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The Scandal of Current Spiritual Cosmology
Meredith Sprunger, Fort Wayne, IN. USA
The material cosmology of the prescientific Biblical world was a simplistic view of a flat earth overarched by a firmament that had holes (stars) through which the light of heaven shone forth. Our current four dimensional scientific material cosmology) in which distances are measured in light years indicates how out-of-date Biblical astronomy is. Even religious fundamentalists today have abandoned a flat earth material cosmology.
What is amazing is that progressive, liberal theologians of the twentieth century have done very little to expand an equally simplistic spiritual cosmology. Current orthodox spiritual cosmology consists only of the Trinity and possibly a few vaguely defined angels. Astrophysicists are continually speculating about material cosmological possibilities. In a November, 1994 Scientific American article entitled, "The Self- Reproducing Inflationary Universe," Andrei Linde observes, "If my colleagues and I are right, we may soon be saying good-bye to the idea that our universe was a single fireball created in a big bang." He comments about how this new theory would make a "fundamental change in how the cosmos is seen." We see no creative imagination at work among contemporary theologians regarding a spiritual cosmology or eschatology in general. Deductive theological reasoning would project a spiritual cosmology at least as extensive and complex as our material cosmology. It is not surprising that many of our oung people living in the context of our impressive contemporary material cosmology are not inspired by our antequated spiritual cosmology.
Here, as in so many other areas of spiritual enlightenment, The Urantia Book presents an expanded view of spiritual reality. The spiritual cosmology of the Fifth Epochal Revelation eclipses even the gigantic material cosmology of contemporary astronomy. As knowledge of the infinite spiritual cosmology of The Urantia Book infiltrates our world, it will bring new meaning and purpose to all of life. Young people will once more be thrilled by the challenge of spiritual growth and achievement, while those in advanced years will be inspired by the potentials of adventure beyond the grave.
[Dr. Sprunger is a retired college professor and a minister of the United Church of Christ.]
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