Consistent eschatology (Thoroughgoing eschatology) is a theory in theological and

biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...

that interprets Jesus "in exclusively eschatological terms". The view was initiated by

Johannes Weiss Johannes Weiss (December 13, 1863 – August 24, 1914) was a German Protestant theologian and biblical exegete. He was a member of the history of religions school. History Weiss was born in Kiel as son of Bernhard Weiss. A perpetual scholar, he ...

, and "picked up, developed, and popularized" by

Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was an Alsatian-German/French polymath. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. A Lutheran minister, Schwei ...

. It is an exclusive

futuristic The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that negati ...

, the consistent interpretation of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

' eschatology as an expectation of an imminent end, and the thorough-going eschatology, the first position by

. He used a thorough eschatology to provide a solution to the historical problems associated with Jesus' life. According to this view, asserted by

(J. Weiß), the proclamation of Jesus, his actions and ministry are dominated by the eschatological expectation of the impending return. (For example, "the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk. 1:15).) It has been described by one critic (George Eldon Ladd) as picturing

Jesus as a deluded Jewish apocalyptist who proclaimed an eschatological kingdom which never came and which never can come. Jesus had no message about the rule of God in the world or his divine purpose for mankind in history. He believed, mistakenly, that God was about to break off history and establish his eschatological kingdom in which he, Jesus, would be elevated to the glorious status of the Son of Man.

As a

, it is in contrast to "

realized eschatology Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory popularized by J.A.T. Robinson, Joachim Jeremias, Ethelbert Stauffer (1902- 1979), and C. H. Dodd (1884–1973) that holds that the eschatological passages in the New Testament do not refe ...

", which sees the

kingdom of God The concept of the kingship of God appears in all Abrahamic religions, where in some cases the terms Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are also used. The notion of God's kingship goes back to the Hebrew Bible, which refers to "his kingdom" b ...

as not in the future but already completed in the ministry of Jesus Christ, (realized eschatology explaining the lack of apocalyptic upheaval and conquering Kingdom of God that Jesus's followers had been expecting). It has evolved into

inaugurated eschatology Inaugurated eschatology is the belief in Christian theology that the end times were inaugurated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and thus there are both "already" and "not yet" aspects to the Kingdom of God. George Eldon Ladd sugges ...

which started the synthesis of the consistent eschatology by

and

C. H. Dodd Charles Harold Dodd (1884–1973) was a Welsh New Testament scholar and influential Protestant theologian. He is known for promoting "realized eschatology", the belief that Jesus' references to the kingdom of God meant a present reality rathe ...

George Eldon Ladd George Eldon Ladd (July 31, 1911 – October 5, 1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, known in Christian eschatology for his promotion of inaugura ...

, ''A Theology of the New Testament'' (1993)
page 70
Ted M. Dorman, "The Future of Biblical Theology," in Scott J. Hafemann (ed.), ''Biblical Theology: Retrospect and Prospect'', 252.

Books

(1959). The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. . *

, ''The Mystery of the Kingdom of God: The Secret of Jesus' Messiahship and Passion''. (1914), Prometheus Books. 1985. {{ISBN, 0-87975-294-7

References

Christian eschatology Christian terminology

See also

Books

References