This paper, read at a seminar (Lyons, april 1995) celebrating the birth-centenary of J. Monchanin, stresses one of the aspects of the controversy which opposed him to his companion H. Le Saux. For J. Monchanin, creation ex nihilo is to be (phenomenologically) considered as the «source» of all the other dogmas. This runs counter to the non-duality doctrine (Advaita) which H. Le Saux found so attractive. The insistence of J. Monchanin on this point ought to be seriously considered by all people concerned with the problem of enculturation.
