#815 Quantum Retrocausality in Theological Perspective

Dr. craig’s response

Retrocausality has to do with backward causation, where the effect comes chronologically prior to the cause. There are at least a couple of situations in quantum mechanics in which retrocausality has been alleged to play a role.

First, electron-positron pair creation can be mathematically modeled as a single electron’s going backwards and forwards in time. Mere mathematical modeling does not, however, carry ontological implications. Second, more seriously, the quantum non-locality implied by Bell’s Theorem seems to imply that in some frames of reference causal signals are going backwards in time, with all the paradoxes of causality that that implies. The best way to avoid this implication, advocated by Bell himself, is to return to relativity theory as it was before Einstein and to affirm relations of absolute simultaneity, thereby ruling out backward signaling.

Now your question, Adrian, concerns how we should view the possibility of retrocausality, not scientifically or philosophically, but theologically. Retrocausality seems to presuppose a tenseless theory of time, according to which all moments in time, whether past, present, or future, are equally real and existent. For only if all moments in time are equally real can there be backward causal relations between future and past events. The answer to your question, then, will depend on whether there are theological objections to a tenseless theory of time.

I think that there are. On a tenseless theory of time, evil is never eradicated from creation. Even if it comes to an end at the return of Christ, nevertheless the stain of evil on earlier moments of creation is never done away with. What this implies for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is very troubling. Jesus hangs permanently on the cross in AD 30, and his resurrection is just the animation of later three-dimensional sections of his spatio-temporally extended body. It seems to me, therefore, that the Christian theologian should be committed to a tensed theory of time and the reality of temporal becoming, which rules out retrocausality.