"Development' in Heaven

[Katiethemule]

Hello friends,

I am reading Von Balthasar’s “Dare We Hope that All Men Be Saved”. There is one particular paragraph that I am quite curious about:

“Eternal life [in Heaven] is the highest possible development of all duration within the absolute vitality of God; the latter [Hell] is complete withdrawal to the point of shriveling into a disconsolate immovable now. And in the former is contained every opportunity for the consummate development of man, not just of his contemplative but also of his active side - whereas in hell absolutely nothing more can be contemplated or done.”

The idea of “development” in Heaven is really intriguing to me but at the same makes me skeptical because it sounds very Mormon (inheriting a planet, progressing to the status of a god, etc.) . I realize these are the writings of a theologian, not official church doctrine. Unfortunately the author did not expand much on this idea and the reader is left hanging. What do you think of the idea of Heaven being “active” and an “opportunity for development”?

I am not looking for a voracious debate on the matter; ultimately we will be reunited with our Father and this is the greatest gift we could ever hope for. Does anyone have any thoughts/insights/comments??

Thanks

 

[McCall1981]

Hello friends,

I am reading Von Balthasar’s “Dare We Hope that All Men Be Saved”. There is one particular paragraph that I am quite curious about:

“Eternal life [in Heaven] is the highest possible development of all duration within the absolute vitality of God; the latter [Hell] is complete withdrawal to the point of shriveling into a disconsolate immovable now. And in the former is contained every opportunity for the consummate development of man, not just of his contemplative but also of his active side - whereas in hell absolutely nothing more can be contemplated or done.”

The idea of “development” in Heaven is really intriguing to me but at the same makes me skeptical because it sounds very Mormon (inheriting a planet, progressing to the status of a god, etc.) . I realize these are the writings of a theologian, not official church doctrine. Unfortunately the author did not expand much on this idea and the reader is left hanging. What do you think of the idea of Heaven being “active” and an “opportunity for development”?

I am not looking for a voracious debate on the matter; ultimately we will be reunited with our Father and this is the greatest gift we could ever hope for. Does anyone have any thoughts/insights/comments??

Thanks

I really don’t know what the author meant here.

As I see it, the word “development” implies the passage of time (as in, you are one way at a certain point in time, then you have changed by a later period of time). Since there wouldn’t be time in Heaven, at least not as we understand time now, maybe “development” isn’t the best word.

Maybe this idea is related to the concept that Heaven is “ever new”, that our experience of it would always be fresh and new.

 

[thistle]

Hello friends,

I am reading Von Balthasar’s “Dare We Hope that All Men Be Saved”. There is one particular paragraph that I am quite curious about:

“Eternal life [in Heaven] is the highest possible development of all duration within the absolute vitality of God; the latter [Hell] is complete withdrawal to the point of shriveling into a disconsolate immovable now. And in the former is contained every opportunity for the consummate development of man, not just of his contemplative but also of his active side - whereas in hell absolutely nothing more can be contemplated or done.”

The idea of “development” in Heaven is really intriguing to me but at the same makes me skeptical because it sounds very Mormon (inheriting a planet, progressing to the status of a god, etc.) . I realize these are the writings of a theologian, not official church doctrine. Unfortunately the author did not expand much on this idea and the reader is left hanging. What do you think of the idea of Heaven being “active” and an “opportunity for development”?

I am not looking for a voracious debate on the matter;** ultimately we will be reunited with our Father** and this is the greatest gift we could ever hope for. Does anyone have any thoughts/insights/comments??

Thanks

Not those who die in a state of mortal sin and we do not know in advance what the state of our souls will be at death.