Ascension Theology

by Douglas B. Farrow

Ascension Theology places the doctrine of the ascension in the context of the biblical narrative of descent and ascent, in order to shed light on 'the upward call of God in Christ Jesus' and on the eucharistic community that hears and answers that call. It is a book for the Church as well as the academy.

Ascension Theology also offers a contemporary account of the Eucharist itself. It addresses the relation of the heavenly session of Christ to the conflicting currents of the present age, and the transformation to the life of the world to come. Specialist and non-specialist alike will find much to ponder in its traditional yet controversial claims.

Genres: Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2011

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, but very heavy academic work. The last two chapters are a little weaker than the rest of the book. It is very catholic, but I still found it helpful. I wouldn’t recommend for a lay person. It is a beautiful book. The pages and art are gorgeous and that made it more fun to read.

[Phillip Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Ascension and Ecclesia, but a lot of this book is very good. The conversion to Rome and the new catholic theology defended here is not something I subscribe to but it doesn’t keep me from recommending it. As my good friend Dustin Coleman often says, just like taking vitamins we want to keep the good nutrients but the rest needs to run right through you and flushed down the toilet. There are some good nutrients in here!

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Very good study of the ascension, but runs into problems when he frames the ascension according to catholic dogmas of Mary, eucharist, St Peters etc etc

[Aeisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farrow, a recent convert to Catholicism, does a really nice job of unpacking what the doctrine of the ascension is. The first three chapters give a really good overview of the narrative logic of scripture, and how it leads to the ascension (chapter 1); the historical manner the ascension has been treated, especially from the perspective of Origen, and those like Schleiermacher, who see the ascension as an ascension of the mind, only; the different take of Irenaeus of Lyon (chatper 3), and what is really at stake in terms of the identity of Jesus and the church (chapter 4). Then comes an amazing chapter on the Eucharist. It's basically a defense of transubstantiation from the perspective of the ascension, and I think it's probably the best defense of transubstantiation (besides Herbert McCabe's) that I have every read.

The last two chapters however- on politics and the atonement - really lacked something. Especially the one on politics. He seems to be a very zealous new Catholic, so that he gives more weight to the Pope's authority that most other Catholic theologians I've read. And like the current Pope, he has this idea that western culture is somehow the embodiment of the gospel, and that we're now loosing that culture through law. I'm kind of astonished that he doesn't take a more radical insight into how the Lordship of Jesus in the ascension relativizes all authority, including churchly authority (the way he puts on Jesus giving the "keys" of kingdom to Peter is case in point: does he think that the book of Acts or Paul in Galatians was misunderstanding Jesus, since Peter seems to be just one of the pillars, not the pillar, of the church? Does he think that a "kingdom of priests" needs a head other than Christ?).

But in general this is an excellent book. I recommend it!

[Mary Juno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best theology books I have read in the past year. This is theology the way it is supposed to be written: engaging, clear, and inspirational-even for a lay reader. Additionally, the book contains colored illustrations of paintings and icons depiciting the Ascension. Farrow argues against popular Platonic conceptions of heavenly participation of the mind, in favor of the embodiment and mediation of our Heavenly Priest as the proper focus of the beatific vision. Importantly, he explains how the ascension relates to our understanding of the Eucharist, and why our eucharisic proclamations speak to the culture of death we live in today.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and useful.