What is the Relation of an Eternal God to a Temporal World

1
What is the Relation of an Eternal God to a
Temporal World?
What is Time?

• Science
• Philosophy
• Theology

2
The Science Bit

• Relativity
• The Universe as a block of spacetime
• The Fragmented Present
• are we all at the same time?

3
The Science Bit
Spacetime and the Block Universe
Time
Space (showing only 2 of the 3 dimensions)
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The Science Bit
Spacetime and the Block Universe
Us
An astronaut
2000 A.D.
A Mediaeval monk?
Each plane represents a moment in time
1000 A.D.
Time
A disciple?
1 A.D.
But for whom?
Space (showing only 2 of the 3 dimensions)
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The Science Bit

• BUT not all scientist agree!

?
6
Philosophy

• Two views of time

Does the past or the future exist ?
Static time
Dynamic time
2000 A.D.
The Future
The Present
1000 A.D.
The Past
1 A.D.
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Theology
How does God fit in?
Two Views of Eternity

• A) Time that goes on and on and on and on
• Eternity as an infinite amount of time

• B) The absence of time
• Eternity as a zero amount of time

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Everlasting, Temporal Eternity

• A) Time that goes on and on and on and on
• Eternity as an infinite amount of time

But This diagram shows every time existing at
once i.e. static time
To make this diagram compatible with dynamic
time, we take out the structure
God Humankind
1 A.D.
God Humankind
1000
God Humankind
2000 B.C.
3000 B.C.
God Humankind
4000 B.C.
God Humankind
5000 B.C.
God Humankind
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Everlasting, Temporal Eternity

• A) Time that goes on and on and on and on
• Eternity as an infinite amount of time

PROBLEMS 1) Is God subject to time?
God Humankind
God Humankind
God Humankind
God Humankind
God Humankind
God Humankind
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Everlasting, Temporal Eternity

• A) Time that goes on and on and on and on
• Eternity as an infinite amount of time

PROBLEMS 1) Is God subject to time?
The Future
2) Whose present?
The Present
3) How long is Gods present moment?
The Past
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Timeless Eternity

• B) The absence of time
• Eternity as a zero amount of time
• God is outside time
• God sees the whole spacetime block universe

PROBLEMS 1) Freewill?
2) Does God listen?
G
D
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Getting Practical (1)

• Retroactive prayer?
• The case of the fearful flyer

300 p.m. Passenger gets worried and prays for a
safe flight
400 p.m. Take-off
200 p.m. Mechanic finds and fixes a fault
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Getting Practical (2)

• Retroactive prayer?
• Waterloo?
• That someone had a deathbed conversion?
• Prayer for the dead?

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Conclusions

• Gods specious present extends through all time
• Post-classical physics fits surprisingly well
  with classical theology
• Time gets less important as we get closer to God
• Lengthy prayer-times
• Sleeping in the Spirit
• Trinitarian considerations
• Father outside time (atemporal)
• Jesus as God made temporal, becoming the portal
  through which we pass from time to eternity, and
  Gods grace passes from eternity into time
• Holy Spirit as mediator of these processes?

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The End

• But does time have one?
• What do you think?
• Can we pray for the past?
• Are we too busy with the future?
• Discuss!