God and eternity
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Eternity is an important concept in monotheistic conceptions of God, who is typically argued to be eternally existent. How this is understood depends on which definition of eternity is used. God can exist in eternity or outside the human concept of time, but also inside of time.[citation needed]
Definition
In
Another perspective is offered from Lawrence Lafleur in his article, "If God Were Eternal". Lafleur believes if God was eternal, he could not be within time at all, he would have to be outside of it. He follows up with the argument that if God is outside of time, he could not interact with us since he would need some sort of access to the present to have a relationship with us. Thus, argues Lafleur, God would have no religious significance to us if he was eternal because then he would not have any connection or hand in our
The
John Feinberg, in his book No One Like Him argues for God's omnitemporality over his timelessness. Although agreeing with William Lane Craig that the biblical data are compatible with both views, Feinberg believes that it is easier to make sense of the notion of omnitemporality over atemporal eternity. Feinberg finds it difficult to believe that an omniscient, supremely rational being could know everything there is to know without being temporal. He also believes that the concept of fellowship is easier to understand on the omnitemporal model. Scripture also points to God as having fellowship with and interacting with human beings at various points in their lives, which seems difficult to understand unless there is a temporal sequence in God's thought life. Regardless, Feinberg affirms that both views are fully theologically orthodox, and that divine timelessness does have the advantage of not potentially slipping into the heretical notion of process theology.[2]
Christian doctrine
There are many ideas about the true definition of eternality, especially in different religions such as Judaism or Islam. D. P. Walker's research specifically focuses on the definition of eternity in the Christian doctrine. In his article “Eternity and the Afterlife”, he states that the Christian eternity combines two notions: non-successive experience and infinite duration. This Christian conception of eternity, formulated by Augustine of Hippo, Boethius, and Thomas Aquinas, is usually said to derive from Plato and the Neoplatonists.
See also
References
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