Greg Carey. <i>Death, The End of History, and Beyond: Eschatology in the Bible</i>

One of the central questions of human existence is what happens after death? More broadly, will God bring history and our current world to a good climax? Will evil be eradicated, the wicked punished, and the innocent vindicated? The Bible tackles these eschatological questions from a variety of different angles, but it does not always speak with a clear or unified voice. Greg Carey carefully and patiently works through the major biblical texts that have a bearing on death and eschatology, often with an eye on their contemporary theological and especially existential implications.Carey immediately lends some clarity to his use of the term eschatology. While the word is used at times to speak of an individual’s personal fate (“personal eschatology”), it also is used to speak of the future of the world and whether God is ultimately in charge to bring the world to a fitting climax (“historical eschatology,” see pp. 2–3).In chapter 1 (“Interpreting Eschatological Texts”), Carey articulates his commitment to work through the biblical texts in all their messy details and sets forth some of his principles or guidelines of interpretation. Eschatological texts set forth their visions in a highly poetic and metaphorical manner (e.g., 1 Thess. 4:13–5:11). They are filled with rhetorical potential as they seek not so much to provide raw sources for doctrine as they do to transform peoples’ character and beliefs. Eschatological texts are pieces of “constructive theology” in that they attempt to provide people with a truthful understanding of their place in the world. And eschatological texts are scribal in that they are often engaging and interpreting prior authoritative texts.In chapter 2 (“Eschatology in the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean”), Carey looks at a variety of diverse texts such as 1 Enoch, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. The primary takeaway from these texts is that they are complex and impossible to reduce to a single viewpoint. Perhaps the strongest point of similarity between ancient Mediterranean cultures is their conviction that “a person’s postmortem self is a diminished version of their living self, something like a shade or spirit” (p. 91).In chapter 3 (“Eschatology in the Hebrew Scriptures and in Ancient Judaism”), Carey organizes his argument through the following themes: (1) Creation; (2) Election, Exodus, and Inheritance; (3) Royal Aspirations; (4) The Day of the Lord; (5) Death and the Afterlife: and (6) The Apocalyptic Turn. Carey argues that while many OT scholars have argued that the texts depict death as the end of existence, there are a variety of texts that do not fit this theory. For example, both Enoch (Gen 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:1–12) escape death to go be with God. Saul visits a medium who calls forth Samuel back from the dead (1 Sam 28). In Carey’s words: “In short, nobody wants to die, but ancient Israelites commonly held a notion of an afterlife: an afterlife certainly diminished in comparison to this side of the grave, but one that include social interaction with those who died before and with those yet living” (p. 116). This, along with stronger national hopes for Israel’s restoration, proved critical to the development of belief in resurrection of the dead (e.g., Dan 12; 2 Macc 7).In chapter 4 (“Jesus and the Good News”), Carey begins his analysis by noting how the Sadducees’ riddle to Jesus (“whose wife will she be in the resurrection?,” Mark 12:23) demonstrates both the fact that Jesus was remembered as teaching and believing in personal resurrection and that this remained a controversial belief that was not shared by all. Perhaps the central theme of the Synoptic Gospels centers upon Jesus’s proclamation of the kingdom of God, a kingdom that Jesus proclaimed was inaugurated in his ministry but that still looked for a future fulfillment. Carey covers difficult terrain here and does not impose uniformity where diversity and complexity exist. For example, Luke’s Gospel appears to advance side-by-side both belief in a final resurrection of the dead (e.g., Luke 14:12–14) and immediate afterlife upon death (Luke 16:19–31 and 23:43). All four Gospels, however, are united in their conviction that Jesus was bodily raised from the dead and that the risen body of Jesus had similarities and dissimilarities from his earthly pre-resurrected body. Carey also tackles the difficult-to-interpret texts on hell and the afterlife, arguing that some of them seem to depict annihilation while others may anticipate eternal everlasting judgment.Finally, in chapter 5 (“From Paul to Revelation and Beyond”), Carey turns to the rest of the NT, with major emphasis especially upon Paul and Revelation. Carey argues for strong lines of continuity between Jesus’s vision of the kingdom of God and Paul’s apocalyptic emphasis on the risen Jesus and the powerful workings of the Spirit. Paul’s eschatological vision is also one of an inaugurated kingdom, with believers experiencing transformation by participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, and one that looks forward to the future apocalyptic resurrection of the dead where death is ultimately defeated (e.g., Rom 6:1–7:6; 1 Cor. 15:20–58). Carey’s reading of Revelation emphasizes its challenge to “its readers to absolute faithfulness, emulating the Lamb’s example and participating in its victory” (p. 253).Carey brings the book to a conclusion by tackling the eschatological implications of some important contemporary and theological matters such as judgment and universalism, the delay of the Parousia, and the nature of eschatological language. While I have read a variety of books related to the questions of death, eschatology, heaven, and resurrection, I can think of no book quite like this one. Carey accomplishes his task of “working through” and “not around” almost all of the major eschatological texts in the Christian Scriptures. He’s theologically and pastorally sensitive, but he does not seek to impose more harmony or uniformity on his subject matter. Even on matters where Carey may hope to the contrary of what the texts teach (e.g., perhaps on universalism or eternal punishment), he is honest enough to allow the texts to speak in all their complexity. I think those who teach, preach, and study these texts have an excellent starting point in Carey’s Death, the End of History, and Beyond.