On Behalf of Creation: Reading the Destructive Cosmic Eschatology of 2 Peter 3 in the Light of the Transfiguration
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: God’s creation of the cosmos is an elemental premise of the New Testament letter known as 2 Peter. Perhaps more overtly than in any other New Testament document, however, 2 Peter anticipates cosmic destruction on the day of divine judgment, when the created order will apparently be subjected to fiery dissolution. As well as looking back to creation and forward to the unpredictable ‘day of the Lord’, 2 Peter also references the historic parousia of Jesus by recalling his transfiguration. Since 2 Peter envisages judgment and salvation as two dimensions of one divine initiative already inaugurated by the historic mission of Jesus, this study looks to the past parousia of Jesus for orientation to his future parousia, both of which are referenced in the letter. This article has a twofold focus: first, destructive cosmic eschatology in 2 Pet. 3 and its potential ecological implications; and second, the hermeneutical value of 2 Peter’s appeal to the transfiguration of Jesus for reflecting on and evaluating 2 Peter’s eschatology—on behalf of creation.
Author: David J. Neville
Institution: Charles Sturt University
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
OpenAlex ID: W4407978201