AFRICA THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
VOLUME 31 NO. 1, 2008
Published by the Theological Faculty
Makumira University College
Tumaini University
A REVIEW OF CATHOLIC ESCHATOLOGY
Pius Oyeniran Ahioje
Introduction
Christianity is said to be a religion that revolves in eschatology.
Many scholars have even ventured to say that eschatology is
central to every authentic religion. As Peter C. Phan notes:
As a rule, religions claim to offer answers to questions regarding the beyond and
to help their followers attain ultimate happiness variously referred to as heaven,
paradise, eternal life, or nirvana. Christianity is no exception. One of the central
tenets of its creeds proclaims that its founder, Jesus Christ, who died and was
raised to life will come again to judge the living and the dead and that there will
be the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.1
Despite the fact that Christianity is regarded as eschatological in
essence, a religion of hope, based on the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, it would seem that with the likely
exception of Lent, Easter and funerary liturgical services,
eschatological talk rarely features in Christian preaching and
discourse in contemporary times. In 1985, Vittorio Messori noted
that:
Christian eschatology (insofar as it is mentioned at all) has been reduced to
'heaven' alone, and even the word itself causes problems; it is written in quotation
marks, and here loo there are people who would reduce it to the level of an
oriental myth.2
One's finding is that the situation has not changed, and so one
feels the need to present t h i s review. The aim is to discover what
may have gone wrong, and to re-present the original Christian
_____________________
1Peter
C. Phan, Responses to 101 Questions on Death and Eternal Life (New
York Mahwah, N.J., Paulist Press, 1997), p.16.
2
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger will, Vittorio MEssori, The Ratzinger Report- An
Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church (San Francisco: Ignatius Press,
1985), p.145.
eschatological vision, to the extent of one's possibility, toward a
better life here on earth, anil full realization of Christian
eschatological hope. Materials were gathered mainly through
library consultation. Theoretically, the study is expository and
somewhat critical.
Eschatology in Definitive Terms
Messori already indicates a crisis of definition in the quotation
cited above, when he notes that some Christians have reduced or
restricted the meaning of eschatology to going to heaven alone. He
(Messori) rightly remarked that although "any one who reads the
Gospels does find first and foremost the Good News, the consoling
proclamation of the Father's infinite and immeasurable love, side
by side with it we also find in the Gospels the clear affirmation that
disaster is possible and that it is not impossible to refuse God's
love."3 But he did not present a full definition of the term,
"eschatology".
Traditionally speaking, the word eschatology connotes
elements which include: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. In the
words of Richard P. McBrien:
Eschatology, in the traditional sense of the word, is the area of theology which is
directly concerned, w :ilh the 'study of the last thing(s)' ....... The 'last things'
(eschata) are various moments or stages in the final manifestation process: death,
particular judgment, heaven, hell, purgatory. Second Coming of Christ,
resurrection of the body, general judgment, consummation of all things in the
perfection of the Kingdom of God.4
Most of these articles of faith are commonly believed by most
Christians. With particular reference to purgatory, A.T. Hanson
notes that while belief in it is a common heritage of Christendom
dating back to St. Augustine, ensuing abuses "were violently
denounced by the Reformers; and the Council of Trent
___________________
3
Ibid.
Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism (Harper San Francisco, 1974), p.1123.
4
was very moderate in its formulation of the doctrine.” 5 MiCatholic Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for t h e
Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Rat/.inger, the current Pope, once
commented that belief in purgatory had waned because "all of us
today think we are so good that we deserve nothing less than
heaven!" He concluded by saying, "If purgatory did not exist, we
should have to invent it." He held, and one would agree with h i m
that most human beings appear to have one thing or another to In purged of.
The issue of the "Second Coming of Christ" that is listed
in the indented material above also needs some clarification
While a number of "religious groups (Anabaptists, Seventh-Day
Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc)", 7 see it in terms
of Millenarianism, some others, such as the Roman Catholic
Anglican and Methodist Churches, conceive it as "the general
judgment."8 The principal point here, however, is that no Christian
denomination, properly so called, is known to deny the reality of
the last judgment, the pamusia, eschatologically speaking.
In Roman Catholic eschatology, there used to be what was
known as Limbo. It was popular at a time when it was thought that
an unbaptised baby or infant who was guilty of the Original Sin
could not go directly to heaven upon death. Such an individual, it
was believed, would have to be purified first in Limbo, while
purgatory constituted the purification centre for adults. In the
course of time, it was theologically thought that the fate of such
babies and infants should be left to God to decide. Messori quotes
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as saying, for instance, that:
______________
T. Hanson, "Hope, the Christian”, in Alan Richardson (ed), A Dictionary
of Christian Theology (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1979), p. 160.
6 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger with Vittorio Messori, ibid., p. 145f
7 William C. McKulden, "Millenarianism", in Michael Glazier and Monika
K. Hellwig (eds), The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia (Collegeville,
Minnestoa: A Michael Glazier Book, 1994), p. .572.
8 Robert C. Broderick, The Catholic Encyclopedia (Nashville: Thomas Nelso
Inc. Publishers, 1975), p. 387.
5A.
'Limbo was never a defined truth of faith. Personally and here I am
speaking more as a theologian and not as Prefect of the Congregation I would abandon it since it was only a theological hypothesis. It formed
part of a secondary thesis in support of a truth which is absolutely of
first significance for faith, namely, the importance of baptism.'9
Indeed it is not only Ratzinger who "would abandon it". In the
words of Andrew Greeley, "Limbo has pretty much gone down the
drain".10 So may it be.
It would seem that controversy is surrounding another
eschatological concept, namely, "hell". Michael Schmaus notes
that although "Scripture frequently uses the word fire when
speaking of hell", and that is associated "with such expressions as
wailing and gnashing of teeth and the worm that does not die.... It
would be a mythical concept of hell to imagine the damned
pressing upon God and God hurling them back with the words
Too late'."" In a similar vein, David L'. Edwards maintains that he
himself is among those Christians. who would say that "the
traditional imagery of hell which is derived from the fires and the
worms which consumed, the rubbish dumps in the valley of
Gehenna outside Jerusalem", should give way to "tin- God who is
love", and so "may be expected to act like the lather in the parable of
the prodigal son". He holds further that "It seems wrong to teach that
no repentance is possible alter death", because "like the soldiers
who crucified Jesus, many people who do wrong 'do not know what
they are doing before they die."12
It is remarkable that while Schmaus is a Catholic, Edwards
is an Anglican theologian, they have no doubt that God, who is
pure love and kindness, may not be linked to a merciless
_____________________
9
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger with Vittono Messori, ibid., p. 147.
Andrew Greeley, Everything You Wanted to Know About the Catholic Church
but Were Too Pious to Ask (Chicago, Illinois: The Thomas More Press, 1978), p.
99.
11
Michael Schmaus, Dogma 6::Justification and the Last Things (London: Sheed
and Ward, 1977), pp. 256 & 258.
12
David L. Edwards, What is Catholicism'.' An Anglican Responds to the Official
Teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. (London: Mowbray, 1994), p. 28f.
10
conception of hell. At the same time, many other theologians, such as
Andrew Greeley. though they acknowledge the difficulties
involved, argue nevertheless, that:
To deny the existence of Hell means to deny the importance of human freedom
and to reduce the choices we make during our life times to irrelevance. One can
forget about the hellfire, the sulphur, the Dantesque imagery: one still must
acknowledge, it seems, the possibility of loss, of sell-chosen isolation, alienation,
separation. Whether such folk get another chance or not is something best left to the
mercy of God.
Obviously, after all the reasonable digression, the mercy of God is
s t i l l put into consideration in the final sentence of the submission. Yet,
human beings face one form of hell or another, as applicable to
persons who face excruciating pain, police torment or martial torture;
marital, family or work difficulties, rightly or wrongly. And so,
the concept of hell may not be dismissed with a wave of the hand,
as Greeley, and those in the same school of thought with him try to
explain. In other words, the fear of hell may sti ll be the beginning of
wisdom, temporarily and eschatologically speaking. The direct
antonym of hell is, of course, heaven. It does not seem that any
theologian of note has defined it (heaven) in any way that is
radically different from the traditional conception of it. In an
academic work by Michael Schmaus, one reads that "heaven" does
not necessarily imply "that God's existence is confined to a
specific place", but that it is "a word symbolizing God." 14 Another
scholar, David L. Edwards, quotes The Catechism of the Catholic
Church (published in 1994) approvingly, in respect of the meaning of
heaven, saying:
We are wisely told that 'this mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are
in Christ is beyond all understanding and description' although "Scriptu re speaks
of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's
house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise'(1027). 15
______________________
13
Andrew Greeley, ibid., p. 99.
Michael Schmaus. ibid., p. 261.
15
David L. Edwards, ibid., p. 29.
14
This position appears unassailable. And beyond that, this section
on clarification of the concept of eschatology cannot proceed.
Eschatology in Old Testament Context
It is generally held among many biblical theologians that the Old
Testament (henceforth OT) does not contain a systematically
discussed eschatology. and that it does not have much to say about
afterlife. As Peter C. Phan notes, for instance:
Of course, the Old Testament (which is seven books larger than the Hebrew
Scriptures) does speak about death, but it is rather reticent about the afterlife. No
hope of individual survival after death is expressed in the Old Testament except in
some late texts written probably in the second century B.C.C."'
(The term, "seven books larger" refers to the Catholic volume of
the OT). With regard to the subject under discussion, it is obvious
that in the last pail of the quotation, the OT is not without its own
teaching on life after death. Essentially, two forms of eschatology
are identified in the OT. In the first instance is the prophetic
eschatology, which is said to derive from the futuristic
proclamations by many prophets. This form of eschatology is
perceived to be mostly earthbound. As Dermot A. Lane notes:
The future promised by the prophets is a future about life in this world; an end to
poverty and injustice among the chosen people, the creation of peace on earth
among nations, and the introduction of new harmony between people and
nature.17
The content of this quotation explains why Lane notes further that
"many of the concerns of OT eschatology overlap with the
concerns of twentieth century eschatology." 18 One can note.
___________________
16
Peter C. Phan, ibid., p. 32.
Dermot A. Lane, "Eschatology", in Joseph A. Komonchak, Mary Collins, and
Dermot A. Lane (eds), The New Dictionary of Theology (Bangalore: Theological
Publications in India, 1996), p. 330.
I8
lbid.
17
without any tear of reasonable contradiction, that the issues
of poverty, injustice, strife and lack of peace are still very
much relevant for eschatological discourse today, twenty-first
century. Primarily, the prophets were concerned with
discerning and interpreting God's will for the people of
God. As McBrien explains:
Prophecy is not primarily a matter of predicting the future (that is the function
of an oracle or clairvoyant). But insofar as the prophet offers an
interpretation of events and discusses the consequences of one form of
action or another, or of a failure lo act. the prophet is indeed concerned with
the future.19
Many biblical scholars have tried to explain what is
eschatological about the future that features in the message of
the prophets. Lane, for instance, notes that the theme of a new
creation that developed after the Babylonian exile is a
statement of dissatisfaction about the world as it is, and an
expression of hope that this world will be transformed by
Yahweh. He quotes the book of Prophet Isaiah (65:19) where
God is cited as saying that He would create "new heavens and
a new earth" and that He would rejoice in Jerusalem and be
glad in His people, for there would be "no more weeping and
the cry of distress". Lane concludes by adding that although
the eschatology of the prophets is "this worldly, with l i t t l e or no
reference to what we today would call the next life", it should
not be forgotten that "Yahweh is at the centre of 'this
worldly' eschatology." "Yahweh is the one who will in the
future change our world into a better place to live." 20
Another scholar, Phan, observes that even though
"from the literary standpoint it is inappropriate to refer to the
prophetic writings as "eschatological literature", nevertheless, it
should be noted that "there is a stark contrast between the
present age and the age to come" as presented in the message
of the prophets. As Phan further notes, "Increasingly, the
new age was seen less as a recovery of the ideal past than
as a destruction of the present order,
___________________
19
20
Richard P. McBrien. ibid., p. 261.
Derniot A. Lane, ibid., p. 330.
an annihilation of God's enemies, and a creation "of a totally
new world beyond history and this cosmos." 21 Of course,
"annihilation of God's enemies" implies the end of oppression,
exploitation, and all inhumanities of human beings to human
beings, which are unimaginable in the present order of
reality, and can only be conceived as an eschatological
possibility.
On the whole, it would seem that the prophetic eschatology
centres around what is termed "the day of the Lord"
(Yahweh). As Lane notes:
From the eighth century onwards the prophets begin to point towards a time
in the future when Yahweh will judge Israel and the rest of the world.
This time is known as the 'day of the Lord,' a time of upheaval and
destruction as well as a time of renewal and return to the ways of
Yahweh."
That seems to be a very good summary of prophetic
eschatology. The other type of eschatology that is identified
in the OT is apocalyptic eschatology, which is "primarily
other-worldly in its concerns", even though within it "there is
an emphasis on the transformation of this world into a new
reality."23 Etymologically speaking, Phan notes that as a
literary genre, the term apocalypse derives "from the Greek
apocalypsis, meaning revelation, disclosure." Besides, he
quotes John J. Collins, who is said to have studied all the
apocalyptical texts from 250 B.C.E. to 250 C. E. as defining
apocalypsis as:
A genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a
revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient,
disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it
envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves
another, supernatural world.24
With specific reference to
connection, Lane notes that:
______________________
21
Peter C. Phan, ibid., p. 34.
Dermot A. Lane, ibid., p. 330.
23
Ibid.
24
Peter C. Phan, ibid., p. 35
22
apocalyptic
eschatological
The word apocalypse means a special kind of revelation, usually given in symbolic
and dramatic language which requires the interpretation of an angel. The main
example of apocalypse in the OT is given in the Book of Daniel which was writing
the Maccabean crisis. During that time, the Jews were persecuted under the reign of
Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Jewish laws and practices were suppressed; many were
put to death as martyrs for practicing their religion. Within this context the author
of the Book of Daniel raises the question of a reward for the righteous. For the first
time in Judaism the possibility of life beyond death is explicitly affirmed.25
To buttress the point, Lane quotes from the Book of Daniel, where it
is written:
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some shall live
forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace. And those who are
wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who lead the
many to justice shall be like the stars (Dan. 12:2-3).
The essential message of apocalyptic eschatology seems to be that
human hope goes beyond death, and that implies life after death.
Thus, the faithful and the just will not die in vain, as reward or
punishment (as the case may be) await individuals after death.
Although one will presently discuss eschatology in New Testament
perspective, it seems necessary to note at this stage, that both the
prophetic and apocalyptic eschatologies are illustrated across the
Bible, and so, not limited to the OT. With specific reference to
ap o calyp tic eschatology, Phan notes that:
In the Bible there are two books that belong to this genre, Daniel in the Old
Testament and Revelation in the New Testament. Some extracanonical writings
also belong t o it, notabl y First Enoch, Second Enoch, Syriac Apocalypse
of Baruch, Apocalypse of Ezra, Apocalypse of Apocalypse of Abraham, and
Ascension oflsaiah.26
Thai lends in illustrate biblical inter-connectivity in eschatological
terms and the diversity of views or opinions that may be found
___________________
25
Dermot A. Lane, Ibid., p.331.
26
Peter C. Phan, ibid., p.35.
here or there. Eschatologically speaking, the Bible seems to be
harmonious, to a great extent, as what follows will reveal.
The New Testament Eschatology
Jesus is, of course, the principal of tin- New Testament (henceforth
NT). Since He is said to have come not to abolish the Law and the
Prophets, but to fulfill (hem. He can be identified with every
authentic message of the Prophets, including the eschatological
ones. It is generally believed among Christian that He "is the
fulfillment of the prophecies and promises given to the world
through the Jewish people." With specific reference to
eschatology, S. H. Travis notes that:
Jesus look over prophetic and apocalyptic thought-forms, but with a crucial
difference: in his ministry the longed-for time of salvation had dawned, the
kingdom of God has drawn near (Mk. 1:15). His possession of the Spirit, his
miracles and his exorcisms were evidence of this (Mt. 11:2-6; 12:28). Yet the
kingdom had not fully come, for, despite the real blessings of God experienced
with a new immediacy, evil, death and the ambiguities of life remained. The
complete realization of the kingdom lay in the future, at the coming of the Son of
Man (Mk. 13:26). The distinctive feature of NT eschatology, found especially in
Paul, is thus a tension between what is already known and experienced (because
Christ has come), and what is not yet experienced (because Christ is still to
come).28
That somehow contradicts C. H. Dodd's concept of realized
eschatology. As Travis further notes, "a more balanced synthesis
is achieved by scholars such as (). Cullman and R. H. Fuller who
have argued that present and future references in Jesus' message of
the kingdom must be held in tension".29 That position forms part of the
background to the indented quotation above.
_____________________
27
Ronald Lawler, Donald W. Wueri and Thomas Comerford Lawler (eds), The
Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Mulls (Huntington: Our Sunday
Visitor, 1983), p. 178.
28
S. H. Travis, "Eschatology", in Sinclair H. Ferguson and David F. Wright
(eds.), New Dictionary of Theology (Leicester: Inter-Versify Press, 1998), p. 228.
29
Ibid., p. 229.
Beyond die foregoing, there is a sense in which one must state that
the Resurrection of Jesus is pivotal to Christian eschatology. As St
Paul notes, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain”, and
your faith is also vain" (ICor. 15:14). Yet, historically and
academically, as Phan observes:
Then- arc some scholars (e.g. T. F. Glasson, Marcus J. Borg, and B. Mack) who
would dispute that Jesus' outlook was shaped by Jewish apocalypticism and
would argue that Jesus was a Cynic sage rather than a messianic preacher. The
great majority of biblical scholars, however, would hold that Jesus stood squarely
within the apocalyptic tradition. They point out that the movement with which he
associated himself, that of John the Baptizer, was apocalyptic. Furthermore, the
movement that issued from him immediately after his death, the earliest Christian
community in Jerusalem, interpreted him both as the expected Messiah and the
Son of Man and was itself also apocalyptic.30
In consonance with the point made by Phan, Lane notes that the
eschatological hopes and expectations of the OT "make up the
atmosphere in which the mission and ministry of Jesus is played
out", and that "the over-riding horizon of the life of Jesus is the
announcement of the Reign of God."31 The German Catholic
Bishops' Conference also notes that:
At the center of Jesus' ministry there stands his message about the coming of the
Kingdom of God. The evangelist Mark summarises this good news in this way:
'Alter John's arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the good news of God:
'This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives
and believe in the gospel!' (Mk. 1:14-15)'32
In point of fact, the Reign or Kingdom of God, as preached by
Jesus, has both its apocalyptic and prophetic aspects,
eschatologically speaking. In apocalyptic terms, the German
Bishops' Conference notes that "The New Testament deliberately
uses the 'Kingdom of heaven' as synonymous with the 'Kingdom
_______________________
30
31
Peter C. Phan. ibid..p. 39.
Dermot A Lane, ibid., p. 331.
German Bishops’ Conference, A Catholic Catechism for Adults: The Church's
Confession of Faith (San Francisco: Communio books, 1987), p. 124.
32
of God'," and that "God alone is the heaven of man, the fulfillment
of his deepest wishes and longings." 33 In prophetic eschatological
perspective, Albert Nolan notes that:
The good news of the kingdom of God was news about a future state of affairs on
earth when the poor would no longer be poor, the hungry would be satisfied and
the oppressed would no longer be miserable. To say ‘th y kingdom come' is the
same as saying 'Thy will be done on earth as ii is in heaven' (Ml. 6:10 par.) 34
At the same time, as John Onaiyekan notes, "the two meanings of
kingdom, heavenly and this worldly, future and present, already
and not yet, are not totally separate." As he emphasizes, "Both are
under God's own control", and "the kingdom here is a preparation
for the kingdom in the world lo come."35 Understandably, the
preparation hinges on doing God's will on earth as in heaven.
The question should be asked: In what does the will of God
consist? According to Thomas Aquinas, "God's will is made
manifest to free creatures by their reason and by revelation." He
notes, "for instance, the Ten Commandments are an expression of
God's will which is manifested by revelation; the same
Commandments are manifested by reason, for a studious man
could think them out."36 In an obvious reference to the words of
Jesus, Seef Konijn likewise notes that:
One thing in life, and only one, is paramount and that is love. This is really the
only commandment there is. The other person's well-being and my own. In so
far as I bring happiness to another, I find it myself. That is the basic norm: love.
All other commandments and laws must lead back to that.37
____________________
33
Ibid., p.92.
34
Albert Nolan, Jesus Before Christianity (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books,
1991), p. 46.
35
John O. Onaiyekan, Thy Kingdom Come: Democracy and Politics in Nigeria
Today: A Catholic Perspective (Abuja: Gaudium et Spes Institute, 2003), p. 14.
36
Thomas Aquinas, la, q19, all (Cf.) also Paul J. Glenn, A Tour of the Summa
(Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers Inc., 1978), p. 23.
37
Seef Konijn, The Bridge From Old to New in Christian Belief (London:
Geoffrey Chapman, 1973), p. 105.
These words correspond to, and indeed interpret the teaching of
Jesus, when l i e said: "I give you a new commandment: love one
another" (John 13:34). And to indicate that this love is not to be
sectional or for fellow Christians alone, Jesus is quoted as saying
in another context:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be
children of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the bad as well
as on the good, and sends down rain to fall on the upright and the wicked alike.
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the
lax collectors do as much? (Ml. 5:44 - 46, Luke 6:27).
The practical eschatological implication of love of God and
neighbour is spelt out by Jesus when He is quoted as saying that
what one does to one's neighbour will decide who gains access to
heaven hereafter (Mt. 25:31-46). Thus, Jesus is very explicit on
what constitutes the will of God, or what God requires from human
beings who desire to earn His blessings here and hereafter. Teofilo
Cabestrero quotes Edward Schillebeeckx as noting "love that has
only the vertical dimension, toward God, without the dimension
toward humanity, would be a pseudo-charity, a pseudo-religion."^
That seems to be an obvious interpretation of the Scripture which
enjoins that human beings should "Love one another; for love is of
God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God", while "he
who does not love does not know God; for God is love" (1John
4:7-X). It would does appear clear that anyone who does not love
or do good, or anyone who is uncharitable, stingy, merciless or
wicked cannot find joy and peace with God, eschatologically
speaking, whether one were talking of prophetic or apocalyptic
eschalology as documented in the Bible.
____________________
38
Edward Schillcheeckx, in an Interview with Teofilo Cabestrero, Faith:
Conversations with Contemporary Theologians: Ladislaus Boros, Georges
Casalis, Jose Comblin, Enrique D. Dussel, Segundo Galilea, Giulio Girardi, Jose
Maria Gonzalez, Hans Kung, Jurgen Moltmann, Karl Rahner, Joseph Ratzinger,
Edward Schillebeeckx, Juan Luis Segundo, Jean Marie Tillard (Maryknoll, New
York: Orbis Books, 1981), p.166
Eschatology in Critical Theological Discourse
This sub-title is not to suggest that what has been done so far has
not been critical. In this section, the locus is on what some liberal
theologians have said about Christian eschatology. Richard P.
McBrien notes that:
The liberals hold that Jesus himself did not intend a Church because he expected
the Kingdom of God as imminent: at first within his own lifetime, and then as
something that would come about immediately after his death. The disciples,
therefore, expected the Second Coming in the very near future. They
perceived themselves as the ultimate Messianic Community of the Saints, the
elect of the final generation who would soon enter a new form of being in the
new aeon. With the further delay of the parousia, the post apostolic Church
abandoned this Pauline view and assumed organizational form of a type that
suggested some historical permanence. 39
The originators and holders of this view include, as McBrien notes,
Johannes Weiss, Albert Schweitzer, Adolf HArnack, and Martin
Werner.40 In consonance with that, Dermot A. Lane notes that the
important work of Johanness Weiss, Jesus's Proclamation of the
Kingdom of God, has triggered off the twentieth century interest in
eschatology. As he notes, "Weiss argued that eschatology was at
the very centre of first-century Christianity and that if we are to
understand the gospel of Jesus we must come to grips with
eschatology". Lane explains further that the "emphasis was taken
up and continued by Albert Schweitzer". According to Lane:
This biblical focus in turn was complemented by the many questions about the
future of humanity arising out of the horrors of (wo world wars and the Jewish
holocaust. Further, the sixties saw the development of different theologies of
hope (J. Moltman, W. Pannenberg), and the seventies the emergence of political
theology in Europe and liberation theology in Latin America. In addition,
eschatology has been given a new urgency through the result of the real
possibility of a nuclear destruction of the human race and the world.41
___________________________
39
Richard P. McBrien, ibid., p. 575.
Ibid.
41
Dermot A. Lane, ibid., p. 337f
40
Of course, circumstances can encourage human beings to reflect on
certain subjects at certain historical periods. McBrien presents a
long l i s t of theologians and their viewpoints on eschatology. The
list includes both Roman Catholic and Protestant theologians.42 In
essence, they all uphold the centrality of eschatology to
Christianity as encapsulated in the concept of the kingdom of God, as
proclaimed and pursued by Jesus.
Eschatology Today
It has been stated from the very beginning, in the introductory
section of this article that eschatology seems to be in eclipse in this
age. The preoccupation here is to elaborate a little bit on that
point, and to look into the causes, and their evaluation, toward a
balanced state of being a Christian, eschatologically speaking.
The talk about the eclipse of Christian eschatology may
not appear to be as grave as it is to some theologians, but as far
back as 1973, Seef Konijin, from Holland, noted that "most young
people take a pretty skeptical line abut the whole thing."4 Vittorio
Messori, an Italian, who wrote in 1985, was earlier quoted as
making a similar observation about the apparent eclipse of
Christian eschatological doctrine. Peter C. Phan, from the Catholic
University of America, in his own work which dates 1997,
explains that "the misuse and abuse of eschatology, combined with I
he overly individualistic and otherworldly casting of this doctrine,
were among the factors that eventually brought about the silence of
many preachers about the afterlife."
In oilier words, because Christian eschatology became
extremely otherworldly, many contemporary Christians could not
see the relevance of it to then daily lives. As Phan further notes,
______________________________
42
Richard P. McBnen. Ibid., pp.1138-1154.
Seel Konijn, ibid., p. 115.
44
Peter C. Phan, ibid., p. 17.
43
they were no longer moved by the stereotyped "fire-and-brimstone
sermons."
Along that line, there was also the ancient abuse of the
Indulgence, in relation to the purgatory doctrine. Although, as
Ratzinger notes, the concept of Indulgence "has lost a lot of
meaning since it is not plausible in terms of today's thinking,"46 it
must have contributed one way or the other to the decline of
Christian eschatology.
Moreover, one would think that the emergence of many
Pentecostal churches that emphasise breakthrough miracles and
prosperity gospel which stresses t h i s worldly success tends to
obliterate seeking the heavenly kingdom of God, to an alarming
extent. The general impression m one's perception is that many
Pentecostals preach the faith in the light of realised eschatology.
John F. Mat-Arthur. Jr., notes that:
Virtually every false religion ever spawned by man worships a god whose
function is to deliver some sort of cargo. That is, human religions invent gods for
utilitarian reasons: the deities exist to serve men. rather than the other way
around. World Faith theology has turned Christianity into a system no different
from the lowest human religions - a form of voodoo where God can be coerced,
cajoled, manipulated, controlled, and exploited for the Christian's own ends.' 47
The import of this quotation is that dubious Pentecostals, like
every charlatan, can be misleading, and dangerous to Christian
faith, including the eschatological aspect of the faith. It should be
noted that hardly can one find a church that has not been affected
by Pentecostalism, both in terms of seeking for miracles and in
materialistic distraction. With particular reference to materialism,
William E. McManus. the American retired Catholic Bishop of
Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, noted that:
__________________________
45
Ibid.
46
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, with Vittorio Messori, ibid., p. 147.
47
John F. MacArthur, Jr.. Charismatic Chaos: Signs and Wonders, Speaking in
Tongues, Health, Wealth and Prosperity, Charismatic Televangelism, Does God
Still Speak Today? (Michigan: OASIS International Ltd., 1992), p. 265
During most of this century, bishops and pastors were caught up in a building
craze, and the laity readily joined in the fun. In selling budgets for new buildings,
particularly for elaborate churches, the sky was the limit: but diocesan and Church
employees, particularly the unskilled, were as poor as church mice and trapped
into low-paying jobs with no possibility for advancement and no promise of an
adequate pension.48
Although this observation was made as far back as 1986, the
situation has not changed in the perception of this research.
Sylvanus Okechukwu notes in 2004, for instance, how the Catholic
Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Nigeria, has 93 employees, and most of
them were paid salaries that could not meet their basic personal
needs, not to talk of dependants. He said the same situation
applied to diocesan and parish employees in Nigeria, generally
speaking.49 In respect of West Africa as a whole, Moses Audi notes
that:
The communities of West Africa are becoming more and more corrupt. The
religious people have no moral influence in the society because nothing makes
them different. Religion has lost its ability to modify relationships, interests,
manners and actions 50
In the same vein, Bernard Joinet notes generally that "modern
society" is seen to be "godless, corrupt and promiscuous".
___________________
48
William E. McManus, "Getting Our House in Order", in Dennis M. Corrado and
James F. Hinchey (eds), Shepherds Speak: American Bishops Confront the Social
and Moral Issues that Challenge Christians Today (New York: The Crossroad
Publishing Company, 1978). p. 69.
49
Sylvanus Okechukwu, "Relevance of the Church to Human Rights and the
Challenges of the Pastoral Ministry in A Pluralistic Society", in Maurice Jiwike,
The Challenges of Pastoral Ministry in Pluralistic Society (Owerri: Assumpta
Press, 2004), p. 28f.
50
Muses Audi, "An Overview of Contemporary Godliness in the Morality of West
African Society", in Joshua N. Kudadjie, Rebecca Y. Ganusah, and Adekunle
Alalade (eds). Religion, Morality and West African Society (Accra: West African
Association of Theological Institutions, 2002), p. 109.
51
Bernard Joinet The Challenge of Modernity in Africa (Nairobi: Paulines
Publication Africa, 2000), p.5
All of that seems to be too far afield from Christian eschatology,
which can be summarized as seeking the kingdom of God here and
hereafter. While the miracles of Jesus indicate that God is not
opposed to earthly well-being. He is quoted as asserting that
nothing can be more treasured than entrance into the heavenly
kingdom of God (Mat. 13:44-45; Mark S:36 37). Lucien Richard
quotes Jurgen Moltmann as aptly stating that "each of us has
waiting for us in our lives a measure of suffering which we are
called upon to assume in solidarity with all who suffer."" Within
the context of this study, the implication is that faith in miracle
cannot remove all the burden of the cross from I he life of a
Christian, just as indicated by Jesus (Mat. 10.38). And that
constitutes a challenge for faithful Christians, to embrace their
crosses, and follow His footsteps.
At the same time, as Richard further notes in an
eschatological reference to J. B. Metz's Faith in History and
Society. it should be emphasized that "all social institution and
transformation are provisional and cannot be identified with the
kingdom of God." It would seem, of course, that "the kingdom of
God" in that quotation refers to heaven, rather than the aspiration
to build the kingdom of God on earth. Because the latter is
transitory, though desirable. Jesus plausibly enjoins that Christians
should not forget to keep treasure in heaven, where there is
absolute security (Mat. 6:19 - 20). In practical terms, there seems
to be no other way of storing treasure in heaven, as Jesus enjoins,
than through generosity, merciful and compassionate acts. That is
clearly stated in the three synoptic Gospel accounts (Mat. 19:21;
Mark 10:21, and Luke 18:22).
Conclusion
This eschatological review has featured a fairly elaborate definition of
the term, "eschatology", due to the diversity that characterizes
___________________________
52
Lucien Richard, What Are They Saying About the Theology of Suffering (New
York: Paulist Press. 1992), D. 52.
53
Ibid. p. 70.
its conception. Basically, it is discovered that the two forms of
eschatology, prophetic and apocalyptic, that are found in the
O.T. a r e the same w i t h the eschatological ideas that are
contained in the teaching of Jesus. While prophetic eschatology
emphasizes earthly well-being, based on justice, mercy
and generosity, as indispensable conditions for earning
God's favour, apocalyptic eschatology stresses the notion of
reward hereafter for positive heroic faith and action fulfilled
while on earth.
The study establishes the concern that eschatology
has hugely diminished in contemporary Christianity, despite its
being acknowledged by many eminent theologians as the
key to comprehending the life and mission of Jesus. Many
prominent theological scholars hold that no one can claim to
know Jesus, without viewing Him with an appropriate
eschatological lens. The decline of Christian eschatology is
said to anchor on the general decline of religion, with
particular reference to its ability to influence good behaviour
and action. The religious set-back in turn is said to feed on
widespread materialism and financial fraud, globally speaking.
It is a common observation, among many Christian scholars,
that there is a predominant over-preoccupation with miracles
and earthly desires, which leave little or no room for generosity,
mercy, compassionate acts, and humanitarian sacrifice, as
enjoined by Jesus, with special reference to the idea of the
cross, inward eschatological benefits.