Are we connecting with the ministry of Reconciliation?
I just wrote this for my Systematic Theology class and thought I'd throw it up here for some dialog:
I think that Moltmann’s Christology has had a huge impact on current thinking about Christ in that contemporary (American) Christianity* has professed Christ as a conduit to God and as the way to salvation in eternity (the life after this one); the focus has been on how accepting Jesus “into your heart” will save you and you will go to heaven. I myself, while believing that “of course” I had a personal relationship with Jesus, really focused my spiritual walk with God the Father. It wasn’t until I started to going to a local Presbyterian church that had taken a fairly Unitarian slant that I realized that I was missing a significant part of the trilogy and that I needed to work more toward knowing “Christ, and him crucified.” But more than that, I have now realized that we are all partnering with Jesus to continue his work of reconciliation in the here and now by building his kingdom on earth as incarnational witnesses.
So what I see as the issue with Moltmann’s Christology – with such a strong focus on the age to come and the cross of Jesus, some of the most significant aspects of Christ and his changing power seem to be lost. Yes, what happened on the cross is central to our salvation and the resurrection was the biggest game changer in history, but there is so much more to the ministry of Christ that is really important for us to embody as we are his hands and feet in this world. I think that we get so focused on the “bottom line” or the “endgame” in western society that we miss the equally important aspect of the ministry of reconciliation (started through Christ) to which we are all called (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
*generalization
Created about 2 years ago
