God and History in the Book of Revelation
New Testament Studies in Dialogue with Pannenberg and Moltmann

This book examines the question of how God might be thought to relate to the realm of human history.

Michael Gilbertson (Author)

9780521824668, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 July 2003

250 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.7 cm, 0.47 kg

'Gilbertson approach is sensible; he neither diminishes the concerns for the historical contingencies which has been the emphasis of biblical studies nor downplays the role of theological construction within the social, cultural and philosophical circumstances in which we find ourselves. ... the book is worth every penny of its heavy price tag ...' European Journal of Theology

This is an interdisciplinary study which constructs a dialogue between biblical interpretation and systematic theology. It examines how far a reading of the Book of Revelation might either support or question the work of leading theologians Wolfhart Pannenberg and Jürgen Moltmann on the theology of history, exploring the way in which the author of Revelation uses the dimensions of space and time to make theological points about the relationship between God and history. The book argues that Revelation sets the present earthly experience of the reader in the context of God's ultimate purposes, by disclosing hidden dimensions of reality, both spatial - embracing heaven and earth - and temporal - extending into the ultimate future. Dr Gilbertson offers a detailed assessment of the theologies of history developed by Pannenberg and Moltmann, including their views on the nature of the historical process, and the use of apocalyptic ideas in eschatology.

Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
1. Setting the scene: a modern debate about faith and history
2. Relating scripture and systematic theology: some preliminary issues
3. Ways of approaching the Book of Revelation
4. The spatial dimension of the Book of Revelation
5. The temporal dimension of the Book of Revelation
6. Pannenberg, Moltmann, and the Book of Revelation
7. Conclusions
Bibliography
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]