Russell Moore,Dean of my former School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has written an intriguing book entitled: The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective. More an interaction with Carl F.H. Henry’s The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism than with eschatology or theology, Moore nonetheless draws some forceful conclusions.

Moore uses excerpts from both the Covenantal and Progressive Dispensational views, and shows how George Eldon Ladd has forced the two positions closer through an emphasis on the “already/not yet” tension. Drawing heavily from Henry, Moore argues that regardless of your eschatological position, there is a growing consensus for the “already/not yet” understanding of at least the firstfruits of the kingdom here and now. The kingdom has arrived (at least in part) because the King has arrived. This brings with it drastic cultural and societal implications that Evangelicals are only now beginning to realize.

Rather than focusing on specific eschatological details (which certainly has its place), this view of “inaugurated eschatology” forces our eyes where they should have been in the first place: squarely upon Christ. Moore notes: “This is the key insight of inaugurated eschatology - namely, the fact that its central biblical referent is not a golden age within history or the timing of prophetic events, but instead is the One whom God has exalted as ‘both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified’ (Acts 2:36).”

Moore continues: “The ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’ aspects of the Kingdom find their content in the identity and mission of Jesus as Messiah. This correctly locates the hinge of history as resting on the incarnation, life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus as the harbinger of the ‘last days’ (Heb 1:2), the ‘firstborn’ of the eschatological resurrection of the righteous (Col. 1:18), and the Kingdom of God in person.”

In other words, regardless of our individual eschatological positions, the fact that the OT prophets and the Disciples saw the arrival of the Messiah as the ushering in (at least in some regard) of the “last days” is huge and cannot be overlooked. Jesus is indeed the Creator and the Re-Creator (John 1:1-18) and just as Jesus came un-doing the effects of the Fall, so we too, as His representatives are to work to reverse the Fall where ever possible.

This flies in the face of the tendency of many Christians to withdraw rather than to engage culture. Granted, this is a fine line to remain in and engage this world, but not to be “of the world” (John 17:16). Yet the fact that Jesus Himself came to redeem this world, and that He does not pray that we would be removed from it (John 17:15) seems to leave us no option.

Moore boldly asserts that “evangelicalism ought to become both more and less political. Evangelical theology will not serve an activist agenda to be an identity caucus in someone’s political party. But evangelical theology will remind Christians that the call to Christ is not a call to ‘go to heaven when you die,’ but instead a call to be ‘joint heirs’ with the Messiah who will inherit an all-encompassing Kingdom.”

Jesus renews the mandate that we rule over the earth as good stewards of God’s creation and a focus on the Kingdom reminds us that all of this will eventually be redeemed. It is not a lost cause and Christians are not to retreat from a fallen culture, but we are to boldly proclaim the arrival of the King who is returning to judge lest we find repentance.

We can thank Moore for reminding us of the common ground that we share and the impetus that that ground should provide. It’s up to us to reach across “party lines” and to face the culture with the Gospel that alone can provide help. Our hope is not in “Christian music” or “Christian politics.” Our hope alone is in Christ and our interaction with culture is to accurately represent the spirit of power given to us (2 Timothy 1:7).

We must ask ourselves whether or now our cultural interaction reflects that we are serving a victorious King and a reigning Lord or whether or not we are simply reactionaries. When the Gospel is truly lived out in our lives it will look radical to those surrounding us because too many Christians don’t understand that the Gospel is to affect all of life, from our thinking to our actions; everything is taken captive to the Gospel and all that we have is at its service. Do we understand the implications for art, for music, for business, for “blogging”? There is no sacred/secular divide and we must bring all of life into subjection to the Gospel.

Moore has done a fine job reminding us that we do indeed have much to agree upon and that our “central ground” of the Kingdom does indeed have drastic implications. The question now becomes whether or not we will follow those implications to the conclusion or if we will be content living in our Christian bubbles?

Read The Kingdom of Christ by Russell Moore.
Read The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism by Carl F.H. Henry.
Read The Presence of the Future by George Eldon Ladd.
Read The Bible and the Future by Anthony A. Hoekema.

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