Full Description
This is an interdisciplinary study which constructs a dialogue between biblical interpretation and systematic theology. It examines how far a reading of the Book of Revelation might either support or question the work of leading theologians Wolfhart Pannenberg and Jürgen Moltmann on the theology of history, exploring the way in which the author of Revelation uses the dimensions of space and time to make theological points about the relationship between God and history. The book argues that Revelation sets the present earthly experience of the reader in the context of God's ultimate purposes, by disclosing hidden dimensions of reality, both spatial - embracing heaven and earth - and temporal - extending into the ultimate future. Dr Gilbertson offers a detailed assessment of the theologies of history developed by Pannenberg and Moltmann, including their views on the nature of the historical process, and the use of apocalyptic ideas in eschatology.
Contents
Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Setting the scene: a modern debate about faith and history; 2. Relating scripture and systematic theology: some preliminary issues; 3. Ways of approaching the Book of Revelation; 4. The spatial dimension of the Book of Revelation; 5. The temporal dimension of the Book of Revelation; 6. Pannenberg, Moltmann, and the Book of Revelation; 7. Conclusions; Bibliography; Indexes.
