pDid the universe begin to exist If so, did it have a cause Or could it have come into existence uncaused, from nothing These questions are taken up by the medieval-though recently-revived-ikalam icosmological argument, which has arguably been the most discussed philosophical argument for God's existence in recent decades. The ikalami's line of reasoning maintains that the series of past events cannot be infinite but rather is finite. Since the universe could not have come into being uncaused, there must be a transcendent cause of the universe's beginning, a conclusion supportive of theism. pThis anthology on the philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past asks Is an infinite series of past events metaphysically possible Should actual infinites be restricted to theoretical mathematics, or can an actual infinite exist in the concrete world These essays by kalam proponents and detractors engage in lively debate about the nature of infinity and its conundrums about frequently-use