Dominionism
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In this, they differ from the [[Millennialism#Posttribulational (historic) premillennialism|premillennialists]], who believe that the Second Coming itself will mark the beginning of the millennium and that Jesus will do all the dirty-work; thus, they tend to focus more on the conversion of individuals than of society as such. | In this, they differ from the [[Millennialism#Posttribulational (historic) premillennialism|premillennialists]], who believe that the Second Coming itself will mark the beginning of the millennium and that Jesus will do all the dirty-work; thus, they tend to focus more on the conversion of individuals than of society as such. | ||
| − | Dominionists believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. As such, they believe that God "gave man dominion over the earth." | + | Dominionists believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. As such, they believe that God "gave man dominion over the earth." |
===Orthodoxy=== | ===Orthodoxy=== | ||
Revision as of 00:33, 25 August 2011
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| —Mark Rushdoony, son of R.J. Rushdoony |
Dominionism (also called Christian Reconstructionism[2]) is a political and religious philosophy that seeks to make the United States government a Christian theocracy[3]. (Most Dominionists try to avoid using this name. Regardless, it is usually applied to any Christian movement with these explicit or implicit goals.)
Dominionists believe that the civil laws laid down by the Old Testament (as distinct from the moral laws such as the Ten Commandments) should be enforced by reforming the U.S. legal system along theocratic lines, which would entail a substantial increase in the use of capital punishment. They also believe that that biblical injunctions regarding slavery should be followed[4][5].
Its ideologies are promoted by authors such as Gary North and David Barton.
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Origin of the term
The term "Dominionism" comes from Genesis 1:26 of the King James Version of the Bible, which reads:And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.In every other verse of the King James Version where the word "dominion" occurs, the word either refers to God's dominion over the world and all of its people; or to the dominion of a king over his kingdom, as in Psalms 72 ("The reign of a righteous king"). This is the only time when the word is applied to all men.
Unfortunately, this misinterpretation of the original text may have altered world history for the worse. The original word is more accurately translated as "stewardship."
One explanation for this error is that King James I -- a Scottish king who was trying to solidify power after being crowned England's new king -- wanted his translation of the Bible to re-enforce his divine right to rule as he saw fit.
Dominionist theology
Dominionism is often connected with the theological position known as postmillennialism, which envisions a period of one thousand years prior to the eventual Second Coming of Christ during which the "Kingdom of God" will gradually gain ground against the forces that oppose it. For that reason, these "hard dominionists" usually work towards a general Christianization of society in the belief that this will help bring about the "Kingdom of God" and (after a thousand more years) the Second Coming.
In this, they differ from the premillennialists, who believe that the Second Coming itself will mark the beginning of the millennium and that Jesus will do all the dirty-work; thus, they tend to focus more on the conversion of individuals than of society as such.
Dominionists believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. As such, they believe that God "gave man dominion over the earth."
Orthodoxy
Dominionism cannot be regarded merely as a hyper-literal take on Christianity; its main tenet has been opposed by Christians right from the get-go.
The precepts of the Mosaic Law have traditionally been divided into three categories by Christian theologians: the moral law (e.g., the Ten Commandments), the civil law (the "constitution" of ancient Israel), and the ceremonial law (e.g., the proscriptions against eating pork).
Also traditionally, it has been held that both the ceremonial and civil laws were nullified with the coming of Jesus. At the Council of Jerusalem, described in Acts 15, it was determined that only certain moral precepts of the law applied to gentile Christians; Paul of Tarsus wrote extensively against "legalism," or the idea that Christians had to follow the whole Mosaic Law, saying that the whole point of the law was to lead the Jews to Jesus, and this purpose being fulfilled, the law was not in effect any longer. This position was later hammered out in detail, with the position being taken that the ceremonial law was "deadly" (could not be practiced at all) and the civil law "dead" (did not need to be practiced). St. Thomas Aquinas said:
“”For if a sovereign were to order these judicial precepts to be observed in his kingdom, he would not sin: unless perchance they were observed, or ordered to be observed, as though they derived their binding force through being institutions of the Old Law: for it would be a deadly sin to intend to observe them thus.[6]
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Most Dominionists pretend that they are followers of John Calvin, if not the only true followers of that Protestant Reformer. But Calvin had even stronger views than Thomas Aquinas on that subject:
“”There are some who deny that any commonwealth is rightly framed which neglects the law of Moses, and is ruled by the common law of nations. How perilous and seditious these views are, let others see: for me it is enough to demonstrate that they are stupid and false.[7]
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However, as might be observed, the Dominionists have little argument for reinstituting the Mosaic civil law besides, "It's in the Bible!"
Dominionism in fiction
The "Republic of Gilead" in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale represented one scenario of a Dominionist takeover in the United States after an environmental disaster drastically reduced the reproductive capacity of the population. Another example of Dominionism is 'If this goes on...' by Robert A. Heinlein, where an evangelical preacher named Nehemiah Scudder takes control of the Executive Branch of the United States Government, and imposes fundamentalist law over the country.
A threat to freedom?
Many people argue about the subject of personal freedom in a theocracy, but the dominionists themselves see no lack of freedom as they believe following the bible is freedom. As a result, a group of teachers and intellectuals from Cornell University created Theocracy Watch to combat the dominionism movement.
See also
- Actions which demand the death penalty in the Old Testament
- Positive Christianity
- Christofascism, which may or may not be the same thing as this.
- Christian economics
- God Hates Fags
- God hates shrimp
- Joel's Army
- Gary North
- Millennialism
- R.J. Rushdoony
- Slavery in the Bible
- Spiritual warfare
- Society for the Practical Establishment and Perpetuation of the Ten Commandments
External links
- for the Ten Commandments, a website advocating Dominionism or something very much like it.
- [1], a list of videos made by Theocracy Watch.
Footnotes
- ↑ Casting Stones, SPLC
- ↑ The terms "dominionism" and "Christian Reconstructionism" are often used interchangeably. However, by their strict definitions, Christian Reconstructionism is a theology that is a subset of dominionism. See TheocracyWatch's article "What is Dominionism?" for more detail.
- ↑ In this case "Christian" usually means extreme fundamentalist Protestant.
- ↑ "Dominionism". ReligiousTolerance.org. May 18, 2005.
- ↑ Enyart, Bob. "God and the Death Penalty". TheologyOnline.com.
- ↑ Summa Theologica FS Q104 A3 BP1
- ↑ Institutes IV:XX.14