New Creation Conversations Episode 052 - J. Richard Middleton on Worldviews, Postmodernity, Holistic Eschatology, and the Silence of Abraham
Mar 2, 2022
auto_awesome
Professor J. Richard Middleton discusses worldviews and postmodernity, emphasizing the significance of his books in shaping Christian universities. They explore the gods of the age, the biblical narrative, difficult texts, and the urgency of prayer. The chapter also touches on transitioning to writing and expresses gratitude for the guest's work.
The concept of 'holy dissatisfaction' challenges everyday Christians to engage in a dialogue with God, urging Him to act in accordance with His character and not remaining silent in the face of injustice or unanswered prayers.
The biblical narratives of Abraham and Job offer fresh insights, presenting a model of honest and open communication with God, encouraging believers to engage with God even in times of confusion, doubt, and disappointment.
Believers are called to embrace a holistic eschatology that envisions a comprehensive redemption of the world, actively participating in caring for the natural world, seeking justice, and working towards the flourishing of all humanity.
Deep dives
The Significance of Holy Dissatisfaction
The author discusses the concept of 'holy dissatisfaction' with the status quo and the ethical implications of wrestling with God. This concept challenges everyday Christians to engage in a vigorous dialogue with God, holding Him accountable to His promises, and urging Him to act in accordance with His character. It emphasizes the importance of not remaining silent in the face of injustice or unanswered prayers. The author also highlights the need for a deep trust in God's mercy, which enables believers to protest and seek a deeper understanding of His will in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Revisiting the Stories of Abraham and Job
The author explores the biblical narratives of Abraham (Genesis 22) and Job, offering fresh insights and challenging traditional interpretations. In the story of Abraham, the author argues that God desired a dialogue partner who would boldly question the command to sacrifice his son Isaac. The idea is that God was testing Abraham's understanding of His character and mercy rather than seeking Abraham's silent obedience. Similarly, the author suggests that Job's story reveals God's affirmation of Job's lament and protest, presenting a model of honest and open communication with God. These alternative interpretations prompt believers to engage with God, even in times of confusion, doubt, and disappointment.
The Role of Protest and Opposition
The author highlights the significance of protest and opposition in the relationship between humans and God. Drawing from various biblical stories, such as Moses challenging God's plans to destroy Sodom, the author argues that God welcomes and even desires believers to express their heartfelt concerns, hold Him accountable to His promises, and urge Him to act justly. This approach acknowledges the human status as bearers of God's image and reflects a commitment to engaging with God in a meaningful and authentic way.
Embracing a Holistic Eschatology
The author emphasizes the importance of embracing a holistic eschatology, which envisions a comprehensive redemption of the world. This perspective challenges traditional views that focus solely on personal salvation or an otherworldly future. By affirming the biblical narrative of God's love for His creation and His desire to renew and restore all things, believers are called to participate actively in caring for the natural world, seeking justice, and working towards the flourishing of all humanity. This holistic eschatology provides hope and purpose for everyday Christians as they join God in His mission to transform the world.
Finding Hope in the Writing Life
The author shares his personal journey of transitioning from teaching to focusing more on writing, and how this shift has brought him hope and purpose. Writing has become a form of ministry through which the author can convey the insights he has gained from teaching, making them accessible to a wider audience. This realization has given him a renewed sense of fulfillment and joy, highlighting the importance of finding vocation in alignment with one's deep gladness and the world's deep needs.
Welcome to episode fifty-two of New Creation Conversations. In this second episode of this second season of the podcast I’m delighted to have a conversation with someone I have been reading for thirty-plus years and have deeply admired from a distance but have never had the opportunity to meet – Dr. J. Richard Middleton.
Dr. Middleton currently serves as Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Roberts Wesleyan College. He is widely published in religious periodicals and is the author of several books. His special areas of interest include Old Testament theology, the Christian worldview, the doctrine of Creation, and the impact of postmodern culture.
I first encountered Richard’s work through a couple of books he co-wrote with Brian Walsh. The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View (published by IVP in 1984) became an important guide to the questions all worldviews ask and answer, and it helped frame the language and practices of Christian universities for the last several decades. They also wrote Truth is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (also published by IVP in 1995). I used this book in colleges classes for many years as I helped students wrestle with the new philosophical realities of postmodernity and the challenges and possibilities those new realities bring for Christian faith.
More recently, Richard has written two excellent and important books. The first is entitled A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (published by Baker in 2014), and the just released Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God (also from Baker Academic). I’m delighted that our conversation gets to revisit his formative early work and then move to his important eschatological work and his provocative and challenging work on Abraham and Job. I had a friend who would often say that one of the best things in life is when you get to meet your heroes and they turn out to be great people. I feel that way about this conversation. It is so fun when a name on a worn-out book cover becomes a new friend. And it is fun to get to share that encounter with you.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
