Dominion Theology

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This is a sub-article to Dominionism and Theology.
See dominion (disambiguation) for other meanings of the word Dominion.

Dominion Theology is a grouping of theological systems with the common belief that society should be governed exclusively by the law of God as codified in the Bible, to the exclusion of secular law. The two main streams of Dominion Theology are Christian Reconstructionism and Kingdom Now theology. Though these two differ greatly in their general theological orientation (the first is strongly Reformed and Neo-Calvinistic, the second is Charismatic), they share a postmillenial vision in which the kingdom of God will be established on Earth through political and (in some cases) even military means, preparing the way for or enabling the return of Christ.

All strains of Dominion Theology are small minorities, and are rejected by most mainstream Christians as quite radical. However, Dominion Theology is seen by some as a subset of Dominionism, a term used by some social scientists and journalists to describe a theological form of political ideology, which they claim has broadly influenced the Christian Right in the United States, Canada, and Europe, within Protestant Christian evangelicalism and fundamentalism.

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[edit] Etymology

The name "Dominion Theology" is derived from Genesis 1:28, where God grants humanity "dominion" over the Earth.

And God blessed [ Adam and Eve ], and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Christians typically interpret this passage as meaning that God gave humankind responsibility over the Earth, but Dominion Theology infers a mandate for Christian stewardship in civil affairs, no less than in other human matters.

[edit] History

Contemporary Dominion Theology arose in the 1970s in religious movements reasserting aspects of Christian nationalism; however, the Dominion concept has existed within mainstream Christianity since the Third Century. Ideas for how to accomplish this vary. Very doctrinaire versions of Dominion Theology are sometimes called "Hard Dominionism" or "Theocratic Dominionism," because they seek relatively authoritarian theocratic or theonomic forms of government.

[edit] Christian Reconstructionism

Main article: Christian Reconstructionism

An example of Dominionism in reformed theology is Christian Reconstructionism, which originated with the teachings of R.J. Rushdoony in the 1960s and 1970s. Rushdoony's theology focuses on theonomy (the rule of the Law of God), a belief that all of society should be ordered according to the laws that governed the Israelites in the Old Testament. His system is strongly Calvinistic, emphasizing the sovereignty of God over human action and free will, and denying the operation of charismatic gifts in the present day (cessationism); both of these aspects are in direct opposition to Kingdom Now theology.

While acknowledging the small number of actual adherents, authors such as Sara Diamond and Frederick Clarkson have argued that postmillennial Christian Reconstructionism played a major role in pushing the primarily premillennial Christian Right to adopt a more aggressive dominionist stance.[1] [2]. According to Diamond, "Reconstructionism is the most intellectually grounded, though esoteric, brand of dominion theology."[3]

Dominionism, Dominion Theology, and Christian Reconstructionism are not the same thing. A nested subset chart looks like this:

Triumphalism
Dominionism
Dominion Theology
Theonomy
Christian Reconstructionism

The specific meanings are different in important ways, although the terms have been used in a variety of conflicting ways in popular articles, especially on the Internet.

Kinism is a movement within Reconstructionism that stresses a love for one's ethnicity and race. It is vehemently opposed to inter-racial marriage, and most kinists are supporters of the Confederacy and secession efforts. Some favor traditionalism and monarchy, some are more republican and constitutional, others stress various conspiracies related to Zionism and the New World Order that are considered a threat to the white race. All kinists are united in their commitment to Reformed theology, theonomy, ethnic nationalism, and agrarian economy. Most Reconstructionists are not Kinists.

[edit] Kingdom Now theology

Main article: Kingdom Now theology

Kingdom Now theology is a strain of Dominion Theology operating as a small minority within the Charismatic movement. The church, under the leadership of "restored" apostles and prophets, must take over the world and put down all opposition to it before Christ can return. Anyone who rebels against the church, along with other "evildoers," must convert or be punished. As it is charismatic and anti-Calvinist, the Kingdom Now movement belongs to a very different, somewhat antithetical, theological stream compared to Christian Reconstructionism.

[edit] Influence

Many mainline Christian denominations (and most Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists) reject Dominion Theology. Hal Lindsey, a popular evangelical author, also came out against Dominion Theology in 1989 with his book entitled The Road to Holocaust. Many participants in the Christian Right in the United States, however, are classified by critics as practicing a "soft" form of Dominionism. Often, Dominionism flows out of a form of triumphalism, in which a specific religion assumes that it is the only proper and legitimate religion.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Barron, Bruce. 1992. Heaven on Earth? The Social & Political Agendas of Dominion Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
  • Rushdoony, Rousas John. 1973. The Institutes of Biblical Law. Nutley, NJ: P & R Publishing (Craig Press).
  • Diamond, Sara. 1995. Roads to Dominion: Right-Wing Movements and Political Power in the United States. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Lindsey, Hal. The Road to Holocaust. New York: Bantam Books.

[edit] External links

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