From ChatGPT
Here is a flowchart showing how major ideas about God/YHWH and “dimensions beyond spacetime” branch from the ancient/classical view → modern philosophical developments → physics-integrated models → explicitly trans-dimensional models in a true flowchart layout using indentation and arrows.
Flowchart: How Models of God and Dimensions Develop
START
|
|——► Ancient / Classical Theism (Aquinas, Augustine)
| - God is not in space or time.
| - God is eternal (no temporal succession).
|
| NEXT QUESTION:
| "Is God completely non-dimensional?"
|
|——► Yes → Classical A-Spatial, A-Temporal God
| (Eleonore Stump’s Aquinas)
| - God’s existence is not spatial or temporal.
| - Heaven is relationship, not location.
| END BRANCH
|
|——► No → God acts in spacetime in distinct ways (biblical studies)
|
|——► Second-Temple Jewish / Early Christian Framework
| (N. T. Wright)
| - Heaven = God's realm, real but not in 3D space.
| - Earth and Heaven “interlock” without sharing
| dimensional structure.
|
| NEXT QUESTION:
| "Can God's realm be described as a higher dimension?"
|
|——► No → Non-dimensional dual-realm theology
| - "Heaven and Earth overlap" but not geometrically.
| END BRANCH
|
|——► Yes → Dimensional Analogy Approach (Lewis)
- God is like a 3D being interacting with 2D world.
- Uses dimensional differences as illustrations.
|
NEXT DEVELOPMENT:
"Can physics supply actual higher dimensions?"
|
|——► Modern Physics Introduced (Brian Greene)
| - Extra dimensions are real possibilities in
| string theory and brane cosmology.
|
| NEXT QUESTION:
| "If creation has extra dimensions, what about God?"
|
|——► Physics–Theology Integration (Polkinghorne)
| - God is not *in* these dimensions but relates to
| the multi-dimensional universe as Creator.
|
| NEXT QUESTION:
| "Does God have His own dimensional form of time?"
|
|——► Distinct Philosophical Paths:
|
|——► Path A: God is A-Spatial but interacts in spacetime
| (Craig, “God and Space”)
| - God is not extended in space at all.
| - God can be present to all dimensions without
| being *in* any dimension.
|
|——► Path B: God is Trans-Dimensional with
| His Own Mode of Temporality
| (D. T. Everhart)
| - God transcends our dimensional spacetime.
| - God has “God’s own time” not constrained by
| our temporal dimension.
|
|——► Path C: Hyperspace Theology
| (Arthur Willink)
| - God and the unseen realm exist in genuinely
| higher-dimensional “space.”
| - Heaven/hell = separate dimensional planes.
|
END OF BRANCHES
How to Read This Flowchart
- It starts with classical theology (God not in space/time).
- Each step represents a historical or conceptual question.
- When a question is answered “Yes,” the chart moves forward into more dimensional models.
- When answered “No,” the chart branches into a more non-dimensional, classical direction.
By the end, you see three major trans-dimensional outcomes:
- A-spatial but interactive God (Craig)
- Trans-dimensional God with a distinct mode of time (Everhart)
- Hyperspace / higher-dimensional realm (Willink)
If you want, I can also provide a one-page outline summarizing all models, or a side-by-side comparison of the three main trans-dimensional approaches. YES to Side by Side
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the three major “trans-dimensional” models of God/YHWH:
(1) Craig’s a-spatial transcendence,
(2) Everhart’s trans-dimensional temporality, and
(3) Willink’s hyperspace theology.
Each is compared across the same categories so you can see exactly how they differ.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Three Trans-Dimensional Models of God
1. Overview Table
| Feature | Craig (A-Spatial Transcendence) | Everhart (Trans-Dimensional Temporality) | Willink (Hyperspace Theology) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What God transcends | Space and all spatial extension. | Our spacetime structure (space + our kind of time). | Our 3-D world plus entire unseen “higher-dimensional” realms. |
| Does God occupy space? | No, not in any physical or higher dimension. | No, God is not spatial, but can interact with space. | Yes—but in a different dimension (“hyperspace”), not physical 3-D space. |
| Does God experience time? | Possibly timeless (Craig allows either timeless or time-full). | Yes—God has His own mode of time, not our temporal dimension. | Yes—Willink treats God as temporal within hyperspace. |
| Main mechanism of interaction with our world | Non-spatial presence; God is present to all locations without being “in” any of them. | Dimensional intersection: God’s own time intersects our spacetime. | Higher-dimensional penetration: a 4-D or higher being interacting with 3-D. |
| Analogy used | Author outside the story. | A timeline intersecting a different timeline; different axes of time. | A 3-D object passing through a 2-D world (explicit hyperspace analogy). |
| View of “heaven” | Non-spatial, non-locational relationship/state. | A distinct mode of existence that intersects ours. | A real place in higher-dimensional space (hyperspace). |
| Strengths | Strong classical grounding; avoids making God physical. | Offers a clear model of how God could be temporal yet transcend spacetime. | Gives an intuitive, geometric model consistent with dimensional analogy. |
| Weaknesses | Hard to visualize; interaction without space is abstract. | Requires a non-standard metaphysics of time. | Speculative; risks treating God like a physical dimensional object. |
| Closest theological tradition | Classical theism. | Process-modified classical theism / analytic theology. | Victorian speculative metaphysics; closest to dimensional analogies used in popular theology. |
2. Detailed Comparison by Category
A. What “trans-dimensional” means in each view
Craig
“Trans-dimensional” = not located in any dimension at all.
God transcends space entirely; “dimension” does not apply to God.
Everhart
“Trans-dimensional” = existing in a mode of time and being that is not the same as our spacetime.
God is temporally real, but not bound to our temporal axis.
Willink
“Trans-dimensional” = God resides in a literal higher-dimensional space (‘hyperspace’) that interpenetrates our 3-D world.
B. How each model explains God interacting with our spacetime
Craig
Interaction is purely non-spatial: God is present to every place without having spatial extension.
He influences all dimensions without being inside any.
Everhart
Interaction happens by temporal intersection:
God’s own mode of time intersects with created spacetime, allowing free, relational interaction.
Willink
Interaction happens by dimensional penetration:
Just as a 3-D being can intersect a 2-D world, God intersects our 3-D realm from a higher dimension.
C. View of divine time
Craig
Dual possibilities:
- Timeless (without created world), and
- Temporal (once creation exists),
but God’s time isn’t measured by physical processes.
Everhart
God has His own time, genuinely temporal, yet not the same as created time.
Willink
God is temporal within hyperspace—time exists in hyperspace and God experiences it.
D. What “heaven” means
Craig
Not a spatial realm; heaven is a non-dimensional reality of God’s presence.
Everhart
Heaven is a distinct mode of existence with its own temporal structure.
Willink
Heaven is literally a higher-dimensional location with coordinates in hyperspace.
E. How each deals with divine omnipresence
Craig
Omnipresence = non-spatial immediacy (God is present everywhere without spatial spread).
Everhart
Omnipresence = God’s transcendent temporality and being allow simultaneous presence in all spacetime.
Willink
Omnipresence = God occupies a dimension that “envelops” our own—like a 4-D being containing all 3-D spaces.
3. Practical Summary
If you want a model that is closest to classical theology → choose Craig.
God does not occupy any dimension; “dimension” is a category mistake when applied to God.
If you want a model that preserves God’s temporality → choose Everhart.
God has time, but not bound to our time.
If you want a model that uses real geometry and higher dimensions → choose Willink.
God exists in hyperspace and interacts with our 3-D world like a higher-dimensional being.
