Abstract
I. Biblical studies
Death, the End of History, and Beyond offers the Church an excellent introduction to the complexities of eschatology in the Scriptures. It explores the complex overlap of eschatological themes such as death and the afterlife, the Second Coming, and the questions of heaven, hell, and resurrection in a way that respects the integrity of the individual writings of the Old and New Testaments. Author Greg Carey is a Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary and proves himself a sure-footed guide through this literature.
The book begins with an introduction to eschatology in which Carey demonstrates how matters of personal eschatology (what lies beyond death?) lead to larger questions of historical eschatology (where is the world heading?) and cosmology (what is known beyond our senses?) (p. 3). Carey explores these questions in the Bible but cautions that the Bible is hardly unified in treating these issues. His book will not synthesize the Bible’s diversity into a tidy system, though it will engage the Bible theologically (p. 30). Chapter 1 articulates Carey’s method of interpreting eschatological texts around four categories: poetry, rhetoric, creative activity, and scribal activity (p. 37). These frames locate eschatological texts as literary constructions in distinct historical contexts.
Chapter 2 locates these texts in the context of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean worlds. Carey uses 1 Enoch alongside diverse texts like The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey to show the constellation of possible afterlife beliefs. The result is that “ancient views of the afterlife varied enormously” (p. 82). The same is true with the question of historical eschatology. While most empires tended to view history in terms of expansion and stability alongside agrarian societies that function on a reliable cycle of nature, Judaism and Christianity conceived history as a field of conflict moving toward a decisive end. This wider context depicts the complexity and diversity of ancient eschatology and the possible lines of overlap with the Bible without a slavish attempt to prove dependence.
Chapters 3–5 then treat sequentially the Hebrew Bible, Jesus and the Gospels, and the writings from Paul to Revelation. Carey’s treatment of the Hebrew Bible critiques the traditional model of development in which ancient Israel lacked an afterlife belief until the emergence of the apocalyptic in the Second Temple period. He follows recent research by Levenson and others that posits some afterlife beliefs in ancient Israel, such as in the view of the nephesh in Sheol, even before the emergence of resurrection in later prophetic and apocalyptic texts. He also locates historical eschatological in ancient Israel’s view of creation and election. His treatment of Jesus and the Gospels follows the well-worn paths of an inaugurated eschatology as the best understanding of the “now-not yet” eschatological tension in the Gospels. He shows how the Gospels agree on the bodily resurrection of Jesus, but they betray diversity and development in the details (p. 166). He highlights the ways the Gospels envision a blessed afterlife for some, though Carey suggests that the language of postmortem judgment is less widespread (p. 188). This argument introduces the contrast of universalism, judgment, and annihilationism that shows up periodically in the rest of the book. Carey sees the Gospels providing a strong foundation for Christian afterlife thought but also space for creative imagination (p. 200). In what is the most descriptive chapter, Chapter 5 traces the lines of eschatology from Jesus and the Gospels into the rest of the New Testament. He shows the diversity of afterlife views in these writings. He is aware of contemporary issues raised in these texts such as the ethical problems generated by eschatology’s use alongside household codes in Colossians and Ephesians, the issues of ecology raised by Revelation’s destruction of the world (p. 250), and the possible space several of these writings make for universalism.
Carey concludes the work with brief theological reflections on the significance of eschatology today. He considers it important to preserve thinking about eternity, as eschatological hope can symbolically inspire courage in the present life. He notes the difficulties posed by the scandal of resurrection and the delay of the Parousia. He concludes by insisting readers must work through, rather than around, eschatological language in biblical texts, and he suggests ways to do that with theological reflections on the images of the Kingdom of God, New Jerusalem, and the Messianic Banquet. The volume is rounded out with an appendix that offers suggestions for preaching eschatological texts.
The volume is an excellent overview of the diversity of views of eschatology in the Bible and the difficulties in interpretation. It is at its best when presenting this diversity and respects the literary features of eschatology used by each biblical author. Carey shows himself as a consummate biblical scholar who navigates the texts closely and responsibly. For a lay reader seeking to understand the texts themselves, this introduction is excellent and accessible. As a volume in the Interpretation series, it provides a great resource for understanding the Scriptures in the Church.
I suspect, however, that most readers will want more normative theological work from this volume. While Carey has rightly tried to respect the diversity of Scriptural views, the result is an extremely cautious work, reserved in its movement from ancient texts to modern context. Although he is fair in adjudicating evidence for his preferred positions (e.g., universalism), Carey is cautious in making normative theological claims or engaging in complex theological debates about eschatology in the twenty-first century. One can find passing references to Bultmann, Moltmann, and Pannenberg, but the work is not a sustained theological treatment of contemporary issues in eschatology. Similarly, despite the appendix on helpful ways to preach eschatological texts, the book does not engage deeply or systematically with issues of pastoral theology that overlap with eschatological texts. One might expect more pointers, for instance, on how eschatological texts might help pastors navigate funerals and grief counseling, dealing with misplaced eschatology fervor generated by rapture theology, or even how to preach resurrection at Easter (a significant oversight even in the appendix on preaching!). This is likely due to the limits of the book itself, both in its desire to cover a scope of issues and in its concern to be accessible.
The result is uneven. As a theological reflection on eschatology for the Church in the twenty-first century, it could be expanded. But as a work of biblical interpretation, it is an excellent introduction.