Covenant and Eschatology: The Divine Drama

Covenant series

by Michael Scott Horton

In this innovative work in theological method and hermeneutics, Michael S. Horton uses the motif of the covenant as a way of binding together God's "word" and God's "act." Seeking an integration of theological method with the content of Christian theology, Horton emphasizes God's covenant as God's way of working for redemption in the world. Horton maintains a substantial dialogue with important philosophical figures and Christian theologians, ultimately providing scholars and serious students a significant model for approaching and understanding Christian theology.

Genres: Theology

360 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

Dr. Horton has taught apologetics and theology at Westminster Seminary California since 1998. In addition to his work at the Seminary, he is the president of White Horse Inn, for which he co-hosts the White Horse Inn, a nationally syndicated, weekly radio talk-show exploring issues of Reformation theology in American Christianity. He is also the editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. Before coming to WSC, Dr. Horton completed a research fellowship at Yale University Divinity School. Dr. Horton is the author/editor of more than twenty books, including a series of studies in Reformed dogmatics published by Westminster John Knox.

Reviews

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some pretty great stuff here. But the book seemed to be to be confused on a number of levels. First, it seems to me that Horton could not decide on the kind of book he intended to write. There’s too much going on here, which, I think, comes from his obvious preoccupation with discussions in postmodern, deconstructionist, and post-constructionist literature. It seems as though he overestimates the importance of negotiating Christian theology with these trends. Second, Horton seems to rely too much, in this book at least, on secondary literature on Platonism, which makes it a convenient whipping boy. His assessment of the philosophy is so superficial that it lacks real utility other than serving as a cheap rhetorical target. For Horton, Platonism is simply a “dualism” that is refurbished by Descartes and later Kant. This makes it possible for him to use a nearly incomprehensible epithet like “Platonic-Cartesian-Kantian dualism.” Additionally, I suspect his “Covenantal” alternative to metaphysics doesn’t do the heavy lifting he seems to think it will do. He offers a Pauline “two-age dualism” as an alternative (rather than as a harmonized parallel) to a Platonic “two-realm,” dualism. But the insufficiency of this model is seen clearly by the neglect of its ability to answer the simplistic of metaphysical questions related to angels, the soul, and the intermediate state. In short, I don’t think this book as aged very well. And I say this as an enthusiastic lover of Horton’s writing.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of giving us Plato's Two Worlds, Horton shows us Paul's Two Ages. It is this which structure the rest of theological prolegomena. Horton is not giving us a systematic theology, but showing what theology would look like using the Covenant.

Eschatology after Nietszsche

Horton does not shrink from the challenges offered by Feuerbach, Nietzsche, and Derrida. In fact, he mostly agrees with them! If we see Christian theology--particularly Christian eschatology--as dualistic, then it is hard to jump over Lessing's Ditch. Pace Derrida, the theology of the cross demands "deferral" against all theologies of glory, of any subsuming the many/now into the One/not yet (24).

It is with the Apostle Paul and the Two Ages that we are able to overcome these dualities without reducing identity and difference into one another. Horton points out that "above and below" are analogical terms, not ontological ones (and while he doesn't make this conclusion, this allows Christianity to avoid the magical connotations of the Satanic "as above so below" formula; covenant is always a war to the death with magic religions).

The Platonic Vision

Further developed in this contrast between is the difference (!) between covenantal hearing and Platonic (Greek) vision.

A theology of glory corresponds to vision (the direct sight of the One into one's nous) rather than hearing (God's mighty acts mediated in historical and material ways...Both crass identification of God with a human artifact (idolatry) and the craving for a direct sight of God in majesty spring from the same source: the desire to see--without mediation--and not to hear; to possess everything now and avoid the cross" (35).
A Pauline Eschatology is able embrace both arrival and differance: the age to come arrives in the first fruits in Christ's resurrection, yet it is deferred until the consummation of the ages. Horton further notes,

The Platonic paradigm of vision is based on the notion that this realm of appearance is a mirror or copy of the realm of eternal ideas...The Platonizing tendency also created a dichotomy between theoria and praxis, the former linked to the contemplation of the eternal forms, the latter to action in the real world (252, 253).
In the covenantal approach, what dominates is the ear, not the eye; God's addressing us, not our vision of God (134)

Speech-Act

Drawing upon Vanhoozer, Ricoeur, and Wolterstorff, Horton outlines the basics of Speech-Act theory. He proposes (correctly, I think) this model as fitting with the covenantal drama he outline earlier. He hints at how speech-act is able to overcome challenges from postmodernism: "But unlike deconstruction, speech-act theory locates the activity in actors (sayers) and not in signs (the said) (126).

Horton ends with suggesting how a covenantal, speech-act hermeneutics would be lived out within the church. This book truly was a bombshell. If Horton's arguments stand, the biblical covenantal religion is the only option for man. Conversely, those traditions built upon Platonic and Hellenic frameworks must fall.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a truly painful read. I am a huge fan of the other books in the series, yet the major problem with this (first) instalment is that it has comparatively little to do with the subject. Too much of the book, furthermore, reads as if the author was throwing words at the page. His interaction with historical and contemporary philosophical trends is admirable, but the discussions need to be simplified drastically.

[Eric Chappell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horton is the bomb yo.

This is my third time through the first part of Horton's dogmatics. I probably understood 39% of it this time through. Kidding, but seriously.

It's interesting reading this book (again) after finishing seminary (WSC) and all of Horton's classes. To use Vos' imagery: you really see a lot of the seeds of what I learned and read from Horton after this book. What Covenant & Eschatology really does is set a prolegomenon for Horton's project of weaving together biblical and systematic theology by way of the Scripture's categories of covenant and eschatology (in the tradition of the post-Reformation scholastics). There is way too much material in this volume to reflect on, but I offer up some of the things I found particularly formative.

Horton is attempting to argue for a theology whose:
(1) Method is redemptive-historical/eschatological
(2) Mode is analogical
(3) Model is dramatic
(4) Context is covenant

Essentially, the book consists of three parts. In the introduction, Horton uses insights from Nietzsche to critique what too often has been Christianity's capitulation to Platonism's "two worlds" over against Paul's "two ages." Christianity doesn't support an ontological and epistemological dualism, but an ethical (righteousness/unrighteousness) and historical (this present age/the age to come) dualism. In part one, Horton argues for a model of special divine action that defends double agency and demonstrates some hermeneutical implications. In part two, Horton argues for the claim that God speaks, the contexts in which God speaks, and the means He uses. In the final chapter using the model of drama integrates the reality that God acts and speaks into a conversation on the three marks of the church and its liturgy (i.e. the local performances of the Divine Drama).

I anticipate my fourth read.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in a series of four books. Top-notch on theological method and hermeneutics.

[Nick Roark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robust

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are those rare books that take your mind (and, in this case, faith) to places profound. This is one of them. Though at times unclear (or over my head?), Michael Horton's successfully revitalizes classic Reformed thought on the believer's and the covenant community's place in the divine drama of redemption. The book covers so much ground that it is pointless to go into depth. I'll just state his thesis (ironically the last sentence of the book): "Theology is the church's reflection on God's performative action in word and deed and its own participation in the drama of redemption."

I benefited most from his discussion on the Christian's place in the drama of God's redemptive history. Horton states, "Joining the cast of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, believers take their place in the divine drama in their new role of pilgrims living toward the future by promise."

This book is written for scholars, not the layperson. I recommend it only to those who have general knowledge of modern philosophy (especially Kant, Nietzsche, and Hegel) and those who have a basic understanding of modern theology (especially Bultmann). This academic requirement is the downside of the book. That's not to say that the amateur theologian can't benefit from this book. I'm not a biblical scholar. My point is that it was intended for at least the theology graduate student at the Th.M or PhD level or the equivalent with non-formal theological training.

Hopefully, these ideas are accessible to the general population in Horton's new book "Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology For Pilgrims on The Way".

[Brian Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a theological and hermeneutical prologomena that argues for the importance of redemptive-history and the concept of covenant for a proper theological and hermeneutical method. Interacts with philosophy both ancient and modern. One of Horton's points is that orthodox theology of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, along with developments that remained faithful to such theology, such as Geerhardus Vos, have a contribution to make to contemporary theological and hermeneutical discussions.

[Drew Dill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book in seeing how formative both covenant and eschatology is for theology and practice. A lot of the false dichotomies disappear (i.e. head vs heart, faith vs practice etc) from his applying the covenantal framework.

[Michael Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent volume, though it is terse and the end notes are obnoxious. This work is under appreciated.