Kalam

[Angrboda]

In Aristotelian/Thomist language, the causes of X are all the things that must be the case for X to exist, and to continue to exist.

What is the cause of the warmth on my face? It is, among other things, the heat from the sun. What is the cause of the heat from the sun? It is, among other things, the nuclear reactions within the sun. What is the cause of the nuclear reactions within the sun? It is, among other things, hydrogen. What is the cause of hydrogen? It is, among other things, subatomic particles. What is the cause of subatomic particles? It is, among other things, space/time. What is the cause of space/time?...... That is, what must be in existence for space/time to continue in existence? This is Aquinas' First Cause.

Notice that in this essential chain if any step disappeared, all of the consequent steps would also immediately cease.

This is a red herring, as temporality remains in spite of it. The existence of a cause must precede an effect or it is not a cause.