Carl Braaten Eschatology and Worldview
While in Carl Braaten's eschatology the modern mindset seeks to establish the irrationality of the spiritual forces of evil in Scripture, that is altogether a different matter when viewing eschatology through the lense of a fulfilled paradigm. The problem is not a denial of the existence of those powers in Biblical eschatology, but the failure to acknowledge the full and signal defeat of them resulting in a fulfilled Apocalyptic posit that should shape our political, moral and social fabric with such a confidence of victory that we move with a vigor unheard of in the world since the days of the apostles. If futuristic views of eschatology prove anything, they prove that no amount or brand of futurism is adequate in addressing the ills of society. For since the close of the apostolic error in the third quarter of the first century they have demonstrated over and over through history, their utter failure to accomplish anything significant other than more variations of the same views. Braaten's noble call for reform and repentance serve only to establish that fact. The weakness of Braaten's futurism always offers the potential lure of leading one down modern interpretations which impose upon scripture. In other words, to validate a futurist view, there must be some events in the present and or future concerning which one may speculate as providing evidence to validate that view. Such has given rise to the evangelical fanaticism which characterizes much of futurist eschatology today.
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