Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Christianity Today looks at tomorrow

The flagship of popular evangelicalism in the US, Christianity Today, has published an article by their editor-in-chief David Neff in which he argues that a healthy biblical eschatology leads us to more not less concern for ecological responsibility. Titled "Second Coming Eschatology: We care for the environment precisely because God will create a new earth", the article concludes like this:

When I was growing up, eschatology meant "end times"—that is, my church focused on the timing and manner of final events. But Jesus and the apostles played down the time element and even the manner of the End. Instead, they emphasized the inbreaking of God's rule and the way our ability to see his rule helps to transform the present.
If we are given that ability to see God at work, bringing the present into contact with the End, we cannot be indifferent to the way things are. We cannot be deaf to the groanings of Creation. And we can treasure every gift God gives us as a sign of his promises."
Articles like this give me some hope that the tide of popular Christian opinion may yet be turning.

3 comments:

Megan said...

thanks for this! this will be great for a sermon series I am doing at the moment (on having a social public ethic)

byron smith said...

Sounds like an interesting series - what are the topics?

Megan said...

yes good question - I have to decide in the next day or so- trying to cut down as have far too many at the moment at the moment - I have only preached the overview so far (i.e why Christians should engage in social action)