How it Ends: Brief Remarks on Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Abstract

This short essay reflects theologically upon aspects of the enigmatic passage 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 and contends that while certainly directed at assuaging the eschatological anxieties of the Christian congregation to whom it is addressed, this passage is not, as is often suggested, uninterested in eschatological doctrine as such. Rather, I argued that it is precisely the apocalyptic vision of the victorious and eloquent epiphany of the Lord that funds the peace and hope to which Christians are called in the midst of tumultuous times, and that this orientation is decisive for both faith and theology.