Theology in Physics: Hidden Gods of the Scientific Imagination Part 12 — The Singularity as God-Analogue

Thesis: Black hole and cosmological singularities are often treated as metaphysical endpoints, functioning as secular analogues of divine omnipotence and ultimate mystery.

Observation: Singularities are regions where classical physics breaks down, and quantities such as density and curvature approach infinity. Popular accounts describe them as “points of ultimate collapse” or “where the laws of physics cease to exist,” imbuing them with a quasi-mystical aura.

Analysis: Conceptually, singularities mirror theological constructs: ultimate authority, incomprehensible power, and transcendence beyond normal reality. They serve as ontological placeholders for the limits of human knowledge and for the idea of a governing principle beyond relational processes. The relational dynamics that could contextualise such phenomena are masked by the projection of awe and absoluteness.

Implication: Treating singularities as god-like endpoints reinforces a metaphysical hierarchy and distracts from the emergent, processual nature of reality. It encourages imagining boundaries and absolutes rather than exploring how potential actualises within relational dynamics.

Conclusion: A relational approach reframes singularities as limits of models, not ultimate entities. Recognising the theological residue in singularity discourse allows physics to recover processual understanding, where actuality emerges from relation rather than from an imposed, absolute authority.