ABSTRACT
I was asked to review Jesus’ messianism in the current ecclesial and political context. If Christianity literally means messianism, every follower of Jesus ought to have a “messianic” view of history, meaning that Christians are called to work on the construction of history. Indeed, when history has no messianic horizon, it degenerates into a mere consumer society that renders human life meaningless and generates violent extremist reactions, ultimately, in the quest for some form of messianism. However, Christian messianism is not that of the First Testament, but that of Jesus, a scandalous, revolutionary messianism that goes through the cross. The Christian vision of history can be tempted to harbor /cultivate Peter’s false expectations in Caesarea (various forms of millennialism) as well as the disciples’ final disappointment (apocalyptic temptations): in today’s language, temptations of Modernity and postmodernity. That is why the theology of history can also be “madness and scandal” today. However, it will not cease to be messianic if it recovers a true pneumatology and a Christology of the Spirit.
KEYWORDS
Messiah; Cross; Millenarism; Apocalyptic; Modernity; Postmodernity