The theological eschatology of Geerhardus Vos

Thesis

By addressing the research question—What is the doctrinal location of eschatology in Vos’s theology?—this study contributes to Vosian studies by retrieving, systematizing, critiquing, and developing Geerhardus Vos’s eschatological thought. It demonstrates that eschatology is not merely one doctrinal locus among others in Vos’s theology but is foundational and distributive, permeating protology, Old Testament typology, Christology, and pneumatology, while also being integrally related to his supralapsarianism.

Central to Vos’s eschatology is consummated Spiritual communion with God, which serves as the ultimate goal of creation. This framework follows a natural-Spiritual trajectory, where sin is an obstruction to, but not the origin of, eschatology. Consequently, soteriology is inherently eschatological, realized through Old Testament symbols and types that signify restored communion with God. Vos’s construal of eschatology as the philosophy of redemptive history and revelation further clarifies the redemptive efficacy of symbols and types. Additionally, the Mosaic theocracy holds typological significance as a symbolic representation of God’s eschatological kingdom rather than a means of salvation.

As the fulfillment of Old Testament types, Christ’s priestly ascension inaugurates the consummated eschatological order, marking the transition from the natural to the Spiritual. The Spirit, as the eschatological substratum, defines both Christ’s resurrection and Christian soteriology. However, while Vos’s supralapsarianism undergirds the distributive nature of eschatology in redemptive history, it does not fully account for its theological shape. This study addresses this gap by developing Vos’s eschatology so that it is not only grounded in redemptive history but also in theology proper, explaining it through the dynamic relationship between divine attributes and decrees.

Although Vos’s eschatology offers a strong corrective to aspects of Reformed theology, this study recognizes that eschatology as a distributed doctrine is not entirely unique to Vos, as seen in recent studies of Herman Bavinck. Nevertheless, Vos’s supralapsarian eschatology provides a distinctive model that integrates eschatology into the fabric of Reformed theology more comprehensively than traditionally acknowledged. Finally, this thesis gestures toward the broader relevance of Vos’s theological eschatology, raising questions about its potential contribution to contemporary eschatological debates, including those in other theological traditions.

Authors: Li, P

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-5rxx79jw0
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: supralapsarianism; infralapsarianism; theological theology; Christology; divine attributes; the covenant of works; Geerhardus Vos; typology; the covenant of redemption; eschatology; pneumatology
• Subjects: Theology, Doctrinal