Abstract
Though Jesus’ most common topic was the kingdom of God, it remains a tragic reality that most Christians lack even a basic knowledge of the kingdom. Nicholas Perrin’s The Kingdom of God: A biblical Theology provides an excellent resource that will surely help to remedy this problem. Though Perrin is a first-rate biblical scholar, most readers should find this text eminently readable. In fact, one of the strongest assets of this work is Perrin’s scholarly acumen. Perrin is able to defend his claims with detailed examinations of the text.
Perrin begins by introducing the reader to the various conceptions of the kingdom of God circulating through the Church today (though he mostly focuses on Protestant conceptions), as well as a brief overview of the last 200, or so, years of scholarly efforts. The core of The Kingdom of God provides a thorough look at the kingdom beginning with Genesis and working its way through the book of Revelation.
Perrin organizes his work by examining the biblical concept of the kingdom of God in terms of the questions of: “what” (chapters 2-4), “who” (chapters 5-7), “when” (chapters 8-10), and “how and why” (chapter 11). He then closes the text by addressing “living in the kingdom today” (chapter 12).
Perrin begins by cementing the biblical conception of the kingdom in creation. This is what you might expect from a book that postures itself as a “biblical theology.” Perrin contends that the kingdom “begins at the very beginning” (p. 51). Perrin also connects the kingdom to the biblical theme of the temple.
In addressing the “when” of the kingdom (chapters 8-10), Perrin highlights the role of healings, exorcisms, and proclamation, which he notes are very much interrelated, in the ministry of Jesus. According to Perrin, healings, exorcisms, and proclamation were not only marks of the presence of the kingdom but were also signs of the new creation.
As much I enjoyed the work, and as much as I believe this to be on the better introductions to the kingdom of God, I have a few criticisms—which, in no way, are intended to diminish the overall value of The Kingdom of God.
I would like to have seen Perrin make a stronger connection with the kingdom of God and the temple. He could have done more work in terms of pressing out exactly what the temple is and how it connects to the kingdom of God. This is especially the case for how the temple plays a key role in the life of the kingdom now and with regard to the nature of the New Jerusalem (“already/not yet”). Pressing this point may well have strengthened his case (not that it needed strengthening) that the kingdom is present.
In addition, though Perrin highlights the role of suffering in the kingdom, and how this serves as a primary contrast between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world, I believe that Perrin could have done more with this.
These two criticisms together—a greater emphasis on the temple and suffering—lead to my most significant criticism of The Kingdom of God. I was most disappointed with the closing chapter (“Living the Kingdom Life Today”: chapter 12). As strong a case as Perrin makes that the kingdom of God permeates the whole of Scripture, I believe that he could have made clearer the points of application of the kingdom for the average reader today.
A common objection to any writing is the old, “why didn’t you discuss this?” objection. Such objections, of course, are not completely fair. After all, an author cannot say everything. With Perrin’s work, however, I would like to have seen him address the significance of the kingdom of God for the life of the church today more thoroughly and more pointedly. It is one thing to understand the kingdom and how it relates to the Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus, but it is another for the average Christian to appropriate it to their everyday lives. I am not convinced that Perrin has helped the reader enough in this endeavor.
I was truly expecting Perrin to at least provide a matrix by which his readers could begin to address such questions as: How does the kingdom of God relate to the mission of the church with regards to living in a democracy?; How does the kingdom of God effect the church’s views towards issues of social justice?; or, What is the role of the church in such matters?
It is conceivable that Perrin does not address such matters, even in a cursory manner, because he is not convinced that these are relevant questions, though I suspect that he does. Perrin inserts comments throughout his work that confirm that he believes that the church has a role in the social economy (e.g., 84). Perrin further acknowledges that “we need to have a solid enough grasp of the kingdom story … so that our followers might come to grips with their place in the story” (p. 174).
Nonetheless, if you are looking for a comprehensive biblical introduction to the kingdom of God, then Nicholas Perrin has written your book.