Eternal Life as an Exclusively Present Possession: Perspectives from Theology and the Philosophy of Time
Does it make sense to think of eternal life not as an unending continuation of life subsequent to death but as fully actualized in ones present mortal and finite life? After outlining conceptual and moral reasons for being troubled by the notion of an endless life, this article draws upon the thoug...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer Netherlands
[2016]
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| In: |
Sophia
Year: 2016, Volume: 55, Issue: 2, Pages: 145-161 |
| IxTheo Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism CB Christian life; spirituality FA Theology HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Theology
B Eternal Life B Christianity B Eternalism B Philosophy of time |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Does it make sense to think of eternal life not as an unending continuation of life subsequent to death but as fully actualized in ones present mortal and finite life? After outlining conceptual and moral reasons for being troubled by the notion of an endless life, this article draws upon the thought of major Christian theologians and philosophers of religion to expound the idea of eternal life as a possession exclusively of the life one is presently living. Supplementing the claims of religious thinkers with notions of four-dimensionalism and eternalism from theoretical physics and the philosophy of time, and considering important objections to the conception of eternal life in question, I argue for both the conceptions intelligibility and its ethical and spiritual profundity. |
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| ISSN: | 1873-930X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sophia
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11841-015-0491-z |