I ran across this in the Jesus Creed blog...

Somewhere between 6pm and 8pm, Central Time, on November 4th, 2008, the eschatology of American evangelicals will become clear. If John McCain wins and the evangelical becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that evangelical has an eschatology of politics. Or, alternatively, if Barack Obama wins and the evangelical becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that evangelical too has an eschatology of politics. Or, we could turn each around, if a more Democrat oriented evangelical becomes depressed and hopeless because McCain wins, or if a Republican oriented evangelical becomes depressed or hopeless because Obama wins, those evangelicals are caught in an empire-shaped eschatology of politics.

Where is our hope? To be sure, I hope our country solves its international conflicts and I hope we resolve poverty and dissolve our educational problems and racism. But where does my hope turn when I think of war or poverty or education or racism? Does it focus on November 4? Does it gain its energy from thinking that if we get the right candidate elected our problems will be dissolved? If so, I submit that our eschatology has become empire-shaped, Constantinian, and political. And it doesn’t matter to me if it is a right-wing evangelical wringing her fingers in hope that a Republican wins, or a left-wing evangelical wringing her fingers in hope that a Democrat wins. Each has a misguided eschatology.

You can read the rest of his post here.

So, what do you think? I'd recommend reading the whole post prior to commenting.



(I know Boyd... Too much Jesus Creed and Neo-Reformation. )

For those who may ask:

Eschatology
Es`cha*tol"o*gy\, n. [Gr. ? the furthest, last + -logy.]
–noun Theology.
1. any system of doctrines concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the future state, etc.
2. the branch of theology dealing with such matters.
[Origin: 1835–45; < Gk éschato(s) last + -logy]

—Related forms
es·cha·to·log·i·cal /ˌɛskətlˈɒdʒɪkəl, ɛˌskćtl-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[es-kuh-tl-oj-i-kuhl, e-skat-l-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, adjective
es·cha·to·log·i·cal·ly, adverb
es·cha·tol·o·gist, noun

noun
the branch of theology that is concerned with such final things as death and Last Judgment; Heaven and Hell; the ultimate destiny of humankind

The doctrine of the last or final things, as death, judgment, and the events therewith connected.

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I got this here.

Boyd

Christians individually and corporately must act in every arena of life, including the political arena.

The hungry don't care if you prefer private charities or federal largess to deliver food, and ultimately repair the system that prevents them from feeding themselves.

The exploited just want to see business executives AND government leaders emerge who will challenge the notion that honesty and altruism is bad policy.

We need not confine our efforts to cleaning up the mess left behind by willful sinners in power (business and government) nor for that matter, the mess left behind by well-intended people who are imperfect (just as we are). It it rightly argued that Christians sometimes sin willfully, but I'd like to add the proviso the Holy Spirit is at work in us to redeem our characters and help us grow beyond the men we once were. This is sanctification in other words).

In church we often sing, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me".

This is well and fine but let's not sing, "let it end with me!". That's where evangelism and kingdom building come in. Evangelism is well-known and needs but scant explanation, but kingdom building has been both excoriated and misunderstood by both those who oppose it and by those who claim to practice it.

Rightly understood, we recognize that a society of law is essential in this fallen world. It means in plain English that your right to make a fist ends at the tip of my nose. That is the principle, but people have created forums that have, for years untold debated the ramifications of this principle.

Some individual philosophies and even some religions are at odds with the very simple principle. Some people insist that their right to practice their religion extends to causing the death of others. They claim that the death of the innocent is necessary to state their case to society at large.

Though government has the bigger role in stopping this, the church has a larger role than merely decrying the bloodshed.

Without advocating specific candidates, Christians are compelled to individually and corporately speask out for the victims of crime, share the gospel with both victim and perpetrator, remind the voting public of their duty to expose do-nothings and wrong-doers in office, urge the rectification of unjust laws, and much more.

I am not saying that we should pass laws compelling people to attend church on Sunday, but we can pass laws that help keep individuals, government and business from interfering in the ministry of the Church. (I know that there's wiggle room for many opinions here).

I'll pause for now and invite discussion...

Aside from my quick venture into definitions above, I would like to comment on bornnude's topic.

He is correct that our mission is NOT dependent upon who is president. The winners are always Christians if they focus on who and what God is, and the gospel of Christ.

We must realize that Jesus came to earth in the middle of our darkness, he did not wait for a better political arena. In fact, he probably decided to put himself into one of the worst political arenas in earths history! God is not separating himself from humanity. He plopped right down in the midst of us (Emanuel, God with us) while we were ALL sinners and said in effect, "I love you, I will give my life for you, in fact, I will become flesh like you and allow you to pour out your darkness upon me so I can carry it away."

So we too cannot allow the darkness to run us off. We need to be willing to stand in the gap, the darkness of humanity, face the extremes of both left and right wing politics. We must take on the admonition to pray for our leaders, whether we like them or agree with them or not. Since that was a direct recommendation, it stands to reason that nobody at that time liked their political leaders, but they prayed for them anyway.

Am I concerned about when the "End time" is? Jesus said it was the end time back then. HE is the end time. HE is the alpha and omega, beginning AND end. He is the resurrection, not just someone who "does resurrections". He IS The Resurrection, the life, the hope, the end and beginning. He is the eschatology of life. He is the All in All. He is that (and a bag of chips), not just some of the time or for some of the people, but for all people all the time, right now. God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good. You want a resurrection? Want a hope? Want a change? He was that then, and is right now.

Please do pray for the right president, then vote where you feel God is calling you to vote. Now God will allow us to do whatever we want. We are not robots, and God loves diversity. God is not upset of you vote for republican and your spouse voted for democrat. Is God worried about who is president? No, because God can do whatever he wants with the president and country.

The writer is correct, focus on God and He will take care of everything else.

Now, if the president happens to be Pro-Nudist, then so much the better! (Will someone please ask him that? They got the gumption to ask about gay marriages!)

Boyd