The Kingdom of God, Hope and Christian Ethics. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gushee, David P.; Norred, Codi D.
• Is Part Of: Studies in Christian ethics. Volume 31:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Kingdom of God -- liberation theology -- evangelical ethics -- hope -- eschatology and ethics; Christian ethics -- Periodicals; Morale chrétienne -- Périodiques; 241.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0953946817737502
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-9468

Abstract

This article interrogates the use of a Kingdom-of-God narrative frame, in the work both of progressive evangelicals Glen Stassen and David Gushee ( Kingdom Ethics ) and in liberation theology, claiming that this narrative has often inspired hope and moral action but can be questioned on a variety of theological and methodological grounds. It considers startling recent claims by liberation ethicist Miguel De la Torre that all talk of a coming Kingdom of God is mythic, a middle-class illusion that undermines radical commitment to ethical praxis for justice. Engagement with two classic liberationist texts (by Gustavo Gutiérrez and James Cone) confirms both that liberation theology offers a somewhat radicalized Kingdom-of-God narrative and that De la Torre's new claims represent a clear break with liberationism. The article concludes by briefly considering options in eschatology for those who have heretofore invested considerable hope in an immanentist, participative, certainly-coming Kingdom-of-God narrative to ground their Christian ethics.