing comes nothing (ex nihilo, nihil fit). Solitary power problem: Creatio ex nihilo assumes that a powerful God once acted alone. But power, as a social concept, only becomes meaningful in relation to others. Errant revelation problem: The God with the capacity to create something from absolutely nothing would apparently have the power to guarantee an unambiguous and inerrant message of salvation (for example: inerrant Bible). An unambiguously clear and inerrant divine revelation does not exist. Problem of Evil: If God once had the power to create from absolutely nothing, God essentially retains that power. But a God of love with this capacity appears culpable for failing to prevent evil. Empire Problem: The kind of divine power implied in creatio ex nihilo supports a 'theology of empire', based upon unilateral force and control of others. NNU employment Oord was a tenured professor at NNU, where he had taught since 2002. He was asked to resign by the new president of NNU in 2014 before learning that he would be laid off at the end of the 2014–2015 school year. The reason cited by the president was declining enrollment in the theology program, but it was clear to other faculty and alumni that he was being dismissed because of theological positions that are not in the mainstream of the Nazarene culture, although compatible with the Wesleyan theological tradition. The president received a no-confidence vote of 77 percent in 2015 and then resigned, leaving Oord employed at a lower status and pay scale. A negotiated settlement and parting of ways was finally put into effect in 2018. Personal life Oord is married and the couple has three daughters. He is an ordained elder within the Church of the Nazarene. and serves in a pastoral role at Real Life Community Church of the Nazarene, Nampa, ID. Oord is an avid blogger. His writing addresses issues in popular culture, the academy, and the church. Selected bibliography Pluriform Love: An Open and Relational Theology of Well-Being (2022) Open and Relational Theology: An Introduction to Life-Changing Ideas (2021) Questions and Answers for God Can't (2020) God Can't: