line -->
  • Monday, May 02, 2005

     

    Dominionism, Part 2

    [Update: There is now a Part 3 to this series. The first part is linked directly below.]

    Since I posted my original post on Dominionism, I've looked for online sources to learn more about this movement. The general influence and participation of certain types of so-called fundamentalist Christians in politics has been documented but Dominionism as a philosophical underpinning seems less well known.

    The following is not meant to be an exhaustive list on Dominionism. I'm just gathering together some informative links for those interested in pursuing the subject.

    DemocraticUnderground.com has a short introduction to Dominionism which includes links to further information. Also in this piece is this bit from George Grant's book "The Changing of the Guard, Biblical Principles for Political Action":

    Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ -- to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness.

    But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice.
    It is dominion we are after. Not just influence.
    It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time.
    It is dominion we are after.

    World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish. We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never settle for anything less... Thus, Christian politics has as its primary intent the conquest of the land -- of men, families, institutions, bureaucracies, courts, and governments for the Kingdom of Christ.

    There is a listing on culturekitchen on Dominionism, but most of pieces I looked at were peripheral to the subject rather than direct information.

    Arthur Ruger has written a piece called Ours or Theirs: Reformation is on the Table which contains some good information and links to Dominionist sites. A slight distraction for me were the "quotes" to set off some "words" Mr. Ruger thought Dominionists were "misusing." I found the following illuminating:

    In 1981, the Mayflower Institute published The American Covenant - the Untold Story by Marshall Foster and Mary-Elaine Swanson. This is one of the primary civics texts for Christian Home School study.

    Parsons quotes Marshall Foster
    In The American Covenant, Marshall Foster observes that the implications of which view you hold are profound :

    If you see God as ruling the earth:

    1. Your commission is to subdue the earth and build Christian nations through evangelizing and discipleship.

    2. You see Christian culture to be the only acceptable culture and you see all others as aberrations.

    3. All of God's world is holy and every activity in life is a religious activity to be seen as a spiritual work for God.

    4. Reformation is expected.

    If you see Satan as ruling the earth:

    1. You must just concentrate on saving souls from this evil world.

    2. You see Christian culture as a counter-culture, a persecuted minority in an evil world.

    3. Church activity is primary and spiritual, while worldly pursuits are secular and to be dealt with only as a necessity.

    4. Reformation is impossible and suspect, since things must get worse before Christ returns."

    A long and dizzying source is Exposé: The "Christian" Mafia: Where Those Who Now Run the U.S. Government Came From and Where They Are Taking Us By Wayne Madsen. This is such a detailed history of the Dominionist movement's roots and their role in politics that I began to glaze over. I cannot vouch for all the information in this piece. I didn't notice anything obviously incorrect. Some of the connections between people and events of seemed of tenuous quality but when so much of it appears well-documented, I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. It's a fascinating read and the conspiratorial implications may be well warranted.

    I may do another list of of links if there is some interest from readers so leave a comment if you want to see more on this subject.



    << Home

    This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

    -->