Aeon

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use Oxford spelling Template:More citations needed The word aeon Template:IPAc-en, also spelled eon (in American and Australian English<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timeless" or "for eternity". It is a Latin transliteration from the ancient Greek word Template:Lang (Template:Lang), from the archaic Template:Lang (Template:Lang) meaning "century". In Greek, it literally refers to the timespan of one hundred years. A cognate Latin word Template:Lang (cf. Template:Lang) for "age" is present in words such as eternal, longevity and mediaeval.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Although the term aeon may be used in reference to a period of a billion years (especially in geology, cosmology and astronomy), its more common usage is for any long, indefinite period. Aeon can also refer to the four aeons on the geologic time scale that make up the Earth's history, the Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, and the current aeon, Phanerozoic.

Astronomy and cosmology

In astronomy, an aeon is defined as a billion years (10⁹ years, abbreviated AE).<ref name=Keel>Template:Cite book p. 4.</ref>

Roger Penrose uses the word aeon to describe the period between successive and cyclic Big Bangs within the context of conformal cyclic cosmology.<ref>Template:Cite arXiv</ref>

Philosophy and mysticism

Template:More citations needed section In Buddhism, aeon may be used as a translation of the term kalpa or Template:Lang (Sanskrit: Template:Lang). A mahakalpa is often said to be 1,334,240,000 years, the life cycle of the world. Yet, these numbers are symbolic, not literal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Christianity's idea of "eternal life" comes from the word for life, Template:Lang (Template:Lang), and a form of Template:Lang (Template:Lang)Template:Cn, which could mean life in the next aeon, the Kingdom of God, or Heaven, just as much as immortality, as in John 3:16.Template:Lopsided

According to Christian universalism, the Greek New Testament scriptures use the word Template:Lang (Template:Lang) to mean a long period and the word Template:Lang (Template:Lang) to mean "during a long period"; thus, there was a time before the aeons, and the aeonian period is finite. After each person's mortal life ends, they are judged worthy of aeonian life or aeonian punishment. That is, after the period of the aeons, all punishment will cease and death is overcome and then God becomes the all in each one (1Cor 15:28). This contrasts with the conventional Christian belief in eternal life and eternal punishment.

Occultists of the Thelema and Ordo Templi Orientis (English: "Order of the Temple of the East") traditions sometimes speak of a "magical Aeon" that may last for perhaps as little as 2,000 years.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Gnosticism

In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God, who is also known by such names as the One, the Monad, Aion teleos ("The Broadest Aeon", Greek: Template:Lang), Bythos ("depth or profundity", Greek: Template:Lang), Proarkhe ("before the beginning", Greek: Template:Lang), Template:Lang ("the beginning", Greek: Template:Lang), Template:Lang ("wisdom"), and Template:Lang ("the Anointed One"), are called Aeons. In the different systems these emanations are differently named, classified, and described, but the emanation theory itself is common to all forms of Gnosticism.

In the Basilidian Gnosis they are called sonships (Template:Lang Template:Lang; singular: Template:Lang Template:Lang); according to Marcus, they are numbers and sounds; in Valentinianism they form male/female pairs called "Template:Lang" (Greek Template:Lang, from Template:Lang Template:Lang).

See also

• Aion (deity)
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• Kalpa (aeon)
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• Saeculum – comparable Latin concept
• Aeon (company)
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