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  • Essay / The Trinity Guide to Eschatology by William J. La Due

    What happens when we die? What happens at the end of time? Questions like these have been asked time and time again by the Christian community and, as with many other things in the Christian faith, there has not always been a clear answer. Will things unfold as described in the book of Revelation? What does the promise of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at the “end of times” offer us? I had the opportunity to ponder some of these questions while sitting at the wake of one of my great-aunts who died suddenly following a severe stroke. Those present were certainly in a phase of mourning, but there was also a strong sense of joy and hope. This seemed to come from everyone observing the many young children (even newborns) running around the space playing with each other, each oblivious to the reality of the room's purpose and current state . While reading The Trinity Guide to Eschatology by William J. La Due, I found myself drawn to the section on the eschatology of hope by Jürgen Moltmann. I believe that, like Moltmann, God will ultimately save all people, all creation, and all humanity, as a fulfillment of God's promise through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. La Due describes Moltmann's eschatology in that God wants to save everyone, is able to save everyone, and, in fact, will save everyone. And it is thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, including the suffering of the torments of hell, that in the end nothing will be lost. One of the most compelling arguments that La Due discusses about Moltmann's work is: "Moltman advises us: 'If the twofold result of justice is proclaimed, the question then becomes: why did God create the human beings if he wants to damn most of them. ..... middle of paper ......nite. I think it is more than fair to say that humanity has a poor record as judge and jury, and that final judgment should be left in the hands of the one who made salvation possible, God and Jesus- Christ. I find myself with Moltmann, believing in the end times of hope and in God's eternal, steadfast love for all creation, without exception. Works Cited Clawson, Julie. “Imagination, hope and reconciliation in Ricoeur and Moltmann”. Anglican Theological Review 95, no. 2 (2013): 293-309. Keller, Catherine. “The Last Laugh: A Counter-Apocalyptic Meditation on the Coming of God by Moltmann.” Theology Today 54, no. 3 (1997): 381-391. La Due, William J. The Trinity Guide to Eschatology. New York: Continuum, 2004. Wright, Nigel G. “Universalism in the Theology of Jürgen Moltmann.” Evangelical Quarterly 84, no. 1 (2012): 33-39.