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Western Seminary Bulletin llrstrru �rmittary iullrtiu REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA VOL. VI, NO. 4 HOLLAND, MICHIGAN MARCH, 1953 The Christian Hope ELTON M. EENIGENBURG For more than two years now the theological world the world one view of the Christian Ho�e to which all has been abuzz with lively discussions of the theme of Protestant and Orthodox parties can give unqualified the Second Assembly of The W odd Council of Church­ assent. To offer to the world at that time more than one es. The prospect of re-examining almost any theological view might have the adverse effect of increasing the theme would have been enough to stir up more or less world's sense of hopelessness, and worst of all, such a excitement in that mud1-embattled zone of the Church's situation would certainly provide the enemies of the labours, but when it was announced in the fall of 1950 World Council, both evangelical and unbelieving ele­ that the next major advance of the Protestant churches ments, to say nothing of the Roman Catholic Church, of the world should be in the eschatological direction, with all the material for destructive criticism they could it was a foregone conclusion that in almost no time at ask for. In the light of this prospect, the Central Com­ all the most diverse kinds of opinion on the subject mittee has been criticized in different quarters for being would be forthcoming. Such hopes, or better, fears, overly courageous, or downright foolhardy. were not disappointed, and to say the least, the variety However, the divergencies of viewpoint have turned of opinion has been staggering. And the Evanston meet­ up something far more basic and disconcerting than the ing of the World Council of Churches is still more petrifaction of theologians' opinions. This also is not than a year away! There are preliminary discussions something new in itself, but what is new is the fact still to be held; theologians, committees, and denomina­ that committee discussions on the theme of the Chris­ tions still to be heard from! It seems that the original tian Hope have compelled the old differences to be ar­ intention of the Central Committee of the World Coun­ rayed against each other in such a way that a choice cil was to focus the whole discussion on what was must be made from among them. Some schools of theol­ considered the rather well-defined area of the "Christian ogy have held for a long time now that the Christian Hope." There were many other aspects of eschatology, Hope referred primarily to a set of circumstances, or but since it was desired to relate the Christian Hope to mighty events, completely future, and connected with the present world situation in the latter's "lack of hope," the reappearing of Jesus Christ for judgment and the or in its "hopelessness," there would be no need to ex­ completion of his redemptive work. On the other hand, plore eschatology as such, for its own sake. World­ the modern period of theology has witnessed the rise of famed theologians soon discovered, if they had not another opinion, sometimes called "realized eschatology," known it before, that such limitation of the theme was and now widely held, in which the chief accent in es­ virtually impossible, for, since the whole general area chatological interpretation is upon the present, and in of eschatology stimulated ·the most amazing differences which either no opinion is expressed concerning the fu­ of view and interpretation, how could it be expected that ture, or agnosticism is considered the proper attitude a little corner of the area would supply any kind of toward it. The chief difference between these two gen­ basis for unanimity? eral groups is that whereas the .first interprets New Tes­ About the different interpretations of the Christian tament prophetic elements in a temporal way, the sec­ Hope now current, it may be said, first of a.II, that there ond interprets the same elements in a qualitative way. is nothing essentially new about them. It does not appear For example, where the resurrection of the Christian that many, if any, of the persons involved in the top­ believer refers, for the first school, to an event taking level discussions of the theme have done any mind­ place at the temporal end of human history, it may be a changing to speak of. Since the results of the several term describing, for the second school, the element of meetings of theologians have been passed on to the the risen life of Christ now evident in the life and con­ public in the form of majority reports, it is impossible duct of the believer. However, it must be said for the to tell to what extent this or that theologian "gave way," first school that its adherents do not evince the time­ or "conceded a point," here and there. Divergencies of setting and date-setting, not to say programming, of the opinion and view have come out most markedly in pub­ second advent of Christ so evident in ma.ny American lic statements of prominent theologians as they reacted premillennial circles. Furthermore, it may be noted that to such majority reports. It is in such "reactions" that those holding the temporal view of eschatological ele­ one observes not only what the varied views are, but ments may usually be expected to be Continental or that no one has d1anged his view appreciably from that European, while those advocating the "realized" view which he held entirely prior to the setting up of the may be expected to be British or American. There is, mooted theme. Perhaps it is asking too much to hope needless to say, some crossing over of these lines. We that the Evanston Assembly will be able to present to are speaking here in general terms. mission of twenty-.6.ve men and women, laymen and wqr lltlir.atertt �ruttmtry theologians, representing as fully as possible the mem­ ilulldttt ber d1Urches of the Council, · to do the preliminary work. PUBLISHED QUARTERLY They would eventually prepare a document to lay be­ UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE fore the Assembly "which should seek to state clearly FACULTY OF THE SEMINARY and simply what the essential common message of the HOLLAND, MICHIGAN Churches is, and in what way we can have· the message -·- presented."2 EDITORIAL BOARD LESTER ]. KUYPER ELTON EENIGENBURG The appointed Commission held its first meeting in Faculty Representatives July of · 1951. They. decided to concentrate their attention HENRY A. Mouw D. ·lvAN DYKSTRA upon the subject of the Christian hope. They regarded Alumni Representatives their conclusions as "the opening of a conversation."a ELTON BRUINS JOHN HESSELINK They also recommended that the theme of the Assembly Student Representatives should refer to the Cross, suggesting as possibilities, "The Crucified Lord, the Hope of the World," or, "The Crucified and Risen lord, the Hope of the World." Some striking statements were made in this first report. For example, a high Christology is evident throughout, and a marked emphasis is placed upon the significance of Jesus Christ for the future. "It is He Who is to come at the last in the glory of His Kingdom as judge and saviour of the world, to reveal and consummate His With this as background, we shall now trace the victory."4 And, "It is especially of His Lordship over course the discussion of the theme has taken up to the the future that the Assembly is called to speak. There is present time. Because of limitations of space, we shall a special need today to remind the Church and the world have to confine ourselves for the most part to the "main that the Christ Who has come and Who is with us, is line" of the discussion, especially as that has been de­ also He Who is to come."5• A warning is given against ta.iled for the public in successive issues of The Ectt­ "vain speculations and predictions about the time and menical Review, the quarterly published by The World manner of His coming."6 We do not know the manner Council of Churches. lt goes without saying that a large or time of his ultimate victory. The full meaning of number of comments and treatises on the subject have history cannot be disclosed within the limits of history appeared in denominational and other religious journals, itself. We work while it is -day, and in the time of and no doubt some enterprising student is already using Christ's coming everyone will have to give account of these materia.ls as sources for his Th.D. dissertation on himself. It may be noted at this point that, though the the theme of the Second Assembly of the World Coun­ report indicates an acceptance of a literal return of cil. These sources are of great value in determining Christ to the earth in line with New Testament teach­ "grass roots" sentiment on the subject, and the World ing, a kind of wistful agnosticism is expressed about Council will have to give heed to such sentiment if it is some of the larger details of that return, also a part of going to express effectively the convictions of the the New Testament message. It may be said for this Church. It is a pity that we must now limit ourselves to first report as a whole that it was poorly written, that the consideration of the views of theologians and of it continually confounds present with future and future groups of theologians. Incidentally, it may be noted that with present, and that it abounds in pious platitudes.
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