Strange that going to an evangelical theological college can make one reconsider one's soteriology--the what and how of salvation. I've long been more tempted by a comprehensive view, claiming that Jesus didn't just come to "save our souls", but so that we might have life in abundance! (cf. Jn. 10:10), not just saving us up for Judgment Day, when we will begin to enjoy life eternal with the Father...but beginning to live out the inaugurated (by the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus) kingdom in the here and now. I guess this thinking is what's known as a supralapsarian (i.e., transcending the Fall) view. Terminology notwithstanding, it still beckons my thoughts and ponderings.
I ran across this paragraph that I think puts it well:
"Both the Bible and church tradition use different words and metaphors to describe and interpret God's mission of kingdom-building: re-captiulation, salvation, conversion, liberation, shalom-ing, reconciliation, transfiguration, etc. None of them should be 'reductive' of mission (RM 17). (Reductive examples: salvation applies only to 'souls', assumptions or only to those who are explicitly committed in faith and discipline to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour; reconciliation, only to human or only to God relationships; liberation, only to political, social or economic conditions, or only to personal sinfulness; transfiguration, only to persons, and not to all cultures, humanity itself, indeed the whole of creation.) 'The kingdom of God is the manifestation and the realization of God's plan of salvation in all its fullness' (RM 15). It is not for us and our words to separate what the Father and the Spirit already hold together in the Word."
- Stransky, T. F., "The Mission of the Church: Post-Vatican II Developments in 'Official' RC Theology," in Evangelical Review of Theology, vol. XXIII, no. 1, Jan. 1999. NB: "RM" = Redemptoris missio, Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II, 7 Dec. 1990.
One major pragmatic issue is how we incorporate this comprehensive, holistic soteriology into our common evangel. Certainly, as in the previous post, in part it means living out the life of God's people as the Church.
I'll go on thinking...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
Be careful reading those Papal encyclicals brother, it might just lead you to Rome :-)
But serious, RM is a great document and I highly recommend it to anyone, including non-Catholics obviously.
Pat,
You're right on, as usual, but I really think "good luck" when it comes to trying to persuade the larger body of evangelical Christians to be more holistic... maybe I'm just tired and need to shake the cynicism, but when I think about the conversations I've had and would have to have again to bring up such topics... it makes me want to crawl away into a small space and cry. -JohnQ
As I understand the Reformed discussion of Infralapsarian vs Supralapsarian, the key difference is in the "order of Creation." Did God declare who was elect and than create the world to reveal them (supra - election prior to the Fall), or did God create and then elect (Infra - Fall and then election). If supra, than Creation only has the purpose of revealing who are the elect and who are the reprobate. But if infra, than Creation can have other purposed beyond such revelation.
Thanks, Abu, John and Charlie, for these comments.
Abu: I'll keep reading!
John: Yes, I know the feeling. I often wonder if the (unfortunate) elitism present in a lot of evangelicalism I've seen is characteristic in a different way than in other traditions/theological expressions. Or, if in fact, we all tend in the direction of finding people who agree with us and then either defy or dismiss others.
Charlie: Admittedly, I'm still learning about supralapsarianism, but yes, I am leaning toward the pre-existent ekklesia. I'm not sure if I would go so far as to say that limits the purpose of creation to one thing only. After all, I'm not claiming that God only foreknew the ekklesia. And I struggle with the terminology of "the elect", as it tends toward emphasizing the individual as ultimate focal point of God's Creational plan...I prefer the Church, the People of God, etc.
P
Post a Comment