The tenth of my ten-part series on a basic systematic theology deriving from the Nicene Creed.

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This tenth and final article in the series deals with the final sections of the Creed.


I believe in one baptism...

Baptism is the initiation rite, the sacrament of introduction into the Christian life. The number of sacraments is something that not all Christians agree upon. ‘The Bible does not provide a definition of a sacrament, nor does it specify their number.’ (Migliore, p. 212) Most Christians recognise at least two (Baptism and Eucharist), others recognise more. Most who recognise more still give pride-of-place to these two. (Macquarrie, p. 155) Baptism as an initiation into community and Eucharist as a constant renewing link to the community (with most eucharistic prayers invoking or recalling the presence of the Holy Spirit), and both as symbolic (in the symbol which participates in the reality it symbolises) action-events are the primary means of making the presence of Christ real and available to the life of the community.

Some have seen all of creation in sacramental terms (as a creation of God); others have a much broader expanse of the sacramental. God can speak outside of sacramental signs, and these can be efficacious, because God is efficacious. (Rahner I, p. 412) However, while Rahner, Jones, Migliore and Macquarrie would agree that God is not limited in self-communication to the particular sacraments (be they two, thee, or seven) we recognise in our churches today, these sacraments do form a special signification and bond with God, attested in scripture and tradition. Indeed, the church often attempts to control who may perform and partake of the sacraments (often in political ways unacceptable to the gospel message), but ‘the church in its life and witness can never control God’s self-communicating presence and speaking.’ (Jones II, p. 176) Macquarrie is clear that ‘sacraments are not human inventions to summon God at our convenience.’ (Macquarrie, p. 6)

The very mysteriousness of sacraments has lent itself to disarray in the way communities have been sacramental. ‘There are deeply divisive grammars over inevitable question about sacraments that haunt the life of the church.’ (Jones II, p. 178) Even up to the twentieth century, traditions as close as the Anglican and Roman churches have had excommunications at issue regarding the nature of the eucharist.

Part of the efficaciousness of God’s work in sacraments must be the intentionality of those who partake in the sacrament. With regard to baptism, the intention of the baptised is paramount; likewise, the intention of the community to accept the baptised as one of their own is important (even more important in the case of infant or child baptism, where the input of the community in Christian formation is necessary). Sacraments strive to ‘create communion among the people’, and this makes for a more secure intentionality. (Jones II, p. 189)

Whose kingdom shall have no end...
The life of the world to come...

To be without hope is to be without well-being and life.
-- Joe Jones

What is the hope of the world? In what can we trust, with true expectation of fulfillment? ‘The prophets envision a time of universal concord when the Lord shall be glorified in all the earth.’ (Migliore, p. 231) This time, this salvation, this eschatology, is not limited just to a few, therefore, nor indeed even to the human community. ‘Eschatology is not just about human creatures, it is also about the destiny of the whole creation.’ (Jones II, p. 200) The final purpose, the end of times, the fulfillment of God’s purpose, both telos and finis, of finally coming to rest fully and completely in the grace of God and to live ‘in that heavenly kingdom where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal.’ (BCP, Burial Rite)

This hope has often be construe d in modern times as an individualistic enterprise. This has been true often of eschatological thinking since the rise of Christianity to a state religion in the Roman imperial times. ‘While hope in personal survival beyond death remained, hope for the transformation of all creation waned.’ (Migliore, p. 233) Coupled with the Enlightenment faith in the always-for-the-better trend in human progress, the idea of communal salvation in a Christian sense largely disappeared as a serious topic. With the rise of potential and real destruction on a massive scale, mass murders and oppression, and the threat of the end of humankind with biological and nuclear warfare, however, new theological thinking has given new life to the necessity for salvation to be enacted on a whole-communal scale. ‘Christian hope is not limited to the fulfillment of individual life. It insists that personal and communal fulfillment are inseparable.’ (Migliore, p. 239)

‘Christians are not optimistic that human beings--left to themselves apart from Jesus Christ--will become more and more responsive to the call of the kingdom of God.’ (Jones II, p. 210) Human beings being finite, and being unable to be saved through any individual or corporate action, but only through the grace of God, cannot hope for any ultimate redemption (in whatever form that takes) apart from the grace of God.

There are differing views on what ultimate salvation means. It is a term (to use Jones’ oft-stated description) that gets up and walks around. There are tensions that exist between the futuristic versus a realised eschatology, personal versus corporate eschatology, historical versus a cosmic eschatology, and a God-based versus a human-based eschatology. These tensions lead to much disagreement about redemption, who is going to be redeemed, is redemption talk meaningful, has redemption already happened? Ultimately, ‘Christian hope in God’s final triumph over sin, evil, and death is multidimensional--personal, corporate, and cosmic. The final victory belongs to God, not to death.’ (Migliore, p. 239)

On a personal level, each human being as a creature of God has been given the gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was one sacrifice given for all. Some may require that there is a human response or action that is necessary in some way to make this gift efficacious. However, this is to limit the saving power of God. ‘When the Bible is read through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we could affirm that all are saved in Jesus Christ’s atonement, that some are saved in historic liberation and sanctification, and that all are ultimately saved in God’s final judgment of grace.’ (Jones II, p. 214) While there is a great amount of imagery and detail in the Bible about hell and damnation, the tendency to make these things literal often amounts to ‘apocalyptic terrorism’. (Migliore, p. 236) ‘The grammar of Christian life does not require that some others be damned or our obedient living is not worthwhile.’ (Jones II, p. 218)

Ultimately, the Christian hope and belief is in the victory of God over the forces of sin and death. This is what is promised to us, this is what is being enacted already-- ‘the kingdom is present in the human words and works of love responding to the work of the Spirit in human history.’ (Jones II, p. 212) This redemption is not fully realised yet--the world is still full of sin, and misery, and evil. ‘God’s justice and peace are not yet realities throughout the creation. The world is not yet redeemed; God’s work of salvation is still unfinished.’ (Migliore, p. 243) This is the call to Christians in the world today--to work for justice and peace, and be at one with God, as the prophets have proclaimed, and as the gospel message compels. In the end, we shall all be judged by God, but we may have reassurance that ‘the very same Christ who was crucified and raised for us will also be our judge on the final day.’ (Migliore, p. 245)

On a personal level, each of us must have faith in the God who promises eternal life, though is short on specifics of what that life will be like. As Rahner believes, ‘the death of each person becomes a final opportunity to give oneself into the gracious hands of God in trusting self-surrender.’ (Migliore, p. 238). As with each individual, so goes the entire world, into the gracious and compassionate hands of God, who recognises and loves each of us, and all of us, as God’s own.

All of systematic theology may be characterised as spes quaerens intellectum, a hope seeking understanding, in addition to a fides quaerens intellectum. It is this hope which carries us through life, and is what creates our ultimate goal, in relationship and communion with the triune God who calls us into being and calls us to return.


Look for future articles outside of this series that will deal with ways of interacting and relating with other religious frameworks, both Christian and non-Christian.


References for this section:

Book of Common Prayer. 1979. Seabury Press: New York.

Jones, Joe. Manuscript for A Grammar of Christian Faith, Volumes I & II. 1999-2000. Rowman and Littlefield, 2002.

Macquarrie, John. A Guide to the Sacraments. 1998. Continuum Press: New York.

Migliore, Daniel L. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. 1991. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Rahner, Karl. The Trinity. 1997. Crossroad Publishing: New York.

Rahner, Karl. Edited by Geffrey B. Kelly. Karl Rahner. 1992. Augsburg Fortress Press: Minneapolis, Minnesota.