From ChatGPT
Here are several philosophical / theological frameworks (and a few historical thinkers) that articulate the idea that YHWH / God exists in dimensions beyond the familiar three spatial dimensions (plus time), along with resources/links so you can read more about each. I’ve included both older and more recent scholarly work.
Key Concepts & References
**Arthur Willink — The World of the Unseen (1893)
- Willink argued that the universe isn’t limited to the three spatial dimensions we know, but consists of “three parallel planes”: earth, heaven and hell — and that God exists in a completely separate, infinite-dimensional space removed from those planes. (Wikipedia)
- His work is often cited as one of the early theological attempts to use “hyperspace” or higher-dimensional ideas in a religious context. (Wikipedia)
Transcendent Temporality: A Trans‑dimensional Model of God’s Free Relationship to Spacetime (by D. T. Everhart, 2021)
- This article proposes a philosophical/theological model in which God is “trans–dimensional”: God transcends the spacetime dimensions we inhabit. (St Andrews Research Repository)
- According to this view, God is “transcendently present” in our temporal dimension (so relates to our time), yet simultaneously possesses “his own time” distinct from ours — enabling God to experience time differently, unconstrained by our linear, measured time. (UCLouvain OJS)
God and Space (by William Lane Craig, 2024)
- This recent article critically examines whether God is “spatial” (i.e. spread out or present throughout space) or “aspatial” (i.e. transcending spatial extension altogether). (MDPI)
- The argument suggests that “God transcends space”: physical space (our 3-D + time universe) does not exhaust God’s immensity, so God is not located “in” space in the same way physical objects are — but rather is beyond physical space while still sustaining it. (MDPI)
Theological traditions of transcendence & divine simplicity / transcendence (e.g. via analogical being / “analogia entis”)
- The concept of analogia entis (analogy of being) maintains that God’s “being” is fundamentally different from created beings — meaning that our categories of space, time, being etc. may not apply directly to God. (Wikipedia)
- In this light, God’s mode of existence might not be “located in” space or time at all, but rather transcend all created dimensions — which resonates with the idea that God could exist in a “higher-dimensional” or “non-spatial/atemporal” way.
Philosophies combining modern physics/cosmology and theology — extra dimensions, string theory, and “transdimensional God” ideas
- Some theologians and popular writers appeal to theories from physics (e.g. extra spatial dimensions required in string theory) to argue that if physical reality has more dimensions than we experience, then God (as creator) might exist in or beyond those dimensions. (Christian Website)
- In such perspectives, God’s transcendence over the physical universe (space and time) is re-conceived in terms of higher-dimensional geometry or “hyperspace,” making divine omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and timelessness at least metaphysically coherent — even if beyond human comprehension. (Geocities)
Brief Summary Table
| Author / Concept | Description | Why It Matters for “God in Other Dimensions” |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Willink – The World of the Unseen | Proposes a separate infinite-dimensional space for heaven/hell/God beyond our physical planes. | Early explicitly “higher-dimensional” theological model. |
| D. T. Everhart – “Transcendent Temporality” (2021) | Argues God has a different kind of temporal existence and transcends spacetime. | A modern, scholarly defense of a “trans-dimensional” God. |
| William Lane Craig – “God and Space” (2024) | Argues God transcends physical space rather than being an extended spatial entity. | Philosophical theology distinguishing God’s transcendence from spatial location. |
| Analogia entis / Divine simplicity tradition | God’s being is fundamentally different from created being; human categories don’t apply directly. | Provides theological basis for understanding God beyond human spatial/temporal categories. |
| Theologies drawing on physics (extra dimensions / string theory) | Uses modern physics’ extra spatial-dimension ideas to reimagine divine transcendence and omnipresence. | Bridges scientific and spiritual cosmologies; offers a way to conceptualize God’s transcendence in modern terms. |
What to Keep in Mind / Critiques & Theological Challenges
- Some theologians (and philosophers) argue that speaking of God being “in” a higher spatial dimension might misapply physical/geometrical categories to a being not bound by physical properties. (MDPI)
- Others point out that even if extra spatial dimensions exist (as in certain physics theories), that doesn’t automatically show God inhabits them — the leap from physics to divine ontology remains speculative.
- Historically and theologically, many classical accounts emphasize God’s transcendence and incomprehensibility: God is “beyond being and beyond thought,” which may resist any attempt to visualize or geometrically model God’s “dimensions.” (OUP Academic)
If you like — I can assemble a reading list (5–10 books/articles) — mixing classical theology, contemporary analytic theology, and speculative physics-theology — that explores this “God in higher dimensions / beyond spacetime” concept from different angles. YES. See the response here.
