Kingdom theology is a system of Christian thought that elaborates on inaugurated eschatology, which is a way of understanding the various teachings on the kingdom of God found throughout the New Testament. It is often associated with the Vineyard movement. Its emphasis is that the purpose of both individual Christians and the church as a whole is to manifest the kingdom of God on the earth, incorporating personal evangelism, social action, and foreign missions.
Kingdom theology should not be confused with Kingdom Now theology, which is a variant of Dominion theology.
Contents |
Kingdom theology divides spiritual history into two great ages:
In the kingdom theology framework, the present day is caught between these two ages: Jesus Christ has established the kingdom of God on earth, but will not abolish this present evil age and its kingdom of darkness until he returns.
This present-day tension is often expressed in phrases such as the kingdom of God is "already, but also not yet," or "here, but not yet fully here." Because the kingdom of God is already here, believers in the kingdom theology expect to see God actively working, sometimes even miraculously, in the present day. In a kingdom theology framework, present-day manifestations of the kingdom of God include the presence of the Holy Spirit within every Christian, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, successful evangelism and missionary activity, as well as divine healing and other miracles. Additionally, the role of individual Christians and of the Church as a whole is to represent the kingdom of God to the world, through evangelism, missions, and social action.
Because the kingdom of God is not yet here in its full expression, the works of this present evil age continue though not as unlimited as it would have without the presence of the Kingdom of God. Although Christians have eternal life, they still sicken and die. Although God dwells within them, their knowledge of God at times seems quite limited. War, poverty, sickness, godlessness, and death continue, and kingdom theology teaches that they will continue until the end of the age.
This theological concept of "already" and "not yet" was proposed by Princeton theologian Gerhardus Vos early in the 20th century. Kingdom theology was more fully examined in the 1950s by George Eldon Ladd, then a professor of biblical theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. Its more recent proponents include John Wimber, Gordon Fee and Dallas Willard. It has been influential among the more Charismatic elements of evangelical Christianity, for whom it provides a theological framework for believing in the present-day activity of the Holy Spirit. It is officially embraced by the Vineyard Churches, and underpins many of the teachings of that movement.
Kingdom theology is often paired with a rejection of the doctrine of the Pretribulation Rapture, which states that Christ will return to remove the church from the earth. Ladd, in particular, was a proponent of Historic premillennialism. However, the Vineyard Movement's statement of "Core Beliefs and Values" has no official position regarding this issue.