Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion

# Change, the Arrow of Time, and Divine Eternity in Light of Relativity Theory

Authors: Saudek, Daniel

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• Provides a new account of time's arrow in light of relativity theory
• Explains how God, being eternal, relates to our world, marked as it is by change and time
• Combines insights from theoretical physics with ancient and contemporary philosophy in a unique synthesis
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eBook $64.99 price for USA • ISBN 978-3-030-38411-1 • Digitally watermarked, DRM-free • Included format: EPUB, PDF • ebooks can be used on all reading devices • Immediate eBook download after purchase • Institutional customers should get in touch with their account manager Hardcover$84.99
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This book has two aims; first, to provide a new account of time's arrow in light of relativity theory; second, to explain how God, being eternal, relates to our world, marked as it is by change and time.

In part one, Saudek argues that time is not the expansive universal 'wave' that is appears to be, but nor are we living in an unchanging block. Rather, time is real but local: there are infinitely many arrows of time in the universe, each with their own fixed past and open future. This model is based on the ontology of substances which can exist in different states, marked by different properties. On this basis, a derivation of temporal precedence and of the asymmetry between the fixed past and the open future is provided. Time's arrow is thus 'attached' to substances, and is therefore a local rather than global phenomenon, though by no means an illusory or merely subjective one.

In part two, this model is then applied to the perennial questions concerning the relationship between divine eternity and the temporal world: How can my future choices be free if God already knows what I will do? Can God act if He is not in time? Through the lens of relativity theory, such questions are shown to appear in a completely new light. The book combines insights from theoretical physics with ancient and contemporary philosophy into a unique synthesis, broaching a wealth of key issues including the arrow of time, the evolution of the cosmos, and a physics-based defence of eternalism in philosophical theology.

Daniel Saudek lectures in philosophy at the universities of Konstanz and Sankt Georgen, Germany, and works as a consultant for the natural sciences for the Diocese of Limburg, Germany. He has published widely in the philosophy of science, in the field of science and theology, as well as in social and environmental ethics.

• Introduction

Pages 1-7

Saudek, Daniel

• Models of Time: A Brief Survey

Pages 11-28

Saudek, Daniel

• The Impact of the Special Theory of Relativity on the Philosophy of Time

Pages 29-44

Saudek, Daniel

• Cosmic Time

Pages 45-60

Saudek, Daniel

• Worldwide Becoming, Block Universe, or Some Tertium? Contemporary Answers to the Problem of Time and Relativity Theory

Pages 61-76

Saudek, Daniel

eBook $64.99 price for USA • ISBN 978-3-030-38411-1 • Digitally watermarked, DRM-free • Included format: EPUB, PDF • ebooks can be used on all reading devices • Immediate eBook download after purchase • Institutional customers should get in touch with their account manager Hardcover$84.99
price for USA

## Bibliographic Information

Bibliographic Information
Book Title
Change, the Arrow of Time, and Divine Eternity in Light of Relativity Theory
Authors
Series Title
Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion
2020
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
eBook ISBN
978-3-030-38411-1
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-38411-1
Hardcover ISBN
978-3-030-38410-4
Series ISSN
2634-6176
Edition Number
1
Number of Pages
XI, 216
Number of Illustrations
7 b/w illustrations
Topics