Chapter 4: An evaluation of Sallie McFague's body of God cosmology
5.5 Eschatology
certain autonomy to the market that increases inequality and fragments political life and communities" (in Warmback: 195).
It was indicated before that with its focus on ecojustice, the body of God anthropology seems to be a form of liberation theology, because it has a concrete understanding of sin and
salvation. This is a positive approach, as sin and salvation do not become the concerns of another place or time, but are based in current reality.
not point towards an unearthy reformation and the New Jerusalem is the hope for creation's restoration. Keller maintains that salvation needs to become an earthly affair. She states this succinctly,
when salvation means removal from the earth to a heavenly home, then our oikos (home) is abandoned to the assaults of those whose ultimate concern is neither heaven nor earth, but the power and wealth of their particular households (: 332) (Emphasis Keller's).
Keller therefore uses an oikos theology in her eschatology. This means that human beings need to understand the earth as their home. Keller reminds readers that home does not imply an end.
Human beings are not simply orientated towards another home, but are located in the earth home (: 341). Keller believes that an earthly eschatology should motivate human beings to take care of the earth; the biblical metaphor for this being stewardship (: 328). Such an approach addresses social issues and thus matters pertaining to economic justice and the natural environment. Keller refers to her eschatology as, "ecoeschatology" (: 343).
McFague's approach to ecojustice has much in common with Keller's ecoeschatology. It stresses human responsibility for the earth and thus has notions of sin and salvation that takes ecological issues seriously. Moreover, McFague accentuates the need for sustainability. Like Keller she advocates the notion of oikos and incorporates the stewardship metaphor into the body of God anthropology. Both these thinkers highlight the need for theology to be involved injustice issues that impact the natural environment. McFague's approach to ecojustice therefore appears to be a form of ecoeschatology. A positive aspect to McFague's anthropology is that it includes the natural order within the scope of salvation.
The body of God anthropology's focus on human responsibility for the earth raises an important issue in regard to grace. A central feature of McFague ecological theology is that it appears to be orientated towards ecological ethics. This is characteristic of most liberation theologies that are orientated towards praxis (Villa-Vicencio 1994: 189). A challenge for these kinds of theology is how to express God's unique involvement in emancipating the oppressed.
It was shown previously that there is a strong Pelagian influence in the body of God
anthropology. This means that McFague views grace as external to human beings. The body of God anthropology demonstrates how human responsibility and freedom interact with God's grace to care for the world and thus overcome sin.
The problem with the body of God anthropology on this point is that does not consider the notion that grace impacts the human being internally as well. A reason for this is that McFague appears to adopt an antirealist position in relation to God. The strength of the body of God model is that it may be able to affect human beings on the cognitive level. In this manner humankind could change its opinion about the natural order. However, a critical realist perspective highlights the idea that God is both external and internal to the human being. This implies that God's grace may be able to change human beings at the psychological and
ontological levels. The body of God model does not imply that God operates within the human being through the Holy Spirit and gives them plenitude of life (Comblin 1990: 228).
The Holy Spirit bestows grace and as such is not passive, but active in the lives of human beings (Berkhof 1986: 428). It was intimated before that in the imago Dei makes human beings open to God and the world. In other words, this openness allows human beings to access grace through the Holy Spirit.
Boff identifies various virtues of grace: faith, hope, love, friendship, peace, joy, critical spirit, courage and humour (1984: 163-173) . The first three of these occur at the ontological level before the psychological level and are found in the bible (1 Cor. 13:13; IThess. 1:3; Gal. 5:6;
Rom. 5:1-5). In other words faith, hope and love are as a result of the internal operation of grace within human beings. Faith means being open to and then accepting God. Graced human beings are able to hope for a better future and then live out this hope in a meaningful manner.
Love also comes about through openness to grace and involves the acceptance of the other and involvement of oneself in the other's reality. Love is thus relevant in terms of accepting the differences of both human and non-human beings.
Particularly significant are the outward manifestation of God's grace. Accepting God's grace results in "friendly relations" (: 169). Friendship is a concept that may be extended to the natural order as well. Peace is a virtue that opposes fragmentation and thus promotes
wholeness and completeness (Rom. 5:1; Gal 5:22). The virtue of peace thus prevents a violent attitude to human and non-human beings. It also allows human beings to feel connectedness with God, each other and the natural order (: 170). Grace generates a critical spirit. Being
O. Meyer endorses the view that the Spirit is not merely the sustainer of life, but the giver of virtues as well. These virtues are also sustained by the Spirit (2002: 45-6).
critical is the ability to discern true from false and good from bad so that false ideologies may be identified (Prov. 13:7; Rom. 12:2). This is important for any liberation theology that attempts to identify sinful social structures and ideologies. Grace allows human beings to be courageous when confronting injustices. Courage is therefore due to divine strength and not only human ability (Acts 9:27-8; Phil. 1:20). The last virtue that Boff identifies is humour.
Humour is located within the human being and is energised by grace. It functions as a coping mechanism for human beings.
These insights from Boff are examples of the impact that grace has on human beings. A need for the body of God anthropology is to create a balance between internal and external notions of grace. This may pose a challenge for McFague's anthropology considering its antirealist stance. This may be achieved by articulating the idea that religious metaphors are humankind's response to God's grace50. The body of God anthropology therefore needs more emphasis on the internal operation of God's grace in human beings. In this manner humankind's
understanding of the natural order is influenced by religious metaphors (i.e. worldviews), as well as God's grace. If the internal nature of grace is not described then the body of God may be accused of salvation by good works and not God's grace.
In light of what has been discussed the body of God anthropology affirms point five of the study's anthropology reflection. It prioritises ecojustice and insists on the rights and values of all creation.
5.6 The body of God anthropology and its understanding of the relationship between