Visions of a Future A study of Christian Eschatology

220 Pages·1989·12.111 MB·English

by  Zachary Hayes

Visions of a Future
A Study of Christian Eschatology
NEW THEOLOGY SERIES
General Editor: Peter C. Phan
*
Editorial Consultants:
Monika Hellwig
Robert Imbelli
Robert Schreiter
*
Volume 8: Visions of a Future
Visions of a Future
A Study of Christian Eschatology
by
Zachary Hayes,
o.f.m.
Michael Glazier
Wilmington, Delaware
About the Author
Zachary Hayes, O.F.M., is professor of systematic theology and the
history of Christian doctrine at the Catholic Theological Union in
Chicago. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Bonn,
Germany, and has been awarded two honorary doctorates in humane
letters. An active member of the Catholic Theological Society of
America, he has published numerous books and articles on the history
of doctrine.
First published in 1989 by Michael Glazier, Inc., 1935 West Fourth Street, Wilmington,
Delaware 19805.
Copyright © 1989 by Michael Glazier, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher Michael
Glazier, 1935 West Fourth Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19805.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hayes, Zachary.
Visions of a future.
(New theology texts)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Eschatology—History of doctrines.
I. Title. II. Series.
BT819.5.H38 1988 236 88-82462
ISBN 0-89453-742-3
ISBN New Theology Texts: 0-89453-776-8
The Bible text in this publication is from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible,
copyrighted 1946, 1952 © 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.
Cover Design by Pat Harris
Typography by Angela Meades
Printed in the United States of America by Edwards Brothers
For my beloved nephew
Paul Kulczyk

Table of Contents
Editor’s Preface . 9
Introduction. 11
Chapter 1: The Story of Hope in the Hebrew Scriptures . 15
1. A Seed of Hope in the Midst of Ambiguity . 16
2. A Paradigm of Hope. 18
a) Call and Covenant . 18
b) A Crisis of Hope . 19
c) Hope and History. 21
d) Ambiguity and Hope . 22
3. The Mosaic and Davidic Covenants. 23
a) The Exodus Experience . 23
b) The Monarchy . 24
4. Prophecy . 26
a) Prophecy in the pre-Exilic Period . 26
b) Development of the Theme of Hope . 27
5. Late Development of Jewish Thought. 29
a) Wisdom Literature . 29
b) Sheol . 30
c) Apocalyptic . 31
1) The Problem of Apocalyptic. 31
2) Apocalyptic in the Hebrew Scriptures . 36
3) Theological Significance of Apocalyptic . 38
6. Conclusions on the Hebrew Scriptures . 39
Chapter 2: The Story of Christian Hope . 43
1. Jesus and the Kingdom of God . . 44
a) The Centrality of the Kingdom . 44
b) Nuances of the Kingdom-Metaphor. 45
5
6 Table of Contents
c) The God of the Kingdom. 47
d) A Kingdom of Love . 50
e) The Death of Jesus . 50
2. The Resurrection. 52
3. Early Christian Expectation . 56
4. Eschatology in the Gospel of John . 59
5. Other Apocalyptic Material . 62
a) The Synoptic Gospels and the Petrine Epistles. 62
b) Revelation . 64
6. Conclusions on the Christian Development . 66
Chapter 3: Philosophical Basis for
Systematic Eschatology . 69
1. Anthropological Reflections . 71
a) The Phenomenon of Human Transcendence . 71
b) Time and Historicity . 80
c) Relation . 87
2. Language of the Future and Eschatological Symbols . 89
a) The Nature of Eschatological Language . 89
b) Eschatological Language as
Non-Literal Discourse . 91
c) Limits and Function of
Eschatological Language . 93
Chapter 4: Eschatology and Individual Destiny. 96
1. The Theology of Death . 97
a) The Biblical Tradition . 97
b) Death in the Theological Tradition .101
1) Death and Sin.101
2) Death as Separation of Soul and Body .102
3) Death as End of Personal History.103
c) Death in Contemporary Theology.105
2. Related Questions .109
a) Death and Sin .109
b) Death and Judgment.110
c) Death and Purgation .Ill
d) Christian Piety: Suffrages for the Dead .119
e) Limbo .119
Chapter 5: History and Eschatology.126
1. Theology of History .126