Dominion Theology
From dKosopedia
Dominion Theology is derived from Genesis 1:26 of the Hebrew Scriptures (i.e. the Old Testment of the bible).
- "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" — NIV
Most Christians interpret this verse as meaning that God gave mankind dominion over the animal kingdom. Dominion theologians believe however that that this verse commands Christians to bring all societies, around the world, under the rule of the Word of God, as they understand it. In other words, "Christians are mandated to gradually occupy all secular institutions until Christ returns".
Dominion theology is at the root of the Dominionist political movement in the United States, which is dedicated to replacing the governance of the United States with a political and judicial system based on a Dominoist reading of the Bible. Dominionism is closely related to Christian Reconstructionism. Many investigative accounts, found among the external links below, demonstrate that the Dominionist movement is currently very politically active in the United States, and possibly, to a far lesser degree, Canada.
According to religioustolerance.org, the specific beliefs associated with Dominion theology or Reconstructionism include, but are not limited to:
- A rejection of Antinomianism: the belief that salvation is obtained totally through faith and not through performing good works and living a moral life
- Presuppositionalism: the acceptance on faith that the Bible is true. They do not attempt to prove that God exists or that the Bible is true, but take this as a given.
- Inerrancy: the belief that the Bible, as originally written, is totally free of error.
- Postmillennialism: the belief that Christ will not return to earth until much of the world has converted to Christianity. This will not take place for some considerable time; it will not be a painless transition. (Most Fundamentalists and other Evangelicals hold to a different view. They are Premillenialists and believe that all (or almost all) of the preconditions of Christ's return have been met. They expect Jesus' second coming to occur soon.)
- The laws contained in the Hebrew Scriptures can be divided into two classes: moral and ceremonial. Christians are not required to follow the ceremonial laws, because Jesus has liberated them from that responsibility. However, all persons must follow those moral laws which were not specifically modified or cancelled by further revelation – generally in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament). (Non-reconstructionist Christians generally divide these laws into three classes: moral, civil and ceremonial law, and generally believe that most Old Testament laws are no longer binding on Christians, except for those specifically reitereated in the New Testament.)
- The moral laws given by God to the ancient Israelites reflect of God's character, which is unchangeable. Each of the 613 laws given to Moses and recorded in the Pentateuch are intended for all nations, cultures, societies, religions and all eras, including the present time. However, there are a few laws, in such areas as personal safety and sanitation, which are no longer applicable because of changes in architecture and sewage disposal. Also, requirements for daily animal sacrifices and other rituals of the former Temple in Jerusalem are not currently required, some seeing this as being because they are by defninition ceremonial laws, but others feeling this to be true this building was destroyed in AD 70.] Many of them are keen to destroy the Dome of the Rock and proceede to rebuild it. Nearly all agree that these laws currently do not need to be obeyed in order to obtain salvation, but that all of the others must.
- The primacy of the Hebrew Scriptures, relative to the Christian Scriptures (New Testament). All of the Hebrew Scriptures' non-ceremonial laws are still in force, unless they have been specifically rescinded or modified by verses in the Christian Scriptures. "Only if we find an explicit abandonment of an Old Testament law in the New Testament, because of the historic fulfillment of the Old Testament shadow, can we legitimately abandon a detail of the Mosaic law." This is largely supported by their interpretation of Matthew 5:17: "Do you think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets? I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (NIV)
- Civil laws must match the Bible's moral rules. That is, anything that is immoral (by their standards, based on their reading of the Bible) is also to be criminalized.
- The only valid legislation, social theory, spiritual beliefs, economic theory are those directly derived from the Bible.
- In every aspect of life, there are only two options: God-centered or man-centered; Theonomy or autonomy. Their political goal is to ban the latter, to the maximum extent possible, everywhere. Each individual, family, church, government and society must be reconstructed to eliminate sin. Each Christian has the responsibility to contribute to this conversion.
(The above list is derived from Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance)
Related articles
![[Main Page]](../../../../upload/banner-blue-135.jpg)