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Stephen Hawking, in The Grand Design, argues that God did not create the universe. One review of the book states its aim as "to banish a divine creator from physics".

The essence of the argument is:

Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.

The Biblical stance is that all things were created by God (Gen 1:1, Is 42:5, Eph 3:9...).

Are there any books or articles written with a Christian world view as a foundation that address and incorporate what physics has to say about the cosmos, but still make a strong case that all things were created by God? Such a response, written in a way that makes sense to somebody like him, but that remains firmly Biblical, would be a fascinating thing to read.

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  • I believe the counter to scientific proof (such as the world is not flat for example) is called "blind faith". Discrediting Hawking is not the idea, but instead understanding that God created the laws which Hawking learned is the way to go. Also, just because "one reviewer stated..." doesn't mean that's the intent of Hawking. "God created the integers" is one of my favorite books by him.
    – The Freemason
    Nov 24, 2015 at 20:25
  • Sorry, I am unable to leave comments yet, so I'm left to suggest an answer. This is not an answer though, just a comment that one cannot prove or disprove the existence of God. Hence, one cannot prove or disprove that God created the universe. One can propose that the universe is self-existing and eternal, but one cannot prove that a god did not create it or made it so. However, for people who want to believe in God, you can argue for the likelihood or rationale for His existence. E.g., would love or life have any meaning if God didn't exist? And, of course, one can experience a miracle. Howev
    – ocm
    Nov 25, 2015 at 2:15
  • "Are there any books or articles written with a Christian world view.." I still don't see how this can have one correct / accepted answer. It's too broad
    – The Freemason
    Nov 25, 2015 at 3:07
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    Worth noting: if such a quote came up in a philosophy argument, the phrase "It is not necessary to invoke God..." would be a very important wording. It does not actually exclude God until the moment one decides to treat that which is not necessary as false. It does, however, claim that he can define a world without using God which is scientifically indistinguishable from our own, which I presume he then goes on to do.
    – Cort Ammon
    Nov 25, 2015 at 8:13

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God and Stephen Hawking, by John C. Lennox, is a popular direct reply to The Grand Design.

Alister McGrath calls it "a brilliant response," and the book won an Award of Merit in Christianity Today's 2012 Book Awards.

Whether it "makes sense," as you say, to Hawking, is perhaps debatable. But Lennox is no slouch: he's a Professor at Oxford University, prominent Christian apologist, and author of many books.

Lennox, as well as several other apologists, responded to The Grand Design in article form as well:1

Nonetheless, the most prominent direct response to Hawking's book appears to be Lennox's God and Stephen Hawking.

1. Other similar resources are listed on Apologetics 315.

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John Lennox's book: Gunning for God - Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target directly covers and quotes this exact passage from Hawking you quoted, and addresses it. I am reading it at the moment.

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The Last Superstition By Edward Feser addresses this.

Also,

Modern Physics and Ancient Faith

Also try

Answering Atheism

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