The Central Event View of Human History Model (CEM): An Apologetic for a Christ-Centered

206 Pages·2017·3.04 MB·English

by  Dan Harris

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

THE CENTRAL EVENT VIEW OF HUMAN HISTORY MODEL (CEM)
AN APOLOGETIC FOR A CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTIAN
VIEW OF HUMAN HISTORY

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE FACULTY OF LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGY SEMINARY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
THEOLOGY AND APOLOGETICS

BY
G. DAN HARRIS
APPROVAL SHEET

THE CENTRAL EVENT VIEW OF HUMAN HISTORY MODEL (CEM)
AN APOLOGETIC FOR A CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTIAN
VIEW OF HUMAN HISTORY

G. Dan Harris

Read and approved by:
Chairperson: Dr. Jerry Sutton
Reader: Dr. Dan Mitchell
Reader: Dr. Ed Smither

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CONTENTS
ACHNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………..…………..… viii
LIST OF DIAGRAMS ………………………………………..……………………………….. x
ABSTRACT …………………………………………...…………..…………………………… xi
INTRODUCTION ….……………………………………………………………………….…. 1
The Defense of the CE View and the CEM ………………………..………………..…. 6
Methodology – Why the Need for a Teaching Model? ……………..………………..… 8

CHAPTER ONE – LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………….… 13
Literary Review of Works Focused on Comparative Views of Human History ……….. 13
David Bebbington – Patterns in History…………………………..………….... 13
Arnold Toynbee – The Christian Understanding of History …………………... 16
Literary Review of Works Focused on a Central Event View of Human History (OT).. 18
G. Ernest Wright – God Who Acts ……………………………………..........…. 19
Rolf Rendtorff – The Concept of Revelation in Ancient Israel ………………… 22
Literary Review of Works Focused on a Central Event View of Human History (NT).. 24
Wolfhart Pannenberg – Jesus – God and Man, Faith & Reality, and Revelation as
History, ……………………………………………………………………….… 24
Revelation as History ………………………………………………...… 25
Thesis I…………………………………………………………. 25
Thesis II………………………………………………………... 26
Thesis III……………………………………………………….. 27
Thesis IV……………………………………………………….. 28
Thesis V………………………………………………………... 29
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Jesus – God and Man………………………….……………………...… 31
Faith & Reality .…………………………………………………….…... 33
Direction ……………………………………………….….……. 35
Meaning ……………………………………………….…..……. 36
Purpose …………………………………………………………. 38
Summary …………………………………...……………..……………………………. 40

CHAPTER TWO – THE CYCLICAL, HUMAN PROGRESS, AND RELATIVISTIC
VIEWS OF HUMAN HISTORY …………………………………………...…………..……. 42
Cyclical View of Human History ...............……………………………………….….... 42
Cyclical: Patterns in Daily Human Life………………………………….…..…. 43
Cyclical: An Illogical View of Human History…………………………..….…. 44
Cyclical: Lacks Significant Aspects of Direction, Purpose, or Meaning………. 46
Human Progress View of Human History ……………………………………………... 48
Human Progress View: Negative Characteristics …..…...…………………….. 50
Negative Consequences: Elimination of Divine Intervention …………. 51
Negative Consequences: A High Expectation of the Future …………... 53
Negative Consequences: Assumes the Ability to Determine What Is
and What Is Not Progress ………………………….…………………... 54
Negative Consequences: No Clearly Defined Unity …………………... 56
Human Progress View: Human-Centered and Human-Focused ….……...……. 58
Relativistic View of Human History …………………..…………………………..…… 59
Relativistic View: An Illegitimate Use of Human Experience ……….………... 60
Relativistic View: Inherently Contradictory ………………………………….... 65
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Relativistic View: Inherently Self-Centered and Self-Aggrandizing …...….….. 69
Relativistic View: Lacks Genuine and Legitimate Direction, Purpose, or Ultimate
Meaning ………………………………………………………………...……... 73
Herder’s Relativistic View Lacks Direction ……….………...……...…. 75
Herder’s Relativistic View Lacks Purpose ……......………………...…. 77
Herder’s Relativistic View Lacks Ultimate Meaning ……….....…...…. 78
Summary ……………………………………………..………………………………. 80

CHAPTER THREE - THE CENTRAL EVENT VIEW OF HUMAN HISTORY ……... 81
Pannenberg’s Understanding of God Events and of the Central God Event ….……... 84
Pannenberg’s Understanding of How God Events are Revealed to Mankind …. 84

Pannenberg’s Understanding of How God Events Transcend Human History .. 88

Pannenberg’s Understanding of the Unity and Continuity found within
the Transcendence of God Events and the Christ Event ……………….. 89
Pannenberg’s Understanding of the Basis and Foundation for the
Christian Faith ……….…………………………………………………. 91
What is a God Event? ……………………………………………………………….. 93

A God Event: Must be an Actual Historical Event …………………………..… 94
A God Event: Must be a Supernatural Event ………………………..…………. 98
A God Event: Must Transcend all of Human History ……..………………..... 101
A God Event Must Possess and Reveal Direction, Purpose, and Meaning ..…. 103
Direction: From Promise to Fulfillment ………………..…………….. 104
Purpose: To Participate with God’s Direction …………..……………. 105
Meaning: God’s History is Our History ………………………………. 106
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An Event Is Other-Centered and Other Focused …………………………….… 108
Summary……………………………………………………………………..…………. 110

CHAPTER FOUR – THE CENTRAL EVENT OF HUMAN HISTORY: THE CHRIST
EVENT ……………………………………………………………………………..…….. 113
The Central Event of Human History is the Christ Event ………………..…… 114
The Christ Event Must Be an Actual Historical Event ……………….. 114
The Christ Event Must Be a Supernatural Event …………..…………. 118
The Christ Event Must Transcend all of Human History, Including all
Other God Events ………………………………………..…………….. 121
The Christ Event Must Possess and Reveal Direction, Purpose, and
Meaning in Their Fullest and Most Complete Form …..…………...… 124
Direction: Perfected by the Christ Event ………………..……. 125
Purpose: Perfected by the Christ Event ………………………. 127
Meaning: Perfected by the Christ Event …...………………..... 129
The Christ Event Must be the Central Focus for all of Human History a
the Whole of the Human Experience ……...……...……………….…. 132
Summary……………………………………………………….…………….134

CHAPTER FIVE – THE CENTRAL EVENT TEACHING MODEL (CEM) ………….. 136
The Awareness and Importance of Identifying a View of Human History ……………….. 136
Every Human is a Philosopher of History – The Problem of the Historian …..137
Every Human is a Philosopher of History – The Shaping of a View of Human
History ……………………………………………………………………….. 138
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Views of Human History …………………………………………………………………. 139
Identifying the View of Human History …………………………………….. 140
The Cyclical (CY) View of Human History ,,……………,………….. 140
The Human Progress (HP) View of Human History ……………….... 143
The Relativistic (RL) View of Human History …………………….... 146
The Shortcomings of the Cyclical, Human Progress, and Relativistic Views… 149
The Shortcomings of the Cyclical (CY) View ………………………150
The Shortcomings of the Human Progress (HP) View………………154
The Shortcomings of the Relativistic (RL) View…………………… 158
The Central View of Human History ………………………………………………………166
How the CE View differs from the CY, HP, and RL Views of Human
Views of Human History …………………………………………………… 167
The CE View and the CY View: Compared and Contrasted …….…. 169
The CE View and the HP View: Compared and Contrasted …….…. 171
The CE View and the RL View: Compared and Contrasted …….…. 174
Why the Central Event View Needs Its “Central Event” …………... 178
The CEM Summary and Final Notes to Christian Apologists……………………….. 182

CONCLUSION ……………………..……………………………………………………...... 184

BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………….…………………………………………………...……… 188

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As I come to the point in time when it becomes necessary to offer acknowledgement to
those whose influence and encouragement has played a significant role in the process that
enabled me to complete this dissertation, I do so a grateful heart. There have been a significant
number of individuals whose inspiration and encouragement has meant so much to me, and in
most cases, the words I write here are not nearly enough to fully acknowledge all that they have
done for me.
I begin by thanking my dissertation chair, Dr. Jerry Sutton. It was Dr. Sutton who a
number of years prior to this process first had me reflect on my view of history, a reflection that
sparked the journey that ultimately brought me to this place. I also want to thank Dr. Ed Smither
and Dr. Dan Mitchell as serving as my readers. I thank them for their comments and suggestions,
but most of all; I thank them for their words of encouragement and support throughout this
process.
There are a number of additional faculty members from Liberty University who have also
been a means of encouragement and support to me over the years leading up to this final piece of
my Ph.D. studies. These include Dr. Mike Mitchell, Dr. Gary Habermas, Dr. Leo Percer and
especially, Dr. John Morrison.
Thanks also go out to my fellow Liberty Ph. D. journeymen and journeywomen. In
particular Dr. Chad Thornhill, who not only blazed a trail for all of us though this relatively new
program, but who has also been a constant and willing source of assistance and advice.
There are a number of people who provided me with guidance and encouragement prior
to my Ph.D. studies that I would like to acknowledge. These include the faculty members from
Nazarene Theological Seminary, in particular Dr. Joseph Coleson, Dr. Thomas Noble, and
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especially, Dr. Harold Raser. And thanks to Dr. Phil Rogers, who many years ago helped to
direct me on my path of further education.
I also want to thank the pastors who helped shape my Christian faith. These include Larry
Brincefield, Danny Goddard, Jim Ballenger, Robert Thomas, and Dr. Shaun Sutton.
Finally, and most importantly, thanks and acknowledgement goes to my family. To my
late grandfather Milton Wilson and to the value he placed on education. To my father and
mother, George and Sharon Harris, and to their innumerable levels of support. And, to my wife
Betsy and our four children. Through what has been at times a very challenging journey, they
have been a constant and consistent supply of stability, support, and much needed peace.

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LIST OF DIAGRAMS
Diagram 1 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 139
Diagram 2 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 141
Diagram 3 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 142
Diagram 4 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 144
Diagram 5 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 145
Diagram 6 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 148
Diagram 7 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 151
Diagram 8 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 152
Diagram 9 …………………………………………………………………………………..... 153
Diagram 10 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 156
Diagram 11 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 159
Diagram 12 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 161
Diagram 13 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 165
Diagram 14 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 170
Diagram 15 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 173
Diagram 16 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 177
Diagram 17 ..………………………………………………………………………………..... 179

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