Francis Gumerlock

Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology

early middle ages

Apocalyptic Spirituality in the Early Middle Ages

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The Pure Flame of Devotion:  The History of Christian Spirituality, edited by G. Stephen Weaver, Jr. and Ian Hugh Clary, was published recently.  It is a collection of essays on the history of Christian spirituality in honor of Dr. Michael Haykin.  My contribution to this book is Chapter 6 entitled “Apocalyptic Spirituality in the Early Middle Ages:  Hope for Escaping the Fire of Doomsday through a Pre-conflagration Rapture.”

We have all heard of the pre-tribulation rapture view, popular with many evangelical Christians, which says that seven years before Christ returns, the church will be caught up to be with Christ to escape the Great Tribulation.  The view which I hold is that the “catching away” of 1 Thess 4 is simply the resurrection of those Christians who are still living at the time of Christ’s Second Coming.  The purpose for this is so that the living as well as the resurrected dead will stand before the Last Judgment in both body and soul.  For, after the judgment, they will spend eternity in body and soul either in heaven with Christ or in eternal torment.

The essay “Apocalyptic Spirituality…” presents a view of the rapture, held by many Christians in the early middle ages, called the “pre-conflagration rapture.”  This view says that one of the purposes of the catching up of the saints is to protect Christians from the grand conflagration, a big word for a big fire: the burning up on the present heaven and earth that accompanies the Second Coming of Christ.  I hope you enjoy the essay.

Read the complete article in PDF.

To order a copy of The Pure Flame of Devotion follow these links:

Reformation Heritage Books

Amazon.com

Happy reading.

Frank

Julian of Toledo on the World to Come

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I am elated about the forthcoming translation of Julian of Toledo’s Prognosticum Futuri Saeculi (Foreknowledge of the World to Come) by Tommaso Stancati.

Julian of Toledo (d. 690), a seventh-century Spanish bishop, was the first theologian to compile a systematic treatise on Christian eschatology. Drawing upon the wisdom of the fathers, Julian treats life after death, the resurrection, Last Judgment, the eternal state and many related questions. Plowing through this sizable treatise in Latin, printed in the Patrologia Latina series and more recently in the Corpus Christianorum series, is no easy task. But thanks to Stancati, it will soon be available in English as Volume 63 in the Ancient Christian Writers series by Paulist Press. Its projected release date is September 2010.

Outlines of the chapters of Stancati’s book are found at www.prognosticum.info. The introduction by Stancati reveals that Prognosticum began as a dialogue between Julian and Idalius of Barcelona. He also comments upon the library of Julian and discusses Prognosticum as an anti-apocalyptic work.

The actual Prognosticum is divided like this:
Book 1: The Mystery of Death
Book 2: The Intermediate Eschatology
Book 3: Human corporeality has an eternal destiny

In Book 2, I look forward to reading about his distinction between the two paradises (presumably earthly and heavenly), what he has to say about apparitions of the dead, and his interpretation of Rev 20 that not only the martyrs but all the saints will reign with Christ.

In Book 3, I look forward to reading what he had to say about our ignorance of the date of the Parousia, and what he believed about the place and time of the Judgment. Other subheadings that interest me are “The Christological modalities of the Parousia,” “The great sign of the cross will precede Christ the judge,” The Parousia is one but diversified,” “The vision of glorious Christ will be ocular and bodily,” and “The ‘when’ of the Parousia.”

The book of 624 pages is listed in the Paulist Press catalog at $49.95. To me it will be well worth the money.

Predestination in the Century Before Gottschalk

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In the mid-ninth century, a wandering monk named Gottschalk of Orbais (d. 868) sparked a controversy over divine predestination that shook both church and state in central Europe. But was Gottschalk the maverick that he is often made out to be? What did the church teach about grace and divine predestination in the century before Gottschalk? Through examination of the theological literature written between 740 and 840 AD, this two-part series answers those questions.

These articles appeared in recent issues of Evangelical Quarterly. You can read both articles here: Predestination in the Century Before Gottschalk, Part 1 & Part 2

Have a great day. Frank