Kingdom Come: The Eschatology of Missionary Maps

Abstract

Missionary maps were a ubiquitous feature of the missionary movement but have received little systematic attention. This article investigates the eschatological dimension of such maps through a review of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Dutch missionary bulletins. It shows how missionary maps visualized the spatial march through history of the kingdom of God toward the fulfilling of time. Two eschatological spatial metaphors were used in connection with missionary maps: the (mission) field and the kingdom. The overall purpose of this article is to underscore the value of maps for missionary research.