Theology in Physics: Hidden Gods of the Scientific Imagination Part 9 — Infinity and the Divine

Thesis: Physics often treats infinities — in space, time, or quantity — as ontologically real, echoing theological conceptions of the infinite as a divine attribute rather than relational or perspectival constructs.

Observation: Cosmology invokes infinite universes, eternal time, or unbounded space. Quantum field theory and singularities produce mathematical infinities that are sometimes interpreted as physically real. Language frequently reinforces this: the universe is “boundless,” “endless,” or “eternal,” projecting metaphysical weight onto abstract constructs.

Analysis: Conceptually, this mirrors theological thinking: the infinite becomes an expression of ultimate being, echoing divine omnipresence or omniscience. Relational actualisation is bypassed; the infinite is treated as given, not generated through interacting processes. Physics, in embracing infinities, inadvertently smuggles a theological template into cosmology.

Implication: By reifying infinity, physics conflates abstraction with reality, masking contingency, perspectival limits, and processual emergence. This sustains the illusion of absolute plenitude, distracting from the relational unfolding that actually structures the cosmos.

Conclusion: A relational perspective treats infinities as conceptual tools, not ontological absolutes. Recognising the theological residue in our treatment of the infinite clarifies that what appears boundless is an emergent property of relational processes, not a cosmic imperative.