New creation eschatology and the land

This dissertation argues that in recent new creation conceptions of the final state there is a logical inconsistency between the use of Old Testament texts to inform a renewed earth and the exclusion of the territory of Israel from that renewed earth. By examining a select group of new creationists, I show that the exclusion of territorial restoration of Israel in a new creation conception fails to appreciate the role of the particular territory of Israel in Old Testament prophetic texts and results in an inconsistent new creationism.;Chapter 1 introduces the problem that the dissertation addresses, proposes the thesis, and presents the methodology by which the thesis is to be argued.;Chapter 2 introduces the conceptual model of new creation eschatology, places its recent forms in historical context, and introduces the primary emphases of selected new creationists. References to new creationist views in the following chapters pertain to this selected group.;Chapter 3 explains the role of particularity in new creationism by showing areas of continuity and correspondence of identity between the present earth and the new earth that are common in new creationist conceptions.;Chapter 4 offers a synthesis of views of the territorial promise to Israel in recent theology, shows that the selected new creationists affirm the common interpretation that the land promise is fulfilled metaphorically, and places the various metaphorical interpretations into two categories.;Chapter 5 examines the use of Old Testament restoration texts by new creationists to reveal a logical inconsistency between the use of those texts to inform their view of a renewed earth and their exclusion of the territory of Israel from that renewed earth.;Chapter 6 offers an alternative to the common conclusion among new creationists that the territorial promise to Israel is to be fulfilled metaphorically.;Chapter 7 concludes the dissertation and offers areas for further research and a final plea.