The Relational Ontology of DEU

The Relational Ontology of Divine Existential Unity (DEU): A Theological-Philosophical Exploration

Abstract: This exploration delves deep into the concept of relation within the Divine Existential Unity (DEU) framework. By intertwining theological and philosophical traditions, we spotlight relation as a foundational element of existence, shedding light on our understanding of God, existence, and the very fabric of reality.

Introduction:

The journey to grasp God’s nature and the intricacies of divine existence has consistently orbited around the concept of relation. The Divine Existential Unity (DEU) offers a detailed perspective, blending theological insights with philosophical depths, showcasing a relational ontology that surpasses traditional interpretations.

Historical and Philosophical Background:

Throughout intellectual history, the concept of relation has woven its path through various philosophical traditions, evolving in its understanding. The ancient Greeks, with thinkers like Aristotle at the helm, laid the foundational groundwork. Aristotle viewed relations as one of the nine accidental categories, a perspective to understand entities in light of their interactions with others. This viewpoint set the stage for understanding relations as foundational to the essence and existence of entities.

Centuries onward, the medieval scholar Thomas Aquinas built upon Aristotelian thought. He underlined that while entities have essence and existence, relations, though vital, hinge on their reference to another entity. This perspective wasn’t merely an extension of Greek thought but a refined adaptation, aligning with the theological frameworks of the time and emphasizing the interconnectedness of essence, existence, and relations.

As modern philosophy dawned, new perspectives on relations sprouted. They were no longer just ties; they became the threads binding entities together, emphasizing the relational backdrop that gives essence and existence their meaning. This era also witnessed existentialists, like Jean-Paul Sartre, delving into the nature of human relationships and the intricate ballet of existence in relation to others and the world.

The 20th century heralded swift intellectual progress. Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy championed relations as foundational, spotlighting entities’ interconnectedness. This viewpoint echoed the idea that relations furnish the backdrop in which essence and existence take shape and find meaning. Simultaneously, post-structuralists like Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault began to question traditional models, underlining the relational core of meaning and comprehension.

In tandem with Western progress, Eastern philosophical traditions, such as Daoism and Buddhism, highlighted the inherent relationality embedded in reality. Their insights, anchored in diverse cultural and historical backdrops, harmonize with the evolving understanding of relations in the West, further emphasizing relations’ foundational role in grasping the nature of reality.

This historical overview does NOT aim to trace a direct lineage or validate the current understanding of relation. Instead, it stands as a testament to the rich mosaic of thought that has wrestled with, honed, and broadened the concept of relation over ages, emphasizing its foundational role in understanding reality’s nature.

The Principle of Existential Relationality (PER) in DEU:

Fundamental Interconnectedness: DEU asserts that relation is the bedrock of existence, highlighting the interconnected matrix where all entities reside. This interconnectedness holds profound implications for our comprehension of reality.

Divine Relationality: DEU paints God’s nature as fundamentally relational. Trinitarian theology serves as a prime example, with God’s very nature understood in relational terms. Moreover, God’s act of creation is inherently relational, an act of relational love.

Existential Implication: DEU proposes that the interconnected nature of existence saturates the essence of being, with the act of existing inherently being an act of relating. It can be argued that to exist is to be in relation, and without relations, existence would be unintelligible or empty.

Beyond Classical Understandings: DEU offers a panoramic view of relation, challenging and expanding classical ontological viewpoints. It offers a fresh perspective to understand existence’s nature.

Argument for the Ubiquity of Relationality in the Context of DEU:

Relational Foundation: Every entity, whether part of the created order or the divine realm, has an essence. This essence, while defining its nature, is intricately linked to its relations with other entities. Both tangible and abstract entities derive meaning not just from their inherent properties but also from their relations.

Existential Act: Every entity with an essence signifies an act of being or existence, which is also defined by its relations. At various reality levels, from the quantum to the theological, entities are understood in terms of their relations.

Nature of Existence: The act of being is inherently tied to relationality. While existence pertains to the act of being, relationality provides the backdrop that makes this existence meaningful. Every entity exists within a web of relations.

Conclusion: Within the DEU framework, relationality emerges as foundational in metaphysics. The nature of existence, whether tangible or abstract, is inherently relational. Essence provides identity, existence offers the act of being, and relations furnish the backdrop that makes both meaningful and discernible.

It’s this relational insight that relations offer revelation to make essence be a truth of an existent. And it’s this relational complexity the DEU couples with theological meaning to grapple with the whole mystery of the Trinity.

Definitions and Jargon:

Relation: Relations are the fabric of existence, shaping, defining, and bestowing meaning upon entities.

Ontology: A study delving into the nature of being, existence, and reality.

Divine Existential Unity (DEU): A concept emphasizing relation at the heart of existence.

Relational Ontology: An ontology recognizing relations as central to entities’ nature.

Essence: In this relational context, it hints at a notion of truth, necessitating theological insights to referee what we’re discussing. For the DEU, its focus is the Triune God, whose generosity is the theological content of disclosure and self-referentiality in the encounter with God in Christ by the Spirit.

Conclusion:

The Divine Existential Unity (DEU) offers a relational perspective on existence and God that provides room for the encounter of both transcendence and immanence without reducing the Christian God to merely a supreme agent of this world (panentheism) or an abstract being beyond it. By intertwining theological and philosophical viewpoints, it introduces a relational ontology with implications for both theological and philosophical discussions. The Principle of Existential Relationality (PER) reinforces the idea that relation isn’t just foundational to existence but is the very existence we’re concerned with because this is the ultimate we’re interconnected with. This exploration serves as a dive into the concept of relation within the DEU framework, setting the stage for further studies in specific theological and philosophical domains.

Theologically, we can make sense of the appropriation of essence and existence because this insight that relation is equally fundamental—metaphysically—means we’re dealing with the most general who has a name, and that name is the Father, Son, and Spirit.

The Son is the face we see when referencing the truth of ultimate reality.

The Spirit is the giver of life.

The Father is the confession of the almighty maker of heaven and earth.

It is Mary’s received grace that this name claims to be the ultimate in the trust exercised in fear forever or death, whichever comes first, pondering and treasuring this ultimate truth as her own nature of existence.

Contemporary Catholic participants recognize Mary as the inaugural disciple of the Trinity in this tradition, emphasizing a profound relational connection that permeates the very core of this ultimate belief.

Finally, we supplement this with a basic orientation to the cosmos in what theologians call “eschatology.” The first disciples lived in, what Dr. David W. Congdon calls, “a failed apocalypse;” and their lives are poetically and fittingly like their leader’s in this wake. Later generations would set the standard for each generation who must find their end in the beginning anew. One such generation, modeled for future generations a reconstructed eschatology with a baptismal formula that later became what we know as the “apostles creed.” The creed powerfully situates one with a moto for and in the face of the cosmos. Rather, the face of Christ is enough in this creed, or, if not, we-with such a motto-are the most to be pitied. And such is life: a mystery of existence, essence, and relations. In a sense it’s persons all the way down.