Time, Eternity, and the Trinity

Eun Soo Kim

Description

One of the vital issues in contemporary Christian theology is the problem of a renewed understanding of God's eternity and its relation to time. This is not merely a peripheral doctrinal issue, but lies at the heart of our understanding of God and humanity, and contributes to our entire worldview. This study focuses on a long-standing debate between two competing views on God's eternity: one focused on God's absolute timelessness in classical theism, and the other on God's temporal everlastingness in contemporary panentheism. In contrast to both of these well-worn options, this book presents an alternative Trinitarian analogical understanding of God's eternity and its relation to time, especially through a critical reflection on Karl Barth's and Hans Urs von Balthasar's engagement of the issue. This analogical approach, based on the dynamic and dramatic concepts of God's being-in-relation and of the Triune God's communicative action in eternity and time, has the potential to resolve the debate between absolute timeless eternity and temporal everlasting duration.

Sujets

• Christian theology
• Group
• Christian Church
• Denomination
• Theology
• Christianity
• Eternity
• Time

Informations

• Publié par: Wipf and Stock Publishers
• Date de parution: 01 mars 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781630876616
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Time, Eternity, and the Trinity

A Trinitarian Analogical Understanding of Time and Eternity



Eunsoo Kim























TIME, ETERNITY, AND THE TRINITY
A Trinitarian Analogical Understanding of Time and Eternity

Copyright © 2010 Eunsoo Kim. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Holy Bible, New International Bible (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Pickwick Publications
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401

www.wipfandstock.com

isbn 13: 978-1-60608-968-2
eisbn 13: 978-1-63087-661-6

Cataloging-in-Publication data:

Kim, Eunsoo.

Time, eternity, and the trinity : a trinitarian analogical understanding of time and eternity / Eunsoo Kim.

viii + 368 p. ; 23 cm.

isbn 13: 978-1-60608-968-2

1. Time. 2. Eternity. 3. Doctrine of the Trinity. 4. Barth, Karl, 1886–1968. 5. Balthasar, Hans Urs von, 1905–1988. I. Title.

bt131 k50 2010

Manufactured in the U.S.A.






Preface
One of the red-hot issues in contemporary Christian theology is the problem of a renewed understanding of God’s eternity and its relation to time. It is not merely a doctrinal issue, but sits at the heart of our understanding of God and human beings, and contributes to the total constitution of our world-view. Indeed, it is the place where most theological horizons converge and diverge. This study concerns a debate between two competing views on God’s eternity: one focused on God’s absolute timelessness in classical theism, and the other on God’s temporal everlastingness in contemporary panentheism. The purpose of this study is to present an alternative Trinitarian analogical understanding of God’s eternity and its relation to time, especially through a critical reflection on K. Barth’s and H. U. von Balthasar’s understandings of the issue. I maintain that this perspective can provide a helpful resource for thinking beyond the debate over whether God’s eternity is timeless or everlasting.
That is, while critically reviewing very diverse contemporary views on the topic, my particular concern is how we can simultaneously grasp, in a theological perspective, not only the infinite qualitative difference but also the positive relationship between God’s eternity and time. In my view, it can be accomplished by reconceiving, in a Trinitarian and analogical way, not only the nature of time but also that of God’s eternity. In other words, neither via negationis (i.e., the timeless view) nor via eminentiae (i.e., the everlasting view) can properly comprehend the biblical teaching of the qualitative difference and the positive relationship between God’s eternity and time. Therefore, a kind of via analogia —based on the Trinitarian triple analogy consisting of analogia vitae , analogia relationis , and analogia communicationis , which is centered on the only true God-given analogy, Jesus Christ—is a necessary for a proper conception of the biblical teaching of God’s eternity and its positive relation to time. This analogical approach, which is based on the dynamic and dramatic concepts of God’s Being-as-life-in-relation and of the Triune God’s communicative action in eternity (i.e., the immanent Trinity) and time (i.e., the economic Trinity), can help us resolve the debate between absolute timeless eternity and temporal everlasting duration.
Without God’s immeasurable love and grace and many sincere people’s help, support, and prayer, this study could not have been completed. It would not be possible to acknowledge all of them here, so I express my appreciation only to those whose influence has been most decisive. First, my gratitude must be expressed to Dr. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, who was my mentor of doctoral study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Trinity International University). He originally led me to the subject matter of this study, and always directed me with generous guidance and insightful comments throughout the whole process. More importantly, he has demonstrated for me the genuine virtues of a theologian, both in his own theological study and in the classroom. In addition, I want to give thanks to Dr. John S. Feinberg (Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at TEDS), who painstakingly read the entire manuscript, gave helpful comments, and helped me avoid many unclear expressions. I also thank Dr. Willem A. VanGemeren (the Director of Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies Program at TEDS) for his warm encouragement and hospitality during my stay there for research. I cannot forget the friendship and love of many other members of the faculty, staff, and student body at TEDS.
I deeply appreciate Dr. Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. (the President and Charles W. Colson Professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary), Dr. John W. Cooper (Professor of Philosophical Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary), and Dr. Hae-Moo Yoo (Professor of Dogmatics at Korea Theological Seminary). They instructed me in the early stages of my theological study and laid the foundations of my theological thinking. Especially, I want to thank Dr. Jong-Yun Lee (the Senior Pastor of Seoul Presbyterian Church) and Dr. Yung-Han Kim (Professor of Christian Studies at Soongsil University) for their continuing spiritual and academic guidance and help.
Finally, I must turn my thankful mind toward my parents who are in the heavenly kingdom now, and sisters, brothers, and all other family members who have always been a source of self-sacrificing support and prayer for me throughout my life. My wife, Moon-Young Kim, deserves all of my heartful gratitude and love, because I could not have finished this project without her invaluable love and encouragement. I dedicate this work to all of them in memory of their love and devotion.
Soli Deo Gloria!Eunsoo Kim
June 8, 2009.


1
Introduction
The Purpose
The purpose of this study is to present a Trinitarian analogical understanding of God’s eternity and its relation to time, especially, through a critical reflection of K. Barth’s and H. U. von Balthasar’s understandings, which can provide helpful resources for thinking further on the debate on the timeless/everlasting eternity of God. In this study, the main questions to pursue are as follows: firstly , to analyze and discern what are the essential problems of God’s eternity and its relation to time in the biblical, historical, philosophical (and scientific), and theological debates; secondly , to analyze and expose two theologians’ understandings of God’s eternity and its real relation to time; thirdly , to examine the relevance of their views in light of the current theological discussions on the topic; that is to say, to what extent do the two theologians’ Trinitarian analogical understandings of time and eternity help make a contribution towards a possible solution for the current debate on the problem of God’s eternity and its relation to time; finally , while critically reviewing very diverse understandings on the topic, to present an alternative Trinitarian analogical understanding of God’s eternity and its relation to time; in other words, to pursue how we can more properly understand the qualitative difference as well as its positive relationship between God’s eternity and human time. It is possible in reconceiving not only the nature of time but also that of God’s eternity in a Trinitarian and analogical way.
Therefore, my thesis statement of this study is as follows: There are helpful resources in dialogue with K. Barth and H. U. von Balthasar concerning a Trinitarian analogical understanding of time and eternity that would avoid the extreme tendencies of the absolute timeless and the temporal everlasting views of God’s eternity which exaggerate the transcendence or immanence of God respectively. Neither the via negativa (i.e., timeless view) nor the via eminentiae (i.e., everlasting view) can properly conceive the perspectives of the infinite qualitative difference and the real and positive relationship between God’s eternity and time simultaneously. Therefore, a kind of via analogia through the following Trinitarian triple analogy, analogia vitae , analogia relationis , and analogia communicationis , centered in the unique and the only true God-given analogy, Jesus Christ, is a key to grasp more properly the biblical teaching concerning God’s eternity and its relation to time.
This Trinitarian analogical approach, which is based on a dynamic and dramatic concept of the Triune God’s perfect Being-as-life-in-relation and His communicative action in eternity and time, can help us solve our own problem of the debates between traditional classical theism and contemporary panentheism, more specifically, of the views between absolute timeless eternity and temporal everlasting duration. Conclusively, a Trinitarian analogical understanding (i.e., via analogia trinitatis ) can provide a more prope