Where is the Church Headed “Eschatologically?â€
Eschatology (literally “the study or belief about the last thingsâ€) is a slippery word and is often narrowly defined to refer to those events immediately preceding, accompanying, and following the final return of Jesus. Too often the subject is discussed in the final chapters of a theology book when it really embraces the entire Bible.
When I use the word in relation to the New Testament, I refer to the entire history of Jesus Christ as the content of eschatology, not simply his resurrection and return in glory. Hence, the subject has to do not with “the last things†but with the person of Christ, who is the first and the last One. In particular, the “End†began in Jesus Christ and yet we await the “End.†What is specifically characterized as New Testament eschatology includes both an “inaugurated†(the present fulfillment of the kingdom and the blessings we enjoy as followers of Jesus) and a “future†eschatology (events that are still future—the final coming, the final judgment, the new heavens and new earth, etc.).
If you want to pursue this general subject, some helpful resources are:
Bauckham, R. and Hart, T. Hope Against Hope: Christian Eschatology at the Turn of the Millennium
Conyers, A. J. The Eclipse of Heaven: Rediscovering the Hope of a World Beyond
Hill, C.C. In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future
Hoekema, Anthony A. The Bible and the Future
Lewis, Daniel J. 3 Crucial Questions About the Last Days (3 Crucial Questions)
Riddlebarger, Kim. A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times
Travis, Stephen H. I believe in the second coming of Jesus
________. The Jesus hope
Venema, Cornelis P. The Promise of the Future
Zorn, Raymond F. Christ Triumphant: Biblical Perspectives on His Church and Kingdom
Technorati Tags: Bible, Revelation, books, eschatology, end times
Related posts:
Read this blog right after yours, thought it of a similar vein.
http://jesustheradicalpastor.blogspot.com/2007/05/survivors-guide-in-empire.html
I started reading The Eclipse of Heaven and it is great. From what I have read so far, it seems to be a very important book for contemporary american church society. It is shocking to see how much the pursuit of heaven has been lost in my life and how much I have made this world home when it is just a layover to paradise.
Would this nice list of resources be ones required for next semester? Which ones of these, if not all, would you recommend I get for my library? That is probably a dumb question, because you have not recommended a book yet that should not be purchased.
Joe, the bottom line? I would encourage you to read all of the volumes, starting with Hoekema and Conyers first and concluding with Bauckham and Hart. All of the volumes have had a profound impact on the way I read Scripture. Hoekema and Conyers will be required for the Fall class on eschatology, by the way.