EMBRACING THE SPIRIT OF ALL THINGS: PANPSYCHISM AS A FRAMEWORK FOR COSMIC ESCHATOLOGY

Christian hope has traditionally focused on the salvation of individual human souls, but this article argues that God's redemptive plan includes the entire cosmos. It proposes panpsychism—the view that all things possess some form of spirit or consciousness—as a theological framework for a cosmic eschatology. Drawing on biblical texts and Pacific indigenous worldviews, particularly the Samoan concept of 'tautua' (sacred service), the article reimagines Christian discipleship as mutual participation with creation rather than domination. This vision offers a reorientation of Christian hope that affirms the sacredness of the material world in the face of global ecological crisis, while remaining rooted in biblical faith and the example of Jesus Christ as the ultimate 'tautua'.

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Abstract

This article challenges the dominant focus on individual eschatology within contemporary Christian thought by proposing panpsychism as a theological and philosophical framework for a more holistic, cosmic eschatology. Drawing from key biblical texts and theological voices, it argues that God’s redemptive plan extends beyond human souls to encompass all creation. Panpsychism, which affirms that all things possess some form of spirit or consciousness, resonates deeply with Pacific indigenous worldviews that emphasize relationality, ecological harmony, and sacred kinship with land, sea, and sky. Through the Samoan concept of ‘tautua’ (sacred service), the article reimagines Christian discipleship not as domination over creation, but as mutual, cosmic participation. In the face of global ecological crisis, this vision of panpsychism and cosmic eschatology offers a transforming reorientation of Christian hope – one that affirms the sacredness of the material world while remaining rooted in biblical faith and the example of Jesus Christ as the ultimate ‘tautua’.