Realized Eschatology

Definition

Realized eschatology is a theological interpretation holding that the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus is not something yet to come but was already brought about in Jesus' words and ministry. The British New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd set it out systematically in The Parables of the Kingdom (1935). Eschatology is the doctrine of the events of the last days; realized eschatology places its emphasis on the saving events that have already taken place rather than on the future Second Coming and the Last Judgment.

Biblical and Historical Background

The principal texts on which Dodd relied include the following:

• Luke 11:20: "no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you"
• Mark 1:15: Dodd read "the kingdom of God is at hand" as meaning that the kingdom "has already come."
• John 5:24–25: a passage stating that the one who believes already has eternal life

In the early twentieth century, Albert Schweitzer argued that Jesus expected the imminent end of the world, a view known as "consistent" (or "thoroughgoing") eschatology. Dodd's interpretation stood at the opposite end of the spectrum. Realized eschatology, however, was criticized for failing to account adequately for the passages that speak of a future return of Christ.

Joachim Jeremias later proposed a modification he called "eschatology in the process of realization," and Oscar Cullmann offered the framework of the "already and not yet." Today many New Testament scholars hold that the kingdom of God has already begun but has not yet been consummated. This view is commonly called "inaugurated eschatology."

In the Korean Church

Korean Protestantism generally affirms the future Second Coming and judgment strongly, so few denominations adopt Dodd's realized eschatology without modification. The "already and not yet" framework is widely used in seminary teaching and preaching. The emphasis varies by denomination and theological tradition:

• Reformed Presbyterians acknowledge that the kingdom of God has begun in Christ, while guarding against any weakening of the doctrine of the future Second Coming.
• Churches influenced by dispensationalism give greater attention to future events such as the millennium.
• Progressive streams such as the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea reportedly tend to connect the present reality of the kingdom of God with social engagement.
• The Pentecostal tradition understands divine healing and the gifts of the Holy Spirit as signs that the kingdom of God has come in the present, while also emphasizing the imminent Second Coming.