MPhil thesis: The Eternal Purpose of God

Thesis prepared for MPhil, Intercultural Studies, with New Covenant International University, 2008

This thesis was a development of the foundational teaching of EPI's Academy of Mission, for the purposes of academic scrutiny; it lead to John being awarded a Master of Philosophy degree (MPhil), from New Covenant International University.

The thesis itself is largely reproduced with the Eternal Purpose books; the Abstract is quoted below to provide a more thorough insight into the thesis. Unlike the book, however, the academic version of the thesis attached here includes a scripture index and over 150 endnotes.

Abstract

The Thesis incorporates elements of Hebraic thought into a biblical theology of covenant, creation and community.

Thus, it seeks to express the message of Scripture according to its own priorities, using biblical rather than philosophical terminology, presenting the Bible‟s own message within the framework of a primarily Hebraic worldview.

To aid recognition of vital theological threads woven throughout the biblical narratives, the Thesis continuously develops a graphical "panorama" of the biblical narrative.

Major findings

The Bible was almost entirely composed by Jewish writers and an examination of its Jewish or Hebraic roots provides considerable fresh insight into the Christian faith and worldview—particularly in respect of covenant, community and creation.

Covenant forms the dominant factor governing the biblical paradigm or worldview. The "new covenant" inaugurated by the Messiah likewise forms the dominant factor governing the New Testament paradigm.

Each biblical covenant is associated with a community—a covenant community—who receive a vocation commensurate with the relationship into which they have been brought.

The biblical view of creation ultimately anticipates its global renewal, whereupon heaven is united in harmony with earth, God dwelling utterly amidst his people. En-route to this finality, the biblical worldview incorporates the bondage of creation to the effects of sin and its partners: death, disease and decay.

Amidst this corrupted creation, the vocation of the covenant community is to be an incarnate Messenger of Hope: both recipient and giver of New Life; a sign, symbol and harbinger of creation‟s ultimate, glorious liberation from bondage.

Significance and value of findings

Traditional, post-Enlightenment theologies—i.e. reformed, dogmatic, systematic, critical, non-contextual etc.—having undergirded Western Christendom during the past two centuries, are presently creaking under the strain of increasingly dominant post-modern and post-colonial worldviews.

In order for Christian faith and community to flourish within this hostile cultural climate, the challenge of review, re-evaluation and renewal needs to be faced, enabling Christian theology, praxis and culture to be released from the suffocating philosophical paradigms of the Enlightenment.

Insight into the Jewish roots of Scripture, the biblical covenants and the communities and vocations of both Israel and the Church offers a significant contribution towards such theological renewal, potentially rendering a widely appealing paradigm: centering upon God‟s commitment to creation, in partnership with his covenant community; incorporating the combating of evil through pursuit of this-worldly peace, justice and dignity for human beings; whilst retaining the biblical purview of a final Judgement and Regeneration.

Within an increasingly agnostic West, such a covenant, creation and community-centred worldview offers fresh insight and a significant contrast, in particular, to the individualistic drift of modern, protestant-evangelical culture and praxis, with its dualistic perspective of earth and heaven and concomitant focus upon personal salvation and eternal heavenly "escape‟ from earth‟s "mortal coil‟.

Within the increasingly Christian South—where community-centred readings of Scripture are culturally normative and worldviews are typically free of anti-biblical, secular, atheistic and materialistic philosophical presuppositions—burgeoning, mission-focussed Christian communities are potentially ready and able to freely and enthusiastically embrace such a biblical theology of covenant, creation and community as a vital, educational, theological introduction to the Bible.

Finally, the recognition and incorporation of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith builds a small, but potentially significant, cultural bridge towards the Jewish people.

Conclusions

By aiming at a biblical theology based upon an Hebraic worldview centred upon creation, covenant and community, this Thesis seeks to provide an educational resource inviting people to enter into and comprehend the worldview, culture and theology of the Bible, rather than the worldview, culture and theology of the West.

 

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