© 1999 Meredith Sprunger
© 1999 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
The central theme of the articles in the October, 1998 issue of Theology Today is God’s relation to time and the finite creation. Theological discussion on this topic is effectively summarized by William R. Stoeger, S.J. in “God and Time: The Action and Life of the Triune God in the World.”
Stoeger opens his article by saying, “How to describe God’s action in the world in a coherent and acceptable way — faithful to the sources of revelation and at the same time understandable in the light of our scientific knowledge of creation — is the central question confronting theology today.” (p. 365) The principle contributors to this discussion in the last forty years are: Karl Barth, Claude Welch, Karl Rahner, Eberhard Jüngel, Jürgen Moltmann, Robert W. Jenson, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Catherine La Cugna, Duane Larson, and Ted Peters. (p. 373)
Stoeger observes, “We must affirm that creation is not yet complete — and in some sense, from our point of view, God is not complete-God is not yet all in all.” (p. 376) We see here contemporary theology anticipating the concepts of God the Supreme, God the Ultimate, and God the Absolute. “But,” he points out, “much more is needed. In particular, we need an adequate metaphysical framework that can serve to make these notions more precise and to relate them more formally with one another and to the full range of our experience. Using this flexible metaphysical framework, we must then model more precisely and carefully the relationship of the divine persons to one another and to created reality on different levels…” (p. 376)
Here Stoeger is expressing the need for a cosmological and creational framework that we have in the Fifth Epochal Revelation. He goes on to express the need for improved models of the Trinity and God’s relationship to the finite universe. He asks, “What is the destiny of each person and entity? What is the destiny of the universe as a whole?” (p. 387) The article concludes, “The Trinity continues to act among us as the ultimate ground and existential context of the universe — in a very profound yet hidden way — drawing us together with all creation to fulfillment in the Trinity’s own life. This is the mystery of God and time that embraces us and all things.” (p. 388)
If theologians were open enough to seriously examine a new paradigm of reality, The Urantia Book, they might just find what they are so diligently looking for! But they are put off by its esoteric appearance and further alienated by the purport of “new revelation.” Some day the light will dawn-even on theologians!
“Christianity suffers under a great handicap because it has become identified in the minds of all the world as a part of the social system, the industrial life, and the moral standards of Western civilization; and thus has Christianity unwittingly seemed to sponsor a society which staggers under the guilt of tolerating science without idealism, politics without principles, wealth without work, pleasure without restraint, knowledge without character, power without conscience, and industry without morality.” UB 195:10.20