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The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation
A fascinating history of dispensationalism and its influence on popular culture, politics, and religion
In The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism, Daniel G. Hummel illuminates how dispensationalism, despite often being dismissed as a fringe end-times theory, shaped Anglo-American evangelicalism and the larger American cultural imagination.
Hummel locates dispensationalism’s origin in the writings of the nineteenth-century Protestant John Nelson Darby, who established many of the hallmarks of the movement, such as premillennialism and belief in the rapture. Though it consistently faced criticism, dispensationalism held populist, and briefly scholarly, appeal—visible in everything from turn-of-the-century revivalism to apocalyptic bestsellers of the 1970s to current internet conspiracy theories.
Measured and irenic, Hummel objectively evaluates evangelicalism’s most resilient and contentious popular theology. As the first comprehensive intellectual-cultural history of its kind, The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism is a must-read for students and scholars of American religion.
As a theological perspective, dispensationalism has had a profound impact on American evangelicalism—from advancing views on biblical literalism and end-times prophecies, to the formation and defense of the current state of Israel. Even beyond its religious impacts, dispensationalism has influenced culture and politics. Join us as we unpack its origins and consider its broad cultural reverberations at our gathering with historian Dan Hummel, whose new book— The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation (Eerdmans, 2023)—lands in bookstores this May.
Many who grew up in American evangelical and fundamentalist traditions might be familiar with words linked to dispensationalist theology, words like “rapture” and “tribulation.” Dan will discuss how dispensationalism, despite sometimes being dismissed as a fringe apocalyptic movement, came to shape Anglo-American evangelicalism and the larger American cultural imagination. Though dispensationalism has consistently faced criticism, it continues to hold popular appeal. Through the past century, its themes have been visible in everything from turn-of-the-century revivalism to apocalyptic bestsellers of the 1970s.
Upper House doors will open at 6:45 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Dan will share his research, as well as discuss his book in an interview format with Upper House’s Director of Continuing Education, Tony Bolos. Q&A will round out our time together.
Dan Hummel
Dan Hummel, Ph.D., is the Director of University Engagement at Upper House, a Christian study center serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison and surrounding community. Prior to joining Upper House, Dan held appointments at UW-Madison and Harvard University. He earned his PhD in History from UW-Madison, as well as his MA in History and BA in History and Philosophy from Colorado State University. He also studied at the Hebrew University-Jerusalem. Aside from this current project, Dan is the author of Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019) and has written articles for the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and Religion News Service. His research has been published in Religion & American Culture and Church History.
He doesn’t even follow his own flawed hermeneutic.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that would take place in the far distant future. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is at least 2000 years away.. His hermeneutic calls for the plain simple reading of the text, yet he doesn’t read Revelation 1:1-3 that way. He reads it the way I misquoted it.
“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense”, is quoted in “Living by the Book”, by Howard G. Hendricks, which is an excellent hermeneutical textbook. I took the class in Bible college, and have taught through it myself several times. The phrase “seek no other sense”, doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no other sense. However, my inquisitive mind always wonders if there is another sense, and I look to see if it might not be so.
The challenge I have with the concept of dispensationalism is that, is that all who hold to it will not consider the possibility that any scripture, whether literal or not, whether in context or not, could mean anything but what they want it to mean. Viewed unprejudicially, through sound hermeneutic and reason, the theory has more holes in it than a window screen.
One point, probably one of the most important points, to be made is that NO Dispensationalist truly believes what they call the rapture is imminent. If they truly believe that, they would live accordingly, yet they continue to invest in the future, save for retirement, save for children’s college education, have 20-30 year mortgages, buy expensive life and burial insurance. Now, while this might seem trivial to some, if you truly believe the rapture will happen in the next few seconds (for more than 2000 years), would you really do these things?
Their idea of imminence is not that our Lord’s return IS going to occur in the next few minutes, but that it COULD. Jesus did teach his imminent coming for each individual. That has always been true, we can drop dead at any moment. Solomon understood that truth when he wrote of wise men preparing for the future, and leaving inheritance to their children. But when Christ returns to this earth he’s not just coming for his Church, He’s coming to judge EVERYBODY? Yes, the dead in Christ will rise first, yes we will join them in the air, like the bride that runs out of the house to meet him when she sees the groom coming, and then accompanies him back into the house. We don’t know when he is coming. But, we do know that he will not return until all of the prophesies that he said would happen before his return happen, and the “man of sin” has not yet been revealed. And there aint no 7-year tribulation anywhere in the Bible. Jesus said that the Great Tribulation would begin with the destruction of the Temple, and it did in 70AD, and is still going on.
And such a future world view has to be managed by Paul to the Thessalonians. Do you Believe Paul thought the Lord was coming back in his lifetime?? You actually think we are in the great tribulation because the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D ?? Preterism and postmil sort of concept no??
I’ll make this perfectly clear, I have not espoused any eschatological view in any of my posts. I do not espouse any particular eschatological view at all. I stopped using those terms a long time ago because too much baggage comes with them. There are good and bad, right and wrong points to any view. No eschatological view determines my salvation or relationship with our Lord. I once held to the Dispenasational eschatological view so what it teaches is no stranger to me. If Jesus returns in the next five seconds or five thousand years it doesn’t matter to me. I will be with Him wherever He is. We have a mission here on earth at the present time and that is to Glorify God and proclaim the gospel.
They may throw dirt on me someday, but when an if they do my conscience will be clear. We are Spiritual Israel by faith, and if we have any other faith than what Abraham had we need to rid ourselves of it right away. But this is my problem with amils, all they seem to speak on is the heavenly spiritual side of reality while they ignore the earthly physical side of reality. So if ya put 100 amils in the same room they are all at liberty to make any earthly physical sort of prophecies into spirital ones. Jesus was clearly Prophesized to come in the OT in a physical way and a spirtual way. He will return in the same fashion as he left, just in a glorified body, a physical glorified body. I will not deny the physical aspect of escatology. Not his kingdom we are in now which is Spiritual, or The physical which shall come. Neither are a problem as God made both. Sometimes on this subject I feel like amils have a strain of gnosticismn in there eschatology and simply deny any physical realm as regarding the eartly kingdom because they have such a spiritualistic hermanutic while ignoring any physical aspects of what a 1000 years realy is. Surely you would not think God is trying to trick us and make it 2000 years do ya? Btw, if Satan is tied up in chains those chains are extremely long. Your soteriology is sound, your position on the law is sound, as well as your position on supra lapsarian vs lapsarian . I think we even discussed the free and sincere offer of the Gospel as an Arminian concept as universalism would be the only outcome, but I will not and have not spent much time in responding to your post as i have no desire to create friction between you and your group. Have a good day Stuart. You think eschatology is very important and so do I . I just do not believe that election of national Israel can be cut off as you have to do, which in a way is concerning because it puts a question mark on the destiny of National israel and a question mark on eternal security.
How I learned to understand Dispensations: Dispensationalism is a theological framework of interpreting the Bible which maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or “dispensations” in which God acts with his chosen people in different ways. [1] Dispensationalists use a ‘literal interpretation’ of the Bible and believe that divine revelation unfolds throughout the Bible. Examples: O.T. (THE LAW) ,(Genesis thru Malachi, N.T.(AGE OF GRACE), John thru Revelation, Rapture of the Church, Great Tribulation 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, End Times.(Revelation) GOD does what He says and means what He says. GOD Says What He Means And Means What He Says! Sometimes, He says something that is very Literal…
For one to be premil is for one to be a dispensational in the eyes of the amil, so to be fair lets allow folks like Spurgeon, John Gill, Horatius Bonar, A.W. Pink to speak on the matter. Its not like amils have a corner on the truth on their hermeneutic which is basically a Saint Augustine hermeneutic.
Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
This is good, sound theology. It is true, and it is biblical theology. Even though the one who said it was the false prophet Balaam. Because he said it, it doesn’t make it Balaam Theology; and if Augustine happened to get something right, it doesn’t make it Augustinian Hermeneutic. If it’s right, it doesn’t matter who said it.
Anonymous
He doesn’t even follow his own flawed hermeneutic.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that would take place in the far distant future. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is at least 2000 years away.. Oscar Valdez Duane L Burgess
Anonymous
Their idea of imminence is not that our Lord’s return IS going to occur in the next few minutes, but that it COULD. Jesus did teach his imminent coming for each individual. That has always been true, we can drop dead at any moment. Solomon understood that truth when he wrote of wise men preparing for the future, and leaving inheritance to their children. But when Christ returns to this earth he’s not just coming for his Church, He’s coming to judge EVERYBODY? Yes, the dead in Christ will rise first, yes we will join them in the air, like the bride that runs out of the house to meet him when she sees the groom coming, and then accompanies him back into the house. We don’t know when he is coming. But, we do know that he will not return until all of the prophesies that he said would happen before his return happen, and the “man of sin” has not yet been revealed. And there aint no 7-year tribulation anywhere in the Bible. Jesus said that the Great Tribulation would begin with the destruction of the Temple, and it did in 70AD, and is still going on.
Anonymous
Oscar Valdez They may throw dirt on me someday, but when an if they do my conscience will be clear. We are Spiritual Israel by faith, and if we have any other faith than what Abraham had we need to rid ourselves of it right away. But this is my problem with amils, all they seem to speak on is the heavenly spiritual side of reality while they ignore the earthly physical side of reality. So if ya put 100 amils in the same room they are all at liberty to make any earthly physical sort of prophecies into spirital ones. Jesus was clearly Prophesized to come in the OT in a physical way and a spirtual way. He will return in the same fashion as he left, just in a glorified body, a physical glorified body. I will not deny the physical aspect of escatology. Not his kingdom we are in now which is Spiritual, or The physical which shall come. Neither are a problem as God made both. Sometimes on this subject I feel like amils have a strain of gnosticismn in there eschatology and simply deny any physical realm as regarding the eartly kingdom because they have such a spiritualistic hermanutic while ignoring any physical aspects of what a 1000 years realy is. Surely you would not think God is trying to trick us and make it 2000 years do ya? Btw, if Satan is tied up in chains those chains are extremly long. Your soteriology is sound, your position on the law is sound, as well as your position on supra lapsarian vs lapsarian . I think we even discussed the free and sincere offer of the Gospel as an Arminian concept as universallism would be the only outcome, but I will not and have not spent much time in responding to your post as i have no desire to create friction between you and your group. Have a good day Stuart. You think escatology is very important and so do I . I just do not believe that election of national israel can be cut off as you have to do, which in a way is concerning because it puts a question mark on the destiny of National israel and a question mark on eternal security.
Anonymous
Troy Day Sir…. You have me very confused at the moment.
Anonymous
Brett Dobbs you seem confused since MT 24
Anonymous
Troy Day your comments. Have you changed your views?
Anonymous
Troy Day
The 7 year tribulation is Israel’s time of Jacob’s trouble, Daniel’s 70th week.
Revelation describes these 7 years in terms of days, and the 7 years are divided in half.
Serious students of Scripture understand this.
The 7 year Trib isn’t Dispensational, it’s biblical. Biblical eschatology is exclusively Premillennial.
Anyone who denies the 7 year tribulation is a damned liar and a fool.
“there aint no 7-year tribulation anywhere in the Bible.”
Anonymous
Brett Dobbs my comments are STILL the same but Oscar dont get it
Anonymous
Duane L Burgess there’s a covenant made for 1 week. And there we have the 70th week. This is the 7 years.
Where does it say that this entire 7 year period is a time of tribulation?
It says that in the middle of that 7 year covenant that it will be broken. Then there will be a time of trouble. And given the context of Daniel chapters 10-11. It seems to me that the 1st 3 1/2 years will be pretty peaceful. And it’s not until that covenant is broken then it gets bad.
So actually there’s no biblical precedent of a 7 year tribulation. There’s not a 3 1/2 years of tribulation and then 3 1/2 years of great tribulation. There’s actually a covenant made. 3 1/2 years of peace and then 3 1/2 years of great tribulation. This is all within the confines of the nation of Israel of course. And not the rest of the world. Because the rest of the world (in areas) is in always in some form of tribulation. Wars, acts of terror, famines, persecution, “you name it”. All of that stuff is times of trial. Aka tribulation.
Daniel writes that the great tribulation will begin at the abomination of desolation. And Jesus confirms this. Up to that point, it’s basically life as normal. With good times and bad times.
So unless you clearly show me chapter and verse of where you get a 7 year tribulation from?
Anonymous
Brett Dobbs a covenant made for 1 week it will be very nice if Oscar Valdez jumps in and gives a verse for this and more to Duane L Burgess Philip Williams
Anonymous
Duane L Burgess when you said
The issue isn’t Dispensationalism or any other formal systematic theology. The issue is, what the Bible says and what it means. All formal systematic theologies are man made and fallible. But they do help us as we study the Word.
Dispensationalism primarily recognizes God’s unique distinctions for ethnic national Israel and for the Church. It also is committed to a consistent, literal hermeneutic. This takes into account figurative language.
I responded with this to Oscar Valdez How I learned to understand Dispensations: Dispensationalism is a theological framework of interpreting the Bible which maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or “dispensations” in which God acts with his chosen people in different ways. [1] Dispensationalists use a ‘literal interpretation’ of the Bible and believe that divine revelation unfolds throughout the Bible. Examples: O.T. (THE LAW) ,(Genesis thru Malachi, N.T.(AGE OF GRACE), John thru Revelation, Rapture of the Church, Great Tribulation 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, End Times.(Revelation) GOD does what He says and means what He says. GOD Says What He Means And Means What He Says! Sometimes, He says something that is very Literal…
Anonymous
Jared G. Cheshire when you said
Dispensationalism should have never rose in the first place if men would had studied for themselves rather than listen to the eisegesis of other men who studied to prove their preconceived notions.
I already responded to Oscar Valdez about this with Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
This is good, sound theology. It is true, and it is biblical theology. Even though the one who said it was the false prophet Balaam. Because he said it, it doesn’t make it Balaam Theology; and if Augustine happened to get something right, it doesn’t make it Augustinian Hermeneutic. If it’s right, it doesn’t matter who said it.
Anonymous
Jared G. Cheshire Jerome Herrick Weymouth Philip Williams Brett Dobbs Kyle Williams I think Duane L Burgess just explained it BEST for @everyone
The 7 year tribulation is Israel’s time of Jacob’s trouble, Daniel’s 70th week.
Revelation describes these 7 years in terms of days, and the 7 years are divided in half.
Serious students of Scripture understand this.
The 7 year Trib isn’t Dispensational, it’s biblical. Biblical eschatology is exclusively Premillennial.
Anyone who denies the 7 year tribulation is a damned liar and a fool.
“there aint no 7-year tribulation anywhere in the Bible.”
Anonymous
Troy Day this is where I’m confused with you. You just said “The 7 year tribulation is Israel’s time of Jacobs trouble, Daniel’s 70th week.”
But yesterday you said….. here’s a screenshot.
Media: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10232563712822468&set=p.10232563712822468&type=3
Anonymous
Brett Dobbs I dont see ANY BIBLE verse(s) in your post buddy
Anonymous
Troy Day before we discuss anything else will you please explain the photo I posted. In that photo you wrote “And there aint no 7-year tribulation anywhere in the Bible.”
That is what you said yesterday.
And today you say, “The 7 year tribulation is Israel’s time of Jacobs trouble, Daniel’s 70th week.”
This is why I’m confused Troy.
Anonymous
Troy Day how can the notion that God’s Israel are those who reject Jesus Christ be anything but the greatest lie of the Devil ever embraced by Christians? What a deceiver is Satan!
Anonymous
Oscar Valdez DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION BY DEVIANT DEMAGOGUES
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20).
Apostasy; Doctrines of Demons
‘Mother Earth’ (Gaia false goddess) Religion of Global Warming aka Climate Change (also ruse for global governance). New York City Electric Garbage Trucks “Conked Out” Plowing Snow After Just Four Hours.
Geoengineering: Man Playing gods. Climate Startup’s Rogue Plan to Manipulate Weather is Horrifying Scientists. Make Sunsets says it’s launched weather balloons containing sulfur dioxide particles into the stratosphere in an attempt to manipulate the climate. Spraying sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere directly puts humanity at risk by disrupting the ozone layer, potentially leading to acid rain and causing respiratory disease. Meanwhile, the White House is funding its own five-year research plan into geoengineering, a highly controversial proposal to reverse (so-called) climate change.
False religion of Hinduism: Christians flee into forest after Hindu mobs vandalize homes, churches for refusing to re-convert.
False religion of Islam: Hamas official Al-Zahar vowed “Palestine” will be liberated, and after “Battle of the Promise of the Hereafter,” there’ll be no Zionism or “treacherous Christianity.” Also see Christian Persecution in Africa Grew More Intense, Widespread in 2022, especially Somalia and Nigeria, where Islamist gangs wiped out entire villages, and Christian farmers were attacked by Fulani herdsmen.
In Italy, Muslim Mob Stopped Police from Shutting Down Illegal Mosque in December. A bailiff and police attempted to take back a garage used as a mosque after the property’s owner refused to renew the contract due to money owed. Italy’s deputy prime minister said, “If I illegally occupied a shop or an apartment for 1 ½ years, the public force would ask me to leave. It works like this in any civil country, Italian or foreign.” Similar scenes have been seen elsewhere in Europe. Examples: France in 2017; Muslims took to the streets to protest an attempt to remove them from a building they’d occupied and used as a mosque. A radical mosque in Marseilles ordered to close several times over the last five years simply ignored authorities.
Last Days of Lot Returned
Florida investigating Christmas drag show that ‘exposed children to sexually explicit activity.’
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s school health division released guide for schools to assess commitment to gay and transgender agenda.
Scottish Bill Would Allow 16-Year-Olds to Legally Change Their Gender Identity Against Parents’ Will.
Sweden urges caution on puberty blockers, transgender surgeries in updated health guidance.
And the Abortion Abomination
Biden Regime Trying to Force Christian Doctors to Kill Babies in Abortions. Fresh from a defeat in court over the administrative rule attempting to require Christian doctors and nurses to perform or promote abortions, now their attempting to repeal a pro-life rule that President Trump implemented in 2019 to ensure the conscience rights of such medical professions are respected.
Last Days Traitors
Your Government Hates You. One example of many: “[US Omnibus bill] contains billions in spending on ridiculous political pet projects” (see list in article). Your tax dollars at work. It’s also an ear-piercing signal that the end is nigh. If you work hard, pay your own way, believe in free speech and traditional values, and fear God – your government, the dirty cadre of elites and insiders – hates you.
National Guard informed troops last paycheck before Christmas would be late, as Biden regime sends billions to Ukraine.
WATCH: Biden Looked Dazed and Confused when signing so-called Inflation Reduction Bill handed to him in August. The bill that was passed says it all. Instead of reducing inflation, it actually raises taxes by $450 billion over the next decade; it also creates a $78.9 billion slush fund for the IRS. This is a determined effort to strangle middle-income earners even more. America is now run by a shadow government – bureaucrats pushing laws and regulations with the aim of destroying America from within.
And the Orwellian Surveillance Society
Democrats released several years of Trump’s tax returns on Friday. Republicans, who’ll take over the House next week, say Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent where in the future, no one will be safe from having their returns disclosed to the public.
Researcher Reveals Google Home Speakers Could’ve Been Hijacked and Turned into Wiretaps.
Roomba vacuum recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook?
Infrastructure of Antichrist: Living in The Age of Surveillance. “Smart” devices and other technologies watch every move we make. And smart devices listen to everything we say.
WEF To Accelerate Push for ‘Metaverse’ Surveillance Network at Davos 2023. It’s a lot more than an alleged 3D virtual reality space using avatars. For forces of technocratic tyranny, a Metaverse-adopting society can make it much easier for governments to track movement, behaviors, and activities of its citizens. WEF is the chief coalition builder for what amounts to the modern depopulation movement. They’ve partnered with Big Tech, central bankers, governmental and international organizations to facilitate their feudalistic vision, which involves deliberately rolling back human progress, innovation, and flourishing under the guise of saving the planet from a “climate emergency.”
And The Left’s Deceived Pawns
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13).
[Many/Most] Liberals Learned Nothing In 2022. Liberal left Washington Post is confident next year will be much happier, at least for Democrats. It published “15 Reasons You Should be Hopeful for 2023.” It should’ve been called “liberals have learned nothing in the Biden era.” More Americans are finally recognizing that this federal government is the most dangerous threat to their rights and liberties. But many appear to still be deceived, or else they don’t care because they think they’ll continue receiving free stuff, no strings attached. When they realize they’ve been had, it’ll be too late.
And the Deliberate Pitting of Nation (Ethnic) Against Nation (Ethnic)
Students Speak Out on Anti-White, Anti-Christian, Anti-American Culture at Florida University. At the core of students’ struggle is the university’s glorification of CRT, a Marxist-derived ideology that substitutes race or gender for class struggle.
And more on the Drug Plague: California Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Legalize Magic Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says hallucinogens “can cause users to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but don’t exist.” Effects of psychedelics generally begin within 20 to 90 minutes and can last up to 12 hours in some cases
After COVID, flu, and RSV, is a strep outbreak next? At least 94 people in the UK, including 24 children, have died from strep A complications. “… We’ve never seen a peak like this at this time of year…” said microbiologist Shiranee Sriskandan. France, Ireland, Netherlands, and Sweden have also observed strep A increases in the past few months. Dr. Andrew Pekosz, virologist, says it’s too soon to say if the US will see a “large strep A outbreak.” He warned it could be a problem if we see a rise in strep A at the same time we’re contending with kill-virus
Anonymous
I reject this novel theory of the rapture removing the church from the earth, something foreign to Scripture. But i am not amil or post-mil. I am premil!