Marking Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year

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Mark i ng T ime : Formi ng Sp i r i tua l i t y through the Chr i s t i an Year

Models of the Kingdom, continued

Kingdom are too closely identified. Modern “Church Growth” thinking has been criticized at this point.

5. The Kingdom as Counter-System – the Subversive Kingdom

May be a protest to #4; sees the Kingdom as a reality which prophetically judges the sociopolitical order as well as the Church. One of the best examples: Francis of Assisi; also 16th century Radical Reformers; “Radical Christians” today; Sojourners magazine. Sees Church as counter-culture embodying the new order of the Kingdom.

6. The Kingdom as Political State – the Theocratic Kingdom

Kingdom may be seen as a political theocracy; Church and society not necessarily to be organized democratically. Tends to work from O.T. models, especially the Davidic Kingdom. Constantinian model; Byzantine Christianity a good example. Calvin’s Geneva, perhaps, in a somewhat different sense. Problem of Luther’s “two kingdoms” view.

7. The Kingdom as Christianized Society – the Transforming Kingdom

Here also the Kingdom provides a model for society, but more in terms of values and principles to be worked out in society. Kingdom in its fullness would be society completely leavened by Christian values. Post-millennialism; many mid-19th-century Evangelicals; early 20th-century Social Gospel. Kingdom manifested progressively in society, in contrast to premillennialism.

8. The Kingdom as Earthly Utopia – the Earthly Kingdom

May be seen as #7 taken to extreme. This view of the Kingdom is literally utopian. Tends to deny or downplay sin, or see evil as purely environmental. The view of many utopian communities (Cohn, Pursuit of the Millennium ) including 19th-century U.S.