The Eschatical Perfection of the World in God

This article introduces the distinction between pre-eschatical and eschatical horizons as the basis for the criteria of Christian 'future-talk'. Whereas pre-eschatic horizons are constituted by everyday experience on the logic of extrapolation, eschatical horizons are constituted by the experience of the self-disclosure of the triune God as the ultimate, as the eschatoi. Different types of concepts in the tradition to grasp the future have to be valued as pre-eschatical. However, eternity has to be identified eschatically with the inner-trinitarian relationships of the love and life of the triune God. The ultimate future of human beings consists in becoming included in the inner-trinitarian relationships in a direct manner. The natural world will also partake, but to an unknown extent. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.