Resolving Eschatological Anxiety among Christians in the 21st Century: A Dynamic Balance Envisaged!

Abstract

Eschatological debate among Christians in the 21^st Century, based on doctrinal teachings as a way of salvation have caused rifts between believers.This calls for an urgent need to bridge the rift through hermeneutical approaches to those who subscribe to Calvin teachings and them who are inclined to Moultmann doctrines. This paper was guided by both the research objective and question. Objective was to explore anxiety caused by the apparently contradicting perspectives; to present the various perspectives as taught by John Calvin and Jürgen Moltmann as a problem to the diversified doctrinal understanding and to provide a dynamic balance between the two major perspectives for a harmonious understanding. The paper answered question that; what was the anxiety caused by contradictory doctrinal perspectives? The research found out that Moltmann's theology of universal salvation was the position in which the nature of eschatology was built on. This being the process at which he referred to as the onset, the kingdom of God was setting in and the point at which the eternal life begins. Based on such argument, preaching the gospel of universal salvation could easily be criticized for encouraging antinomianism and don not care the common denominator as a sure believe in the way of salvation. This way would help embrace double predestination towards antinomianism. Therefore, there was a need to hold them at tension by using the principle of dynamic balance in which eventual redemption is grounded in the work of Christ at the Cross. In the dynamic balance, Christ the creator of the universe is the savior of the same universe. In eternity, those who will respond to the gospel are called the elect and those who will reject are called reprobates. The finding of this research came up with the following recommendations to mitigate the state of anxiety and possible antinomianism among the Christians in the 21^st century; a common ground that all scriptures are inspired and true, with understanding that all doctrines that seem to contradict one another causing tension to Christians can be subjected to a principle of dynamic balance. This study treats the dynamic balance as a principle in resolving eschatological anxiety among Christians in the 21st century. Again, to prevent hermeneutical suicidal, there should be a way of striking a balance when doctrinal debates  emerges in theological studies which is the aim of this research work.