Immutability (theology)
Encyclopedia
Immutability is the doctrine of classical Christian theism
that God cannot change; this has been variously interpreted to mean either that God's nature cannot change but that God can, or that God himself cannot change at all. Immutability is also encompassed in Jewish theism.
The term is important in Christology
, in the sense that most Christian
denomination
s teach that the Son of God
did not undergo any change in his divine nature at the Incarnation
. Immutability implies in this particular understanding that the Holy Trinity cannot change and remains united.
In Christian
theology the idea of God's immutability is essentially tied to God's eternality. God, being outside of time (trans-temporal), can not change, because he is not affected by time, which is the agent of change in a temporal
universe.
Classical theism
Classical theism refers to the a form of Theism in distinction to modern ideas about God such as Theistic Personalism, Open Theism and Process Theism. Classical Theism began with the works of the Greek philosophers, especially Platonists and Neoplatonists and was developed into Christian Theology...
that God cannot change; this has been variously interpreted to mean either that God's nature cannot change but that God can, or that God himself cannot change at all. Immutability is also encompassed in Jewish theism.
The term is important in Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
, in the sense that most Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s teach that the Son of God
Son of God
"Son of God" is a phrase which according to most Christian denominations, Trinitarian in belief, refers to the relationship between Jesus and God, specifically as "God the Son"...
did not undergo any change in his divine nature at the Incarnation
Incarnation (Christianity)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos , "became flesh" by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos .The Incarnation is a fundamental theological...
. Immutability implies in this particular understanding that the Holy Trinity cannot change and remains united.
In Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
theology the idea of God's immutability is essentially tied to God's eternality. God, being outside of time (trans-temporal), can not change, because he is not affected by time, which is the agent of change in a temporal
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
universe.