Comments on: Two Different Ways the Bible Looks at the "End"

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:09:57 +0000

The question of redemption is an interesting one. There is, but it is always kind of like the end of Law and Order where you think there is resolution, but its never total. In 1984 its a love of Big Brother, in Brave New World its suicide, and in Fahrenheit 451 it is all in memory and the ability to rebuild only after everything is destroyed. So it’s a very incomplete kind of redemption. But I’ll have to ponder that a bit more.

I just posted something on homeschooling that deals with the same thing that you are asking in the second paragraph. It is a very interesting phenomenon. It is like going from intentional alienation, to de-alienation, but maintaining that separatist mentality. Like the Orthodox Jews in a way – only more socially motivated to get the world to capitulate to their idea of redemption alone.

I would think that doing a comparative analysis of apocalyptic literature from the Bible and from the 20th century would be a good paper though. You know, in my spare time.

By: Patrick George McCullough

Patrick George McCullough — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:13:44 +0000

Interesting observations, Drew. It’s been awhile since I’ve read 1984. Does the dystopia literature offer some sort of “vindication” for the “righteous ones” that might parallel apocalyptic eschatology of early Judaism and Christianity? I seem to remember only a negative image of the future as a kind of pronouncement of where things are headed in our society. Refresh my memory… is there a way that a particular group of people are encouraged to remain faithful to a particular cause or world view in the dystopia literature?

I hadn’t done as much thinking about contemporary forms of apocalyptic eschatology. I am especially interested in those movements that see a break with society around them (e.g., certain forms of dispensational fundamentalism). I think the transformation of fundamentalism in our country from separatist to activist adds an interesting twist in their eschatology. It seems like they have made a move somewhat similar to going from apocalyptic eschatology (perseverance awaiting final vindication) to prophetic eschatology (trying to change the present situation–Zionism, etc.).

I’ll have to look more into the language of health and wealth gospel. I hadn’t thought much about it in this area. Thanks for bringing it up!

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:09:34 +0000

The other thing to keep in mind is that an eschatology is fundamentally a theodicy. It is the attempt to order what seems to be out of order. Or, in sociological terms, it is nomization in the midst of anomy.

So two things are interesting here (at least for the material in which I am engaged at the moment). The first is the literary apocalyptic that was really prevalent between the mid 1940’s and the 1960’s where we have books like Fahrenheit 451, 1984, DO Andoids Dream of Electric Sheep?, etc. All of these have in them a sense of negative utopia. It is this prophetic vision of the future, but in terms that mitigate human freedom in favor of social control.

The other is the currency in the US for health and wealth gospel preachers who couch eschatological pronouncements into present blessings. It’s not even something to look forwards to, it is something to possess now.

Both views seem to run counter to the eschatology (generally) of the New Testament which says that Christians will be persecuted, but will then be redeemed. What we read in Paul, the kingdom sayings of Jesus, and in John all point to the perseverance of the saints. Interesting that the negative dystopia literature, theistic in nature, seems to convey this message better than much of the televangelism we see.