Surprise-ness and Of course-ness: Eschatology and Metaphor
Wednesday March 18, 2009
Filed Under: Eschatology
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Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986). Click to continue reading Scot McKnight's Bio...
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Wow...but don't stop there - click on the other you-tube videos of NT Wright...especially the one on post-moderns...
His "visualization" of the unvisualized - think it's right on! How does one describe what cannot be described in today's terms...
What would a 5th century monk think of the internet, and its ability to pull up almost anything!
HT to the Rev. Tod Bolsinger of San Clemente Presbyterian for hosting this interview and graciously posting it on youtube.
Good to see and hear Tom Wright again. And I look forward to his book to come out soon, on justification. And hopefully he'll be making more trips to our area. It was a wonderful, even if quite snowy Saturday at Calvin College, when he went through the book of Romans in a single day, even taking questions toward the end of each session.
Tom said, "Metaphors are not the realtiy...they are a set of signposts pointing into a fog." As I think about this statement, it strikes me that the resurrection itself sounds foreign to many in our churches in contrast to the popularly held belief that at the moment of death we receive glorified bodies and walk the streets of gold. This condensing of the biblical description of our future with God brings great hope to people at the moment of death.
But, what if it is only a metaphor? As powerful as metaphor is, as Wright describes it, the idea that metaphor is all we have to hold on to will at best destablize those in my church who hold so tightly to metaphor being the real thing.
Any suggestions on helping these dear saints to expand their hope for the future?
Jeff
Jeff - While teaching an adult SS class on Revelation, some of these questions have come up. I try to focus on how little was understood beforehand re: Messiah (identity, divinity,etc.) as illustrated on the road to Emmeus and that therefore we should be suspicious of our own understanding of the parousia, trusting that God is good and what he has in store for us is good. Some receive this more easily than others, few are willing to read Surprised by Hope, but some may be willing to watch Tom Wright on YouTube!
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