Eschatology

by Hans Schwarz

A complete introduction to the Christian view of the future.

What does the Bible say about the future, about death, about human destiny and heaven and hell? This volume presents a clear and comprehensive introduction to the Christian hope for the future that is particularly relevant to today's world.

Hans Schwarz guides readers through the range of opinions on this fascinating subject, showing how our understanding of eschatology has developed and laying out the factors that must be considered when speaking meaningfully about the Christian hope here in the twenty-first century. He surveys the teachings about the future in both the Old and New Testaments, discusses the views of Christian and secular thinkers throughout history--including the challenges posed by science, philosophy, and New Age beliefs--and explores the major themes of eschatology, including death, immortality, and resurrection.

Genres: Theology

447 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Hans Schwarz (DrTheol, Erlangen University), the author or editor of over fifty books, is professor of systematic theology and contemporary theological issues at the University of Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany. He previously taught at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Ohio.

Reviews

[Caleb Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schwarz gives a very VERY detailed account of Christian eschatology as it's found in Scripture, and Christian history from ancient to modern times.

Although the book can feel long, it does well to keep the topics connected and covers so many important conversations

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hans Schwarz's "Eschatology" is best as a survey of eschatological viewpoints. I did find some helpful ideas in his understanding of biblical eschatology, but also too much agnosticism toward universalism and hell. Do consult Schwarz for a good survey of eschatology's in the widest branches of Christendom, other religions, and even secular thought, but I think there are more helpful conservative evangelical eschatology's out there.

However, I really appreciated Schwarz's contribution to the subject, especially in his constant wrestling with the implications of one's eschatology. One's view of the future, the end of the world, the final judgment, the renewal of all things, a massive earth shattering event (be it human-technological-astronomical) results in either despairing resignation, futurist activism, or proleptic anticipation. Schwarz points out that the best option is proleptic anticipation--anticipating the coming of Jesus, the End and Renewal of all things, as the action of God (not of man) and living in the reality that at the resurrection of Jesus Christ the future has entered the world--the Kingdom has come and is coming--therefore one should live actively not passively in that coming reality presently.

Schwarz is a good resource for a broad picture of eschatology and some of the errors of fundamentalist eschatology's, but I trust there are better Bible scholar's eschatology's to ascribe to. Maybe I'll find one eventually...the difficulty of finding a definitive biblical eschatology is indeed just that--difficult. Hence is the nature of the last things.