All theistic perceptions of the world entail some ideas of how God can be related with the universe’s structures, including time and space. The inquiry of God’s connection to time has garnered a significant amount of philosophical and theological reflection. The conventional perspective has always considered God’s timelessness, meaning He never experiences temporal succession. A dominant theological perception is that God is temporal, yet everlasting; He never began existing and will never cease to do so—He exists in each time’s moment.
Sentence of Topic
The chosen research topic is, An Inquiry into God and Time
Proposed Thesis Statement
Theistic accounts hold that someone, God, created the universe, including some of its fundamental aspects, such as space and time. Theologically and philosophically speaking, God is timeless for He existed before time and will never cease to exist, choosing to bring the two aspects into existence alongside the universe, the primary reason He is known to be external.
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Project Summary
The study hopes to probe the relationship between God and time, to determine whether He is confined to specific timeframes. Precisely, the study seeks to appraise the extant studies, mostly theological, but partly philosophical, on the chosen topic. Notably, the studies for appraisal should be limited to theistic beliefs because it is only through this perspective that one can begin thinking of God’s existence, trusting that any knowledge refuting his involvement in the cosmos is unfounded.
While the topic is still being subjected to continuous research, the extant literature is shaping this analysis’s perspective, especially in arguing God’s timelessness. Fundamentally, it is noteworthy that theism advances the strongest argument for the thesis statement by considering that the fact that God chose to create the universe at His convenience implies that He is not limited to time’s existence. Most of these arguments draw from Biblical evidence, such as Proverbs 8:22-23 and 1:1, which treat timeless with the divinity of God Himself. 1 2 3 In many ways, theology invites believers to perceive God as a deity, unlimited in all ways, choosing to act when He considers appropriate. Other researchers, strive to examine whether any Biblical evidence proves that God is time-limited, but they establish otherwise. 4 5 The latter study cites Psalms 90:2 and Revelation 4:8 to contest that God is beyond the idea of time, choosing when it is appropriate to act. For example, the same literature uses Jesus’s ascension from the Olives as an exemplar of God’s timelessness, arguing that He decided when he wanted to go back to heaven because He could have neither done so earlier nor later.
The study’s core objective is to assess the extant literature on the chosen study area and defend the thesis and distinguish researchers of this nature from atheistic ones. The existing research is shaping the author’s understanding of the topic drawing from God’s omniscience. 6 7 One may ponder how possible it is for God to always exist everywhere. Time limits could easily deny God the omniscience character, considering that mortal beings cannot exist in multiple places every time. This attribute, the author finds, may work to the effect of defending the formulated thesis statement. In this case, thesis statement ignores atheistic perspective for its stubborn refute of the omniscient capability.
The study will also seek to describe the notable differences between theological and philosophical studies on the topic. Current research treats philosophical literature with less seriousness in regards the question of God and time because philosophers constantly question God’s existence. Notably, some philosophical literature may refuse the theological timelessness narrative because their (philosophical) inquiries may conflict with theologians who have the burden of proving God’s existence. Therefore, drawing from Biblical evidence, the existing studies shape the researcher’s understanding of the notable differences between philosophy, theological, and atheistic concepts of God and time. 8
Preliminary Bibliography
van Holten, Wilko, and Martin Walton. "A Timeless God? A Critical Appraisal of John Swinton's Theology of Time and Memory." Health and Social Care Chaplaincy 8, no. 1 (2020): 87-101.
Sarot, Marcel. "Omniscient and Eternal God." In Scholasticism Reformed , pp. 280-302. Brill, 2010.
Swinton, John. "A Timeless God? A rejoinder to van Holten and Walton." Health and Social Care Chaplaincy 8, no. 1 (2020): 103-115.
Craig, William Lane. Time and eternity: Exploring God's relationship to time . Crossway, 2001a.
Tapp, C., & Runggaldier, E. (2011). God, eternity, and time . Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
Craig, W. L. God, time, and eternity: The coherence of theism II: eternity . Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001b.
Padgett, Alan G. "God and time: toward a new doctrine of divine timeless eternity." Religious studies 25, no. 2 (1989): 209-215.
Stoeger, William R. "God and time: The action and life of the Triune God in the world." Theology Today 55, no. 3 (1998): 365-388.
Bibliography Summary
van Holten and Martin—the article proposes a timeless God, arguing that He lacks the past, present, and the future.
Sarot—The author argues for God’s timelessness, drawing from His omniscience.
Swinton—They argue that God is timeless, a theological perspective holding that God created the universe from a timeless perspective.
Craig (2001a)—The author supports the theist argument for God’s timelessness, arguing that only a timeless being, such as God, could have created the universe, excluding themselves from its characteristic time and space.
Padgett—article supports strong theological beliefs of God and his divine omniscience.
Stoeger
Tapp and Runggaldier—the author develops informed theological arguments about God’s timelessness, including His omniscience and creation powers.
Craig (2001b)—the book supports previous arguments as Craig (2001a), arguing from the omniscient perspective.
References
Craig, W. L. God, time, and eternity: The coherence of theism II: eternity . Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001a.
Craig, William Lane. Time and eternity: Exploring God's relationship to time . Crossway, 2001b.
Padgett, Alan G. "God and time: toward a new doctrine of divine timeless eternity." Religious studies 25, no. 2 (1989): 209-215.
Sarot, Marcel. "Omniscient and Eternal God." In Scholasticism Reformed , pp. 280-302. Brill, 2010.
Stoeger, William R. "God and time: The action and life of the Triune God in the world." Theology Today 55, no. 3 (1998): 365-388.
Swinton, John. "A Timeless God? A rejoinder to van Holten and Walton." Health and Social Care Chaplaincy 8, no. 1 (2020): 103-115.
Tapp, C., & Runggaldier, E. (2011). God, eternity, and time . Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate.
van Holten, Wilko, and Martin Walton. "A Timeless God? A Critical Appraisal of John Swinton's Theology of Time and Memory." Health and Social Care Chaplaincy 8, no. 1 (2020): 87-101.
