Thesis:
P.T. Forsyth’s Christocentric theology of the kingdom of God provides an answer to the twin issues of ecclesiastical hunger for secular power and the radical suggestion to remove ourselves from society by arguing that true citizens of the kingdom are to be distinct from society in order to critique its sinfulness whilst invested in society in order to provide a holistic Gospel witness.
Argument:
P.T. Forsyth’s theology of the kingdom sits between the systematic frameworks that compose Evangelicalism. Using his engagement with the European Liberal movement as a foil, this paper will demonstrate that the theological conceptions applied by Forsyth provide a blueprint for our generation’s pivoting back towards the core essentials of the Gospel so as to be able to engage with the current cultural climate.
Forsyth’s analysis of the Anglican church’s relationship with the state, and the detriment it has caused to the state of the church generally (traced from Constantine to the 19th Century) will be juxtaposed with the Dispensationalist and radical tendency to see believers as removed from social concerns and constraints. In contrast, Forsyth provides the theological argumentation by which genuine citizens of the kingdom are to rise above the pressures of culture through their prophetic pronouncements of the Gospel whilst simultaneously being the means to address societal issues through the lens of the constitution of the king. He provides an early glimpse of “inaugurated eschatology” and prophetically deploys it in such a way as to stand outside his immediate context such that his perspective is as impactful for our day as for his own.
Placement in Literature:
Although Americans are becoming increasingly aware of P.T. Forsyth, he continues to be underrepresented in the American academy. His conception of the relationship between the church and state accords well with the historic conception of Evangelicalism’s position in society. His understanding of society as needing the holy love of God, whilst refusing to bend down to the demands of either an overly political church or an overly dogmatic politick serve as prophetic warnings for our own generation. The vision of Evangelicalism set forth by Forsyth is one in which the church ought to stand outside and beyond cultural permutations and fluxes, whilst simultaneously, through its membership, being within culture as ambassadors for the kingdom of God.
Contribution to the Field:
This paper will present Forsyth’s helpful articulations concerning the social Gospel and the radical liberalism that has deeply impacted our current generation. Doing so will requiring analyzing Forsyth’s theology of the church, the state, and culture in relation to one another, before then introducing his conception of the church as a prophetic voice that speaks against falsehoods from those who power is grounded in ecclesial, governmental, and social offices. This paper will engage with N.T. Wright, Theng Huat Leow, and Jason Goroncy (writers who have either worked on Forsyth or this topic from a similar vantage point), as well as the Liberal scholars with whom Forsyth was in dialogue such as Albrecht Ritschl and Johannes Weiss. This paper will consider reactions to the ideas found in Forsyth (though not necessarily directly analyzed from his writings) such as through Jurgen Moltmann, C.E. Dodd, G.E Ladd, and Karl Barth. It will also consider more recent examples of cultural challenges to Evangelicalism once Forsyth’s framework has been established, such as the Prosperity Gospel, Catholicism, Anglicanism, and the recent growth of “Christian Nationalism” in the West.