Attributes And Nature Of God: God As Eternal Flashcards
What are the Different understandings of God?
God is timeless (Atemporal): the belief that God stands outside of time, and that all time is equally present to him; past, present, and future are all alike to him
Oh God is everlasting (sempiternal): within time-moves along the same timeline as us, but does not begin or end.
Biblical text can be used to suggest both. ‘ I, the Lord, do not change’ (Malcahi 3:6) and ‘ as for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of a multitude of nations’ (genesis 17:4)
Eternal as Timeless - Boethius
For Boethius and Aquinas God is outside of time and sees all events in an eternal present. ‘Eternity is the simultaneous possession of boundless life which is made clearer by comparison with temporal things.’ go to surveys the whole of time in a tunnel present. I’ll see in a whole film once rather than frame by frame. All of what we call time is now to God, he cannot be subject to time. To be in the eternal is to be outside of past present and future.
How does Aquinas back up Boethius?
‘He who goes along the road, does not see those who come after him; whereas he who sees the whole road from a height sees at once all those travelling on it’
Anselm’s version of timeless.
Anselm favours his four-dimensionalism over Boethius’ simultaneous present. Not like over here or over there, gods view of time is different to ours.
Every moment is equally real, and equally present to God, it has a unique simultaneity in God.
Criticisms of Eternity as ‘timeless.’
Anthony Kenny, notes that the idea of all time being equally present to God is incoherent (the great fire of Rome is happening now; while I type these words, Nero fiddles heartlessly on).
Although it might be that, we as humans cannot comprehend timelessness.
Boethius is accused of describing a God of the philosophers, rather than an immanent, active God as portrayed in the Bible. Nelson Pike suggests how can a timeless God interact with his creation, forming relationships and answering Prayer? In particular, how could a timeless God become incarnate in Jesus Christ — it seems that much Christian theology will need to be reinterpreted.
Anselm may have solved the problem of eternity and immanence. The four dimensionalist approach means since that God encompasses all of time, every part of a persons life is equally real, and present to God, so God is with them at each, and every moment. However, a criticism of Anselms view is that can God know what is now.
What’s said about ‘everlasting?’
Richard Swinburne states that “he will go on existing forever… he is forwardly eternal’. Oscar Cullman argues the most logical translation of eternal is to mean ‘endless duration’ not outside of time.
Despite the difficulties, some thinkers argue it’s the only way of arguing to allow us to preserve God’s omnipotence and his action within the world
Explains prayer, retain free will,
Criticisms of everlasting.
God is subject to change. God knew England ‘will’ win the 1966 WC and then after it he knew they ‘had’ won it.
Limits knowledge of future
How can he be going through time with us and not change or intervene
Other ideas of eternity.
Process theology - God moves through with us and and if affected by his interactions, he is powerful but in no sense omnipotent
D. Z. Phillips - we cannot comprehend, eternity does not mean time but a qualitative nature.
