Timelessness, Trinity and temporality

Abstract

English: In philosophy and theology there exists a complex relation between timelessness, Trinity and temporality. Timelessness is an age-old attribute given to God in philosophical and theological traditions, but within the last century’s development of trinitarian theology new emphasis has been placed on God’s temporality. This article discusses the trinitarian theologian Robert W Jenson’s understanding of God’s “temporal infinity” as well as the theologian Antje Jackelén’s theology of time. Their proposed concepts of God’s time/eternity is analysed in terms of the contemporary philosophical and scientific debates on the nature of time. Although Jenson’s and Jackelén’s conceptions of God’s time/eternity might, to a great extent, be philosophically sound, they still have some unresolved – perhaps more theological than philosophical – implications.

Afrikaans: In filosofie en teologie bestaan daar ’n uiters komplekse verhouding tussen tydloosheid, Triniteit en temporaliteit. In beide hierdie tradisies is tydloosheid ’n eeue-oue eienskap van God, maar binne die ontwikkeling van die trinitariese teologie van die vorige eeu is nuwe beklemtoning op God se temporaliteit geplaas. Hierdie artikel bespreek die trinitariese teoloog Robert W Jenson se verstaan van God se “temporele oneindigheid” sowel as die teoloog Antje Jackelén se teologie van tyd. Beide se voorstelle oor God se tyd/ewigheid word geanaliseer in terme van die kontemporêre filosofiese en natuurwetenskaplike debatte oor die aard van tyd. Alhoewel Jenson en Jackelén se konsepte van God se tyd/ewigheid in ’n groot mate filosofies houdbaar is, het dit steeds onopgelosde – dalk meer teologies as filosofies – implikasies.