The Lord of Time. A Model of Eternity Utilizing Ideas from Schelling’s Late Philosophy and from Physical Models.

• Applicant: Jan Schole
• Subject Area: Protestant Theology
• Term: Funded in 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 404449577

The dissertation „Der Herr der Zeit. Ein Ewigkeitsmodell im Anschluss an Schellings Spätphilosophie und physikalische Modelle“ begins with the thesis that all possible relations to time are available for God, who can choose freely between these relations. God can have all moments of time simultaneously present in one moment. But He can also change his relation to time, e.g. by taking on a timely existence. This thesis is derived from God’s infinity in the introduction: If any relation to time would be out of God’s limits, God would not be truly infinite.Proving the logical consistency of this thesis is the aim of the dissertation. This is achieved by developing a model, that can describe transitions between different relations to time. To find ideas and concepts useful for this model, the concepts of time used in physical theories are examined. The focus is laid on theories that especially challenge classical concepts of time, like the relativity theories. As a second source of ideas the concepts of time and eternity in Schelling’s late philosophy are discussed. Schelling’s philosophy is in so far interesting for this dissertation as he already formulated a transition from (timeless) eternity to time.One approach found in both, physics and Schelling’s philosophy, seems to be especially suited to describe transitions between different relations to time: If time is not a prerequisite of dynamics, but emerges as a consequence of dynamics, then transitions between timeliness and presence of all times are possible. According to this approach regular structures and patterns of the dynamics can be abstracted from the dynamics as a form. Depending on the dynamics this form can be timeliness, presence of all or many times, or a net of many times. If the dynamics are not restricted by external factors transitions between these forms are possible, too.Thus the model of eternity proposed in this work can be summarized as following: God acts dynamically. In his acts he is not restricted by external factors or structures. Thus the forms of his acts, the patterns and structures evolving in his acts, are those that are most suitable for the intended acts and can differ from act to act.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants