I don’t mind the notion of progress unless it implies an ineluctable process. Progress, I think, can be punctuated. Progress in the middle of Virginia or Iowa for a time in the eighteenth century or progress in that church for awhile this summer or progress in that family in Bangladesh next year. But, if progress is the building up of history to its final, realized goal which is immanent within history and creation, then I’m not on board. Planting and cultivating works better, since crops, flora and fauna die. I’m thinking eschatologically. These things will exist as things again, but as new things. I confess a recasted creation, not a cleaned up creation. And, since the newness of this future recasted creation is so different (since the antithesis is so deep), we merely witness to its coming with symbolic proclamation to ourselves and others.
And, if this conception of the new heaven on earth troubles you, think about the structural role of death in our current world. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be recasted, not just cleaned up. I’m not sure physical death is a result of the antithesis, but it is at least something that must be removed for us to be fully passionate lovers of one another.
kstarkenburg
Sep 14 2002
11:58 am
I don’t mind the notion of progress unless it implies an ineluctable process. Progress, I think, can be punctuated. Progress in the middle of Virginia or Iowa for a time in the eighteenth century or progress in that church for awhile this summer or progress in that family in Bangladesh next year. But, if progress is the building up of history to its final, realized goal which is immanent within history and creation, then I’m not on board. Planting and cultivating works better, since crops, flora and fauna die. I’m thinking eschatologically. These things will exist as things again, but as new things. I confess a recasted creation, not a cleaned up creation. And, since the newness of this future recasted creation is so different (since the antithesis is so deep), we merely witness to its coming with symbolic proclamation to ourselves and others.
And, if this conception of the new heaven on earth troubles you, think about the structural role of death in our current world. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be recasted, not just cleaned up. I’m not sure physical death is a result of the antithesis, but it is at least something that must be removed for us to be fully passionate lovers of one another.