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The Coming God: Pursuing a Theology of Hope Ed Love George Fox University

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The Coming God: Pursuing a Theology of Hope Ed Love George Fox University Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Seminary 1-1-2011 The coming God: pursuing a theology of hope Ed Love George Fox University This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Love, Ed, "The ominc g God: pursuing a theology of hope" (2011). Doctor of Ministry. Paper 5. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/5 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Seminary at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY THE COMING GOD: PURSUING A THEOLOGY OF HOPE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY ED LOVE PORTLAND, OREGON MARCH 2011 All biblical quotations are from the New International Version Unless otherwise noted. Copyright 2011 by Ed Love All Rights Reserved ii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv SECTION 1. THE PROBLEM ............................................................................................6 A Personal Journey ...........................................................................................................7 SECTION 2. OTHER PROPOSED SOLUTIONS ..............................................................9 SECTION 3. THE THESIS ...............................................................................................19 Introduction .....................................................................................................................19 The Problem of Hope ......................................................................................................22 The Future Nature of Hope .............................................................................................25 The Catastrophe in the Bible...........................................................................................32 The Eventual Renewal ....................................................................................................35 The Present Hope ............................................................................................................53 The History of Hope .......................................................................................................56 The Living Hope .............................................................................................................63 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................74 SECTION 4. THE PROJECT ............................................................................................75 SECTION 5. PROJECT SPECIFICATION ......................................................................76 Description ......................................................................................................................76 Audience .........................................................................................................................76 Goals and Strategies ........................................................................................................77 Scope and Content ..........................................................................................................78 Budget .............................................................................................................................87 Promotion ........................................................................................................................87 Standards of Publication .................................................................................................88 Action Plan and Timeline ...............................................................................................88 SECTION 6. POSTSCRIPT ..............................................................................................89 WORKS CITED ................................................................................................................91 APPENDIX: The Sound of Hope Book Project ................................................................94 iii ABSTRACT I believe that many followers of Christ are confused about the nature of biblical hope and, as a result, do not know what it means to live with hope when faced with personal disappointment or cultural resistance. The hope which fueled the early disciples of Jesus has either faded or has been replaced with a modern day superficial form of optimism. The author of 1 Peter 3:15 states, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” But, for scores of Christians, the “reason for hope” has become questionable and many believers have settled for a life of apathy, cynicism, and despair. I am convinced that in order for the kingdom of God to continue to expand, the people of God must reach a fuller understanding of the Source from which their hope comes as well as how to live within that new found hope. Other alternative solutions to the problem of despair have permeated the culture at large. Some Christians have fallen into the cultural snare of optimistic or wishful thinking. Optimistic-driven churches have sprouted all over the world, yet despite their apparent success, the message within these churches was not the original message of the Early Church. Hope is not optimism. A second perspective, which also includes Christian voices, suggests that hope can be found in the progressive ideal of humanity. The notion of progress holds that if people continue to work towards the common good, pursue knowledge, and become educated, then humanity will move towards a utopia filled with hope. However, if the path to progress is rooted solely on human achievement, God‟s role and sovereignty is dismissed and true hope is short-lived. And finally, another camp iv suggests that the best solution to the problem of despair is simply to escape earthly reality all together. The pious escapist believes that the world is a wicked place and the primary hope of the Christian is that he or she can have the assurance of an other-worldly heaven. Each of these three views, the optimist, the progressive, and the escapist, fail at making adequate sense of earthly pain, tragedy, and persecution. Furthermore, these philosophies do not present God as an active Deity who is calling His creation to be participants with Him in His redemptive mission within the present world. It is my claim that in order for followers of Christ to experience and participate in God‟s redemptive mission in the world God‟s people must have biblical hope. Biblical hope is not optimism, human progress, or earthly escapism, rather this supernatural hope is a way of living in the world based on the conviction that God keeps His promises. Disciples of Jesus are people who, in spite of suffering, hold fast to their vision of a coming kingdom that extends beyond their present trials. The artifact portion of this dissertation is a non-fiction, trade-sized book, which will explore the hope found throughout the history of the people of God and thus provide a path for followers of Christ in the 21st century to rediscover their “reason for hope.” This book will be written in popular style and aimed at a Christian adult audience. v SECTION 1: THE PROBLEM Optimism among Christ‟s followers is rampant, but to be blissful in the midst of pain or to avoid bad news all together seems to stem from shallow spirituality. Scriptures cannot be found which address the problem of human pain or suffering by denying its existence or by merely focusing on positive thoughts. It is true that Christianity is rooted in the hope found on the other side of the cross, but the cross, itself, can never be denied. When crosses and struggles come, as they do in every life, one‟s daily existence can become so wrought with heartache and trouble that from a human vantage point, one can feel like it would be better to not go on at all. Life experience demonstrates that there is no easy path to a promising future. The question remains: how is anyone to make sense out of tragedy, depression, economic hardship, broken relationships, and the like? What good is hope in the face of a life battered over and over again by despair? Fortunately, throughout the story of God, many people can be found who provide a model for choosing not to settle for a life of cynicism and despair. Instead, these faith-filled saints moved forward and put their hope in God‟s encompassing plan of redemption, indisputably believing that God‟s future entered into their present misery and that somehow they were participants with Him in bringing about heaven to earth. They were certain that God‟s grand story must be further reaching than the sum of their present situation of suffering. Within this project, the topic of biblical hope in a culture filled with resistance will be pursued. Many people in the world have stories of pain and grief, depression and despair, rejection and sorrow. Some saints survived well; some did not. Simply put, I 6 7 want to discover why some church fathers and mothers were able to come through struggle, pain, and hardship full of heart and certain of soul. Moreover, the detachment between the theoretical concept of hope and
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