The Multiverse: Separate Worlds, Branching, or Hyperspace? And What Implications Are There for Theism?

Abstract

My purpose is to compare three basic versions of multiverse, that is, the many 'worlds', theory: Separate Worlds, Branching, and Hyperspace. There is, in addition, a variant on Branching, the Lattice Universe, as well as mixed theories. I shall reject Separate Worlds even though I assimilate merely possible worlds to those of Multiverse. The choice between Branching and Hyperspace is not so straightforward, although I judge that Hyperspace is to be preferred by theists. I then examine the consequences for theism, arguing that Hyperspace coheres better with theism than its rivals. In addition, Hyperspace supports the existence of something physical prior to God's act of creation, which I identify with the divine body. This 'something' could be described pretheoretically as without structure and indeterminate (the 'apeiron').