God for a Secular Society: The Public Relevance of Theology

by Jürgen Moltmann

In this masterful analysis of the religious and political dilemmas at the end of the modern age, world-renowned theologian Jrgen Moltmann assays the vaulting dreams and colossal failures of our time. He asks how we came to this point, and he argues strenuously for Christian discipleship and public theology that take sides. In both critical and creative ways he advances the specific relevance of Christian messianic hope to today's thorniest political, economic, and ecological questionsincluding human rights, environmental rights, globalization, market capitalism, fundamentalisms, and Jewish-Christian relationsand the deeper values contested therein. In a world reeling between utopia and disaster, Moltmann here passionately and provacatively shows how Christian discipleship, through engagement and solidarity, can blaze a redemptive path.

Genres: Theology

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Jürgen Moltmann is a German Reformed theologian. He is the 2000 recipient of the Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

Moltmann's Theology of Hope is a theological perspective with an eschatological foundation and focuses on the hope that the resurrection brings. Through faith we are bound to Christ, and as such have the hope of the resurrected Christ ("Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3, NIV)), and knowledge of his return. For Moltmann, the hope of the Christian faith is hope in the resurrection of Christ crucified. Hope and faith depend on each other to remain true and substantial; and only with both may one find "not only a consolation in suffering, but also the protest of the divine promise against suffering."

However, because of this hope we hold, we may never exist harmoniously in a society such as ours which is based on sin. When following the Theology of Hope, a Christian should find hope in the future but also experience much discontentment with the way the world is now, corrupt and full of sin. Sin bases itself in hopelessness, which can take on two forms: presumption and despair. "Presumption is a premature, selfwilled anticipation of the fulfillment of what we hope for from God. Despair is the premature, arbitrary anticipation of the non-fulfillment of what we hope for from God."

In Moltmann's opinion, all should be seen from an eschatological perspective, looking toward the days when Christ will make all things new. "A proper theology would therefore have to be constructed in the light of its future goal. Eschatology should not be its end, but its beginning." This does not, as many fear, 'remove happiness from the present' by focusing all ones attention toward the hope for Christ's return. Moltmann addresses this concern as such: "Does this hope cheat man of the happiness of the present? How could it do so! For it is itself the happiness of the present." The importance of the current times is necessary for the Theology of Hope because it brings the future events to the here and now. This theological perspective of eschatology makes the hope of the future, the hope of today.

Hope strengthens faith and aids a believer into living a life of love, and directing them toward a new creation of all things. It creates in a believer a "passion for the possible" "For our knowledge and comprehension of reality, and our reflections on it, that means at least this: that in the medium of hope our theological concepts become not judgments which nail reality down to what it is, but anticipations which show reality its prospects and its future possibilities." This passion is one that is centered around the hope of the resurrected and the returning Christ, creating a change within a believer and drives the change that a believer seeks make on the world.

For Moltmann, creation and eschatology depend on one another. There exists an ongoing process of creation, continuing creation, alongside creation ex nihilo and the consummation of creation. The consummation of creation will consist of the eschatological transformation of this creation into the new creation. The apocalypse will include the purging of sin from our finite world so that a transformed humanity can participate in the new creation.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of lectures and addresses to several "secular" institutions by German Reformed theologian Jurgen Moltmann. The collection deals largely with the colliding but integrated worlds of theology and politics, chiefly concerning dialogue between Western liberal values and Christian theology/ethics.

If one keeps in mind that Moltmann is not specifically addressing Christians, and uses language more familiar to non-Christian listeners, you will find this book highly accessible in readability, challenging in thought and concepts, and urgent in timeliness.

This is a good book to have for anyone interested in how society and religion interact, and the place of one where the other is concerned. It's also good for Christians who are actively involved or at least actively aware of the current affairs concerning most people in the world both inside and outside the Church.

This is not a book to read in order to be told what to think, what opinion is right or wrong, and shouldn't be received that way. Moltmann is here initating a dialogue with his readers: what do YOU think? Think for yourself, and let Moltmann help stimulate your thinking as well as stir you to God-fearing action.

[Benjamin Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays and lectures relating to theology and public life, digging in to politics, ecumenicism, environmental issues, fundamentalism vs liberalism, and more! Moltmann applies his theological insights to bear on the issues of today's world.

Each chapter was originally delivered in a unique setting and stands alone. This means that there is some overlap and there isn't necessarily one cohesive thread that ties it all together. For a more systematic book by Moltmann on political/ethical topics check out his Ethics of Hope.

[Brian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book, as I do with all of Moltmann's writing, challenging and thought-provoking. This is not Moltmann's best work and the translation from German is weak at times but it raises some great points and lays out a challenge to Christ followers in our market driven society. Because the book is a collection of speeches and essays presented over time there is a lot of repetition. Each essay is interesting but they do not hang together as a whole very well. This is probably not the best place to start if you have not read Moltmann before.

[Bob Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Never read Moltmann before, though I've read a lot of citations by him in a lot of other books. He has always been someone I wanted to read. This is about how to engage theologically in a myriad of public contexts, most specifically in politics, economics, and the environment.

[Daryl Grigsby]

love, justice and power - now