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Eschatology, Liturgy, and Christology: Toward Recovering an Eschatological Imagination
"If Christian hope is reduced to the salvation of the soul in a heaven beyond death," wrote Jürgen Moltmann, "it loses its power to renew life and change the world, and its flame is quenched." Thomas Rausch, SJ, agrees, arguing that too often the hoped-for eschaton has been replaced by an almost exclusive emphasis on the "four last things"-death and judgment, heaven and hell. But eschatology cannot be reduced to the individual salvation.
In his new book, Rausch explores eschatology's intersections with Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and, perhaps most intriguingly, liturgy. With the early Christians, he sees God's future as a radically social reality, already present initially in Christian worship, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. This fresh and insightful work of theology engages voices both ancient and contemporary.
In his new book, Rausch explores eschatology's intersections with Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and, perhaps most intriguingly, liturgy. With the early Christians, he sees God's future as a radically social reality, already present initially in Christian worship, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. This fresh and insightful work of theology engages voices both ancient and contemporary.
184 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
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19 people want to read
About the author
Thomas P. Rausch
51 books8 followersFather Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Ph.D. (Religion, Duke University, 1976; S.T.M., Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, 1972; M.A. Gonzaga University, 1967; B.A., Gonzaga, 1966), is the Emeritus T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and an ordained Roman Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) order. He was rector of the Jesuit community at Loyola Marymount 1988–1994, and chair of the department of Theological Studies 1994–2000.
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August 18, 2024
As the title indicates, this is an academic book addressing an important yet neglected topic. Writing from a Roman Catholic perspective, there are subpoints with which Protestants won't agree. Yet framing our soteriology, ecclesiology, and missiology within a Christocentric eschatology is something every Christian leader should be able to do. Rausch's book will help. What follows is my summary.
Thomas Rausch unpacks what he means by the church as “an eschatological reality, a pilgrim church journeying through time toward a fulfillment that is at once historical, social, and cosmic.”
His first chapter addresses the loss of the eschatological imagination in the Church. Whereas the emphasis of the Church for the first 8 centuries was primarily on the coming of the Kingdom in its fullness (eschatology), this shifted to the destiny of the individual regarding death, judgment, heaven, and hell (soteriology). In the liturgies and theologies of the Church, “judgment” replaced “presence” as a focus.
In recent times, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Kingdom. This has helped recover a sense of mission for the Church, but an emphasis on “kingdom values” and human flourishing has come at the expense of the eschatological promise revealed in the resurrected Christ and presence of the Spirit in the Church. Working for social justice, while good, may reflect a “secular Kingdom” that relegates the work of Christ to the betterment of this world. Both the individualized faith focused on one’s personal destiny and the secularized faith focused on human flourishing have elements of truth, yet fall short of the fullness of the Kingdom promised by the Spirit and revealed in the resurrected Christ. Rausch challenges us to see beyond this creation to the coming New Creation in Christ to which the Church witnesses. We start from the end (resurrection of Christ) and work backward rather than building toward the Kingdom. From a Christological perspective on eschatology, salvation is less about where we go when we die than about who we’ll resemble when we rise. The resurrected Jesus is our salvation.
Rausch then traces eschatological revelation through the Old and Inter-Testimental periods including the development of the ideas of heaven, hell, and a cosmic salvation, which paved the way for the message of Jesus and his gospel of the Kingdom.
In his chapter on “The Way of Jesus,” Rausch identifies three expressions of the way of Jesus found in Scripture: entering into a new family, the invitation to become a disciple, and living under the reign of God. All center in some sense on practicing the way of Jesus. This includes both following and imitating Jesus. It is important, however, not to miss that the way of Jesus is empowered by the kingdom breaking into the present – not our striving toward it in the future. Christianity concerns what God has done. Following in the way of Jesus is the consequence. The kingdom of God doesn’t evolve, but appears. It is enacted.
The uniqueness of discipleship to Jesus is its dependency on the resurrection. In the fourth chapter, Rausch discusses how resurrected physicality is similar and different from the material life we currently know. Rausch posits that the resurrected body will be animated by the Spirit of Jesus rather than the human soul. Though we will experience resurrection individually, we will not experience it autonomously. Our identities and being are determined by embodied relationships, which will in some mysterious sense continue transformed in our resurrected state. Resurrection is understood as more than immortality, but unending communion with God. The resurrection is an event that takes place on the other side of death, and yet through Jesus our post-death nature has appeared on this side. This changes everything.
In a chapter delineating between the eschata (plural, “the completion of our personal stories”) and the eschaton (singular, the fullness of God’s Kingdom and the triumph of God’s justice). It’s here that Rausch defines the “soul” and discusses hell, purgatory, and heaven. Hell, he suggests, is a state of being rather than a place. It is the experience of those who have “closed themselves off from God and others and so cannot escape their self-chosen solitude.” Purgatory is symbolic language for the burning away of self-centeredness. And Heaven is our perfect communion with God and others.
The intersection of Christology and eschatology is best experienced and revealed in the liturgy of the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is the meal of the kingdom.” Rausch celebrates the renewal in Catholic liturgy that has reintroduced elements of community, hospitality, and social justice. He welcomes this as a corrective to the Catholic tendency to focus on “the change of elements” or the Protestant tendency to truncate the meaning of the Eucharist and disconnect it from life. In the Eucharist there is an integration of the past (remembering), the present (participating), and the future (the promise). It is “food for the journey” that draws us into the story of Christ – his death, resurrection, ascension, and reign.
In his final chapter, Rausch summarizes much of his preceding thought, though adds to it discussions on the mission of the church and evidence of the Kingdom outside of the institution of the church. I particularly liked his emphasis that the mission of the church cannot be limited to our witnessing or working to bring about God’s reign, “as important as that is,” but must include and begin with God’s promises. He writes that the mission of the church
Rausch helps us cultivate a complete understanding of soteriology, ecclesiology, and missiology by understanding the eschatological role of Jesus Christ. At its center, this is Christology that frames all of history within the reality of Jesus, the resurrected Christ.
Thomas Rausch unpacks what he means by the church as “an eschatological reality, a pilgrim church journeying through time toward a fulfillment that is at once historical, social, and cosmic.”
His first chapter addresses the loss of the eschatological imagination in the Church. Whereas the emphasis of the Church for the first 8 centuries was primarily on the coming of the Kingdom in its fullness (eschatology), this shifted to the destiny of the individual regarding death, judgment, heaven, and hell (soteriology). In the liturgies and theologies of the Church, “judgment” replaced “presence” as a focus.
In recent times, there has been a renewed emphasis on the Kingdom. This has helped recover a sense of mission for the Church, but an emphasis on “kingdom values” and human flourishing has come at the expense of the eschatological promise revealed in the resurrected Christ and presence of the Spirit in the Church. Working for social justice, while good, may reflect a “secular Kingdom” that relegates the work of Christ to the betterment of this world. Both the individualized faith focused on one’s personal destiny and the secularized faith focused on human flourishing have elements of truth, yet fall short of the fullness of the Kingdom promised by the Spirit and revealed in the resurrected Christ. Rausch challenges us to see beyond this creation to the coming New Creation in Christ to which the Church witnesses. We start from the end (resurrection of Christ) and work backward rather than building toward the Kingdom. From a Christological perspective on eschatology, salvation is less about where we go when we die than about who we’ll resemble when we rise. The resurrected Jesus is our salvation.
Rausch then traces eschatological revelation through the Old and Inter-Testimental periods including the development of the ideas of heaven, hell, and a cosmic salvation, which paved the way for the message of Jesus and his gospel of the Kingdom.
In his chapter on “The Way of Jesus,” Rausch identifies three expressions of the way of Jesus found in Scripture: entering into a new family, the invitation to become a disciple, and living under the reign of God. All center in some sense on practicing the way of Jesus. This includes both following and imitating Jesus. It is important, however, not to miss that the way of Jesus is empowered by the kingdom breaking into the present – not our striving toward it in the future. Christianity concerns what God has done. Following in the way of Jesus is the consequence. The kingdom of God doesn’t evolve, but appears. It is enacted.
The uniqueness of discipleship to Jesus is its dependency on the resurrection. In the fourth chapter, Rausch discusses how resurrected physicality is similar and different from the material life we currently know. Rausch posits that the resurrected body will be animated by the Spirit of Jesus rather than the human soul. Though we will experience resurrection individually, we will not experience it autonomously. Our identities and being are determined by embodied relationships, which will in some mysterious sense continue transformed in our resurrected state. Resurrection is understood as more than immortality, but unending communion with God. The resurrection is an event that takes place on the other side of death, and yet through Jesus our post-death nature has appeared on this side. This changes everything.
In a chapter delineating between the eschata (plural, “the completion of our personal stories”) and the eschaton (singular, the fullness of God’s Kingdom and the triumph of God’s justice). It’s here that Rausch defines the “soul” and discusses hell, purgatory, and heaven. Hell, he suggests, is a state of being rather than a place. It is the experience of those who have “closed themselves off from God and others and so cannot escape their self-chosen solitude.” Purgatory is symbolic language for the burning away of self-centeredness. And Heaven is our perfect communion with God and others.
The intersection of Christology and eschatology is best experienced and revealed in the liturgy of the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is the meal of the kingdom.” Rausch celebrates the renewal in Catholic liturgy that has reintroduced elements of community, hospitality, and social justice. He welcomes this as a corrective to the Catholic tendency to focus on “the change of elements” or the Protestant tendency to truncate the meaning of the Eucharist and disconnect it from life. In the Eucharist there is an integration of the past (remembering), the present (participating), and the future (the promise). It is “food for the journey” that draws us into the story of Christ – his death, resurrection, ascension, and reign.
In his final chapter, Rausch summarizes much of his preceding thought, though adds to it discussions on the mission of the church and evidence of the Kingdom outside of the institution of the church. I particularly liked his emphasis that the mission of the church cannot be limited to our witnessing or working to bring about God’s reign, “as important as that is,” but must include and begin with God’s promises. He writes that the mission of the church
cannot prescind from the promise that all nations will know God’s salvation (Isa 11:9), from Paul’s proclamation of the resurrection of the dead, already begun in Christ, and the recapitulation of all things in Christ (1 Cor 15:24-28), from the Johannine promise of our share in the life of God as Father, Son, and Spirit (John 14:23-26), or from the promise of a new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1, 2 Pet 3:13). In Christian tradition the kingdom of God is inconceivable apart from Christ, and it is already present in an initial way through his resurrection.
Rausch helps us cultivate a complete understanding of soteriology, ecclesiology, and missiology by understanding the eschatological role of Jesus Christ. At its center, this is Christology that frames all of history within the reality of Jesus, the resurrected Christ.
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