St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Jul 2023)
The Last Judgment
Abstract
The last judgment is widely understood in Christianity as something which will take place in the eschata or eschaton (sometimes called ‘the end times’), with only marginal significance for everyday life. A closer look reveals this notion to be misguided. Understanding the last judgment as a vivid subject matter negates attempts at abstraction. It may, therefore, be argued there has been too much attention directed toward the outcome of the judgment, which has consequently contributed to its marginalization. The article first analyses a variety of biblical statements about the last judgment as well as different types of the history of doctrine. The most common views will be presented, followed by an analysis of the main problem of affirming grace and freedom simultaneously. Then, contemporary (twentieth- and twenty-first century) solutions are discussed. The article will finally present a solution on the basis of a dynamic and relational trinitarian framework, which conceives the last judgment as a process of the constitution and transformation of created persons in relation. The implicit argument throughout deals with the judging, the judged, and the criteria of the judgment. In conclusion, the last section shows how the judgment enters the present reality of everyday life.
