Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time
If we categorize religions according to whether they give greater prominence to time or to space, the role of “promise” marks a religion of covenant as clearly a religion of time. Yet the future is unknowable and can only be present to us as a field of possibilities. How far do these possibilities e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Religions and Denominations Press
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Religious Inquiries |
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| Online Access: | https://ri.urd.ac.ir/article_63731_bb8d53ca999971c48b6c893c4f288ab2.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797704377270534144 |
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| author | George Pattison |
| author_facet | George Pattison |
| author_sort | George Pattison |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | If we categorize religions according to whether they give greater prominence to time or to space, the role of “promise” marks a religion of covenant as clearly a religion of time. Yet the future is unknowable and can only be present to us as a field of possibilities. How far do these possibilities extend? The question directs us back to the nature of time, a question that became concealed in the course of Western philosophical development or that was answered in terms of time's nullity. Modern philosophy (Levinas) has, however, pointed to the inseparability of time, language, and responsibility, thereby giving to time a positive content in terms of the ethical responsibility that, before God, we have for one another. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:19:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2cdb93b923dc441f81ed362fc78d549f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-4894 2538-6271 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:19:28Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Religions and Denominations Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religious Inquiries |
| spelling | doaj.art-2cdb93b923dc441f81ed362fc78d549f2023-09-03T07:46:10ZengUniversity of Religions and Denominations PressReligious Inquiries2322-48942538-62712018-06-01713759010.22034/ri.2018.6373163731Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of TimeGeorge Pattison0University of Glasgow, United KingdomIf we categorize religions according to whether they give greater prominence to time or to space, the role of “promise” marks a religion of covenant as clearly a religion of time. Yet the future is unknowable and can only be present to us as a field of possibilities. How far do these possibilities extend? The question directs us back to the nature of time, a question that became concealed in the course of Western philosophical development or that was answered in terms of time's nullity. Modern philosophy (Levinas) has, however, pointed to the inseparability of time, language, and responsibility, thereby giving to time a positive content in terms of the ethical responsibility that, before God, we have for one another.https://ri.urd.ac.ir/article_63731_bb8d53ca999971c48b6c893c4f288ab2.pdftimecovenantpromiseeschatologypossibilityimmortalitythe otherlanguageresponsibility |
| spellingShingle | George Pattison Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time Religious Inquiries time covenant promise eschatology possibility immortality the other language responsibility |
| title | Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time |
| title_full | Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time |
| title_fullStr | Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time |
| title_full_unstemmed | Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time |
| title_short | Covenant, Promise, and the Gift of Time |
| title_sort | covenant promise and the gift of time |
| topic | time covenant promise eschatology possibility immortality the other language responsibility |
| url | https://ri.urd.ac.ir/article_63731_bb8d53ca999971c48b6c893c4f288ab2.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgepattison covenantpromiseandthegiftoftime |