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, with ''Bible'' referring to the books of the canonical Hebrew Bible in mainstream Jewish usage and the Christian Bible including the can ...
that interprets Jesus "in exclusively eschatological terms".
The view was initiated by
Johannes Weiss, and "picked up, developed, and popularized" by
Albert Schweitzer
Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
.
It is an exclusive
futuristic eschatology
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...
, the consistent interpretation of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
' eschatology as an expectation of an imminent end, and the thorough-going eschatology, the first position by Schweitzer. He used a thorough eschatology to provide a solution to the historical problems associated with Jesus' life. According to this view, asserted by
Johannes Weiss (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
George Eldon Ladd (July 31, 1911 – October 5, 1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament theology and exegesis at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, known in Christian eschatology for his promotion of inaugura ...
) 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
futuristic eschatology
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...
, it is in contrast to "
realized eschatology
Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory popularised 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 r ...
", 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" ...
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 sugge ...
which started the synthesis of the consistent eschatology of Schweitzer and the
realized eschatology
Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory popularised 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 r ...
of
C. H. Dodd.
George Eldon Ladd
George Eldon Ladd (July 31, 1911 – October 5, 1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament theology and exegesis 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.]
See also
*
realized eschatology
Realized eschatology is a Christian eschatological theory popularised 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 r ...
*
Apocalypticism
Apocalypticism is the religious belief that the Eschatology, end of the world is imminent, even within one's own lifetime. This belief is usually accompanied by the idea that civilization will soon come to a tumultuous end due to some sort of ...
*
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a minor branch of study within Christian theology which deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. The word eschatology derives from two Greek roots meaning "last ...
*
Idealism (Christian eschatology)
*
Kingdom theology
Kingdom theology is a system of Christian thought that elaborates on inaugurated eschatology, which is a way of understanding the various teachings on the kingdom of God found throughout the New Testament. Its emphasis is that the purpose of bo ...
*
Jesuism
*
Postmillennialism
In Christian eschatology (end-times theology), postmillennialism, or postmillenarianism, is an interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation which sees Christ's second coming as occurring ''after'' (Latin ''post-'') the "Millennium", a ...
*
World to Come
The world to come, age to come, heaven on Earth, and the Kingdom of God are eschatology, eschatological phrases reflecting the belief that the World (theology), current world or Dispensation (period), current age is flawed or cursed and will be r ...
References
Sources
*
George Eldon Ladd
George Eldon Ladd (July 31, 1911 – October 5, 1982) was a Baptist minister and professor of New Testament theology and exegesis at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, known in Christian eschatology for his promotion of inaugura ...
(1959). The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. .
*
Albert Schweitzer
Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German and French polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, ...
, ''The Mystery of the Kingdom of God: The Secret of Jesus' Messiahship and Passion''. (1914), Prometheus Books. 1985. {{ISBN, 0-87975-294-7
Christian eschatology
Christian terminology