What do you think?
Rate this book
Christian Eschatology and the Physical Universe by David Wilkinson
Does matter matter? The scientific picture of the end of the physical Universe has undergone dramatic changes since the turn of the 21st century, with its future characterized by accelerated expansion and futility. Yet Christian theology has been largely silent on this, despite the interest in eschatology in popular culture and in theology itself. What can Christian theology learn from and contribute to the scientific picture of the future of the Universe? Can the biblical narratives of creation and new creation have a fruitful dialogue with scientific discoveries? David Wilkinson shows what a fruitful dialogue this can be. Critiquing the folk eschatology of the Left Behind series, the misguided faith of the scientific optimists and the lack of scientific engagement of the theologians of hope, Wilkinson argues for a rediscovery of the theological theme of new creation and the centrality of bodily resurrection.Â
Paperback
First published May 27, 2010
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
David Wilkinson
14 books4 followersDavid Adam Wilkinson is a British Methodist minister, theologian, astrophysicist and academic. He was the Principal of St John's College, Durham (2006-2023), and is a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. He remains at St John's College, having been appointed, in September 2023, Director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS), an international project based at St John’s College. He is the author of several books on the relationship between science and religion, and a regular contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4. He has a PhD in astrophysics and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 22, 2022
David Wilkinson has a keen scientific and theological mind; and he brings his intellect to bear on such matters as the futility of the universe and the God who has created it. He asks and seeks to answer many questions. Among them: What is the connection between the resurrection of Jesus and the future of the universe? Since this creation is one of space-time, will new creation consist of space-time or will it be an existence without time and space? How does the biblical story assist scientific inquiry in answering the deepest question of our existence, and how does science help us read Scripture in fresh ways? How can Scripture and science engage in helpful dialogue?
This book is a rich feast for the minds of those who believe that the relationship between Christianity and science is of great significance.
This book is a rich feast for the minds of those who believe that the relationship between Christianity and science is of great significance.
September 24, 2015
David Wilkinson begins by discussing the pessimistic scientific view of the future if the universe, which is most likely continuous expansion and heat death. He then discusses the responses of two theologians of hope: Jürgen Moltmann and Wolfhart Pannenberg and points out the shortcomings of their views on the topic of science and religion.
Next he explores the biblical literature in terms of the images of new creation and resurrection, looks at the nature of time and matter in the new creation, and opens up some of the implications for eschatology and the physical universe. He focuses on six specific passages: Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah 65:17-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 21:1-8, and Romans 8:18-30.
He concludes this discussion by noting six important considerations for systematic theology: (1) the centrality of the new creation, (2) God as creator and sustainer, (3) the new creation is a transformation, renewal, or purification of the present creation, rather than a total annihilation and beginning again, (4) a consistent theme of judgment, (5) questions about the relationship of human beings to the rest of the universe are raised, and (6) God is at work towards new creation both in the process and in the particular event.
Wilkinson then discusses what the biblical texts of the resurrection have to say about eschatology, pointing out that “the resurrection reminds us that God acts in this creation for its renewal and transformation” and that “transformation is a key concept for the biblical literature. The world is not annihilated in order to be re-created, nor does some inherently eternal part of creation survive into new creation. The resurrection demonstrates the transformation of the whole, whether it be the body of an individual or the world.”
He makes several Interesting connections between the resurrection and the new creation: (1) the biblical texts point us towards the importance of the action of God as a basis for hope for the future, (2) the biblical texts concerning resurrection point us towards the transformation of matter, (3) the resurrection body gives us some insights into the nature of transformation, and (4) the resurrection reminds us of the need of holding together continuity and discontinuity in any thinking about the future.
Wilkinson then discusses what his conclusions mean for the biological world, the doctrine of providence, the doctrine of hope in the areas of ethics and apologetics, and the dialogue between science and religion.
Wilkinson concludes with six questions and insights: (1) if Christian theology is to be in dialogue with the scientific picture of the future of the Universe, then it must take seriously the relationship between creation and new creation, (2) this tension can be held using the resurrection as a model of the relationship, (3) the movement between creation and new creation is transformation of the present creation rather than complete destruction of the old creation, (4) we should therefore expect pointers within this creation not just to a Creator God but also to a coming new creation, (5) the action of God and the faithfulness of God must be held together in both creation and new creation, and (6) we have tried to work out what the tension of continuity and discontinuity means in terms of space-time and the nature of matter in creation and new creation.
A focus of the entire book is on how much continuity and how much discontinuity there is between the present creation and the new creation.
This book is primarily a review of and commentary on the literature of each topic. It includes a 34-page bibliography and a 6-page modern author index. Wilkinson is not afraid to, and frequently does, criticize the views of others who have written about the same issues, then give his own views.
To appreciate this book, you have to seriously want to understand the issues, since the author discusses them in considerable detail, with numerous references to the literature.
Next he explores the biblical literature in terms of the images of new creation and resurrection, looks at the nature of time and matter in the new creation, and opens up some of the implications for eschatology and the physical universe. He focuses on six specific passages: Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah 65:17-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 21:1-8, and Romans 8:18-30.
He concludes this discussion by noting six important considerations for systematic theology: (1) the centrality of the new creation, (2) God as creator and sustainer, (3) the new creation is a transformation, renewal, or purification of the present creation, rather than a total annihilation and beginning again, (4) a consistent theme of judgment, (5) questions about the relationship of human beings to the rest of the universe are raised, and (6) God is at work towards new creation both in the process and in the particular event.
Wilkinson then discusses what the biblical texts of the resurrection have to say about eschatology, pointing out that “the resurrection reminds us that God acts in this creation for its renewal and transformation” and that “transformation is a key concept for the biblical literature. The world is not annihilated in order to be re-created, nor does some inherently eternal part of creation survive into new creation. The resurrection demonstrates the transformation of the whole, whether it be the body of an individual or the world.”
He makes several Interesting connections between the resurrection and the new creation: (1) the biblical texts point us towards the importance of the action of God as a basis for hope for the future, (2) the biblical texts concerning resurrection point us towards the transformation of matter, (3) the resurrection body gives us some insights into the nature of transformation, and (4) the resurrection reminds us of the need of holding together continuity and discontinuity in any thinking about the future.
Wilkinson then discusses what his conclusions mean for the biological world, the doctrine of providence, the doctrine of hope in the areas of ethics and apologetics, and the dialogue between science and religion.
Wilkinson concludes with six questions and insights: (1) if Christian theology is to be in dialogue with the scientific picture of the future of the Universe, then it must take seriously the relationship between creation and new creation, (2) this tension can be held using the resurrection as a model of the relationship, (3) the movement between creation and new creation is transformation of the present creation rather than complete destruction of the old creation, (4) we should therefore expect pointers within this creation not just to a Creator God but also to a coming new creation, (5) the action of God and the faithfulness of God must be held together in both creation and new creation, and (6) we have tried to work out what the tension of continuity and discontinuity means in terms of space-time and the nature of matter in creation and new creation.
A focus of the entire book is on how much continuity and how much discontinuity there is between the present creation and the new creation.
This book is primarily a review of and commentary on the literature of each topic. It includes a 34-page bibliography and a 6-page modern author index. Wilkinson is not afraid to, and frequently does, criticize the views of others who have written about the same issues, then give his own views.
To appreciate this book, you have to seriously want to understand the issues, since the author discusses them in considerable detail, with numerous references to the literature.
April 12, 2023
The strength of this book, Wilkinson’s intellectual rigor most obvious in his caution, led also to a reduction in its entertainment value, only limited speculation.
There was much done well in this book. He insists upon the very most important things: the centrality of the Resurrection for both Creation and New Creation, the holding together of continuity and discontinuity, the value of an interdisciplinary approach while still giving Scripture the prime place of authority. At times the tone was rather repetitive and pessimistic in regards to previous work on eschatology. Though I wish he would have gone a bit farther with his speculations, the thoughts he did provide were well calculated and insightful.
There was much done well in this book. He insists upon the very most important things: the centrality of the Resurrection for both Creation and New Creation, the holding together of continuity and discontinuity, the value of an interdisciplinary approach while still giving Scripture the prime place of authority. At times the tone was rather repetitive and pessimistic in regards to previous work on eschatology. Though I wish he would have gone a bit farther with his speculations, the thoughts he did provide were well calculated and insightful.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews