Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition Review

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Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition ReviewThis book is a must-read for anyone seeking information on the state of Dispensationalism (a system of biblical interpretation founded by John Nelson Darby in the 19th century, and widely used within both Christian fundamentalism and evangelicalism) during the last two decades of the 20th century. At this point in time it's probably impossible to find a single source that fully explains the history, philosophical foundations, and relationship between Dispensationalism and its chief rival, Covenant theology. This has not been for want of trying, but the issues are so complex that one would need to read several key works to get the full picture. This book partially fulfills that need, and so can be added to the list of strategic resources, with an additional (somewhat surprising) bonus: it contains critiques of Dispensationalism (although mainly the new brand of Dispensationalism that this book promotes) from both within and without. This is highly unusual considering the editors both consider themselves Dispensationalists. Historically Dispensationalists have been loathe to open themselves up to criticism so freely. ¶ The majority of the book's contributors consider themselves Progressive Dispensationalists, and they explain how and why they depart from earlier versions of Dispensationalism. Afterward, three non-dispensational authors (Willem VanGemeren, Bruce Waltke and Walter Kaiser) provide feedback. Both of these aspects (i.e., internal and external criticism) are much-needed steps forward for a theological movement that has tended both to be ingrown and to avoid real, constructive dialogue with outsiders. ¶ The authors examine several issues that have historically occupied a central place in Dispensationalism, including the nature of God's kingdom, the relationship between Law and Gospel, Israel and the Church, and so on. Most of these issues, in fact, either already existed within Protestant theology since the 16th century, or had been raised (by the Anabaptist camp, in some cases) during the Reformation. For example, in the 18th century Reformed theologian Jonathan Edwards noted that the precise relationship between Law and Gospel has historically been one of the most contentious issues in all of Christian theology. ¶ The idea of a radical disjunction between the Israel and the Church, however, is unique to Dispensationalism. Dispensationalist Charles Calwell Ryrie taught that the distinction between Israel and the Church as the "sine qua non" of true Dispensationalism. Classical Dispensationalism (from Darby, through C.I. Scofield and Lewis Sperry Chafer (who died in the 1950s)) held that Israel and the Church are two separate and distinct "peoples of God," Israel being God's "earthly people" and the Church being God's "heavenly people," each with it's own divinely-ordained program and destiny. Classical Dispensationalism further held that this distinction would endure through all eternity. ¶ The Revised Dispensationalism of the 1960s, '70s and early '80s (when names like Ryrie and John F. Walvoord dominated the movement) softened the "eternal" aspect of this distinction somewhat, and also made a highly significant concession on the biblical doctrine of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-13). Specifically, Revised Dispensationalism abandoned Chafer's "Two New Covenants" view, which had supposedly safeguarded certain premises embedded in Dispensational hermeneutics. The problem with that view was that it was totally unsustainable from the data of the New Testament. ¶ These changes set the stage for the advent of Progressive Dispensationalism movement in the mid-1980s. Despite the original Dispensationalism's affinities with Lutheran doctrine (especially in the relationship between Law and Gospel), Progressive Dispensationalism represents a step toward the Covenant theology of the Reformed churches (which, interestingly, was Lewis Sperry Chafer's original background). As such it is perceived as a threat by Classical and Revised Dispensationalists, which is unfortunate, because in this reviewer's opinion, the Progressive Dispensationalist position is on much firmer exegetical footing that any of its predecessors were. ¶ The final essays by VanGemeren, Waltke and Kaiser (especially the first two) alone are worth the price of the book. They address remaining points of contention between Dispensationalism and non-Dispensationalist systems which, if heeded, may point the way toward further movement in the direction of Covenant theology. If the trend continues, Dispensationalism may eventually find itself relegated to the pages of 19th and 20th century Church history. Even so, the need to respond to Dispensationalism has helped conservative evangelical Protestantism sharpen its heremeneutical theories and methods, and this has not been a bad thing.Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition OverviewThe relationship between Israel and the church is a crucial reference point in theology, especially in distinguishing between dispensational and nondispensational ways of thinking. The thesis of this book is that Israel and the church are distinct theological institutions that have arisen in the historical progress of divine revelation. But they are also related as successive phases of a redemptive program that is historically progressive and eschatologically converging. The approach to these issues here is neither polemical nor apologetic; rather, it anticipates a convergence among evangelical scholars in the recognition of both continuity and discontinuity in the Israel-church relationship. This book has three purposes: - To offer a contemporary dispensational treatment of that relationship through an exegetical examination of key texts with a focus on theological concerns - To foster genuine dialogue with nondispensational thinkers regarding major biblical themes tied to the plan of God - To identify the changes in dispensational thought that have developed since the publication of Charles Ryrie's book Dispensationalism Today in 1965

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