I’ve just finished (and quite enjoyed) Walter Jon Williams’ novel “Implied Spaces”. Again, it’s a mix of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, virtual immortality, as well as some stuff relating to discussions about the anthropic principle. (See also Counterbalance’s The Anthropic Principle video material (Real Player, I think)). Plus, it’s got some theological speculation thrown in.

Anyway, in the novel Williams posits the idea of ‘implied spaces’. Drawing upon architecture and the design of virtual worlds this argues that the constraints applied to the desired design produce implied or unforeseen design artifacts. For example, if you want to build a building with a dome that’s supported by arches that will produce certain kinds of spaces in that building as a side-effect. Moreover, this is apparent when designing virtual worlds. If you’ve ever been involved in world-building, say for a role-playing game or simulation – then there are particular ‘spaces’ that exist between ‘spaces’ that have intentional, focused design in them. And these implied spaces might demonstrate new or interesting landscapes when stuff ‘leaks’ into them from outside or by the constraints that have been applied to them.

Where this is all going is some fairly loose theological thoughts. What implied spaces do we generate in our theologizing? What is created in the spaces between doctrines, for example? And what new theological landscapes need mapping as we seek to link different reflections upon faith and life? And what might we find already there if we do this exploration? What might have leaked from the nice, categorised, and safe(?) landscapes that have been developed over time into these implied spaces?