Time&Eternity

Biblical and Theological Conceptions of Time 183
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Aspects of a Theology of Time
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More Precise Definitions
This study began with the narration of time as is found in Church
hymns, and it then turned to the clarification of concepts of time in theology
and the natural sciences. Even if the narration generally precedes the explanation,
both are very closely related, 1 since both articulate and reflect experience.
This final chapter aims to reexamine the summary of insights
gained from our narration and explanation and to further develop some of
these aspects. In this process, our reflections will concentrate on the doctrine
of the Trinity and on eschatology. The motive for this selection is my
recognition that the concepts that emerged as the central concepts for a theology
of time are best expressed within these two areas of theology.
In order to preserve the greatest possible openness, until now I have
made only minimal use of definitions. Now, however, because we are dealing
with the content of theological symbol systems, more precise definitions
are needed. First, I wish to reexamine the concepts of statics, dynamics, and
relation, which are so important for this study.
Statics and Dynamics
In the third chapter of this study, it became clear that, in scientific models,
the emphasis shifted from a static to a dynamic description of the world.
In the present context, I wish to remind the reader that a static understanding
of the world is not the same thing as immobility. Rather, the static
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