Beyond Immanence: Augustine’s Beatific Vision and the Dependent Integrity of Creaturely Being

This paper argues that Augustine’s account of beatific enjoyment offers a theologically and metaphysically robust alternative to two contemporary eschatological trajectories. Eschatological naturalism locates human fulfilment largely within the imminent order of nature while radical divine immanence collapses the distinction between God and creatures. Surveying proposals from biblical studies, philosophy of religion, and theology, the paper highlights how these trends either naturalize the creature’s end or imply an already realized divinizing participation of nature in God. By contrast, Augustine depicts created being as dependent, fragile, and oriented beyond itself towards its transcendent origin–fulfillable only in the intellectual vision of God. Drawing on texts from the Cassiciacum dialogues to the Confessions and City of God and important letters and sermons, this paper shows how Augustine’s conception of createdness, grace, and divine agency enriches current debates by recentring divine transcendence and the gratuity of beatitude.