2005-01-22 An Introduction to Dispensational Politics

On the road to Armageddon is split into three discernible sections. The first offers a survey of dispensationalism and its changing theological emphases (eg. the move from being apolitical to being members of the Moral Majority) as well as offering an survey of recent popularizations (Such as "The Late Great Planet Earth" and the "Left Behind" series. The second analyses the history of the role of Israel in dispensationalism's understanding of prophecy both pre and post 1948 (the (re?)founding of Israel) and there approach to Jewish proselytism and finally the third is an overview how the contemporary Israeli state and dispensationalists have actively promoted each other for their own ends.

Each section constitutes a comprehensive survey that is at times congratulatory as well as critical that is clearly written and hence accessible to those (like myself) who are novices in the subject area.

My only negative comments are firstly that it does not seem apparent that dispensationalism is synonymous with evangelicalism. I am certainly aware that this is not the case beyond the USA but also suspect this is true within it (the book hints at as much in the closing two chapters). It may seem like pedantry but I think this is the overriding non-Christian (and non-evangelical) media perception and Christian scholars perpetuate this then it is only harmful to how Christianity is portrayed. Weber may be unwittingly advancing the myth that conservative Christianity is synonymous with the hordes of prophecy obsessed tele-evangelists. I am not a conservative but am well aware that there is many in evangelicalism that should be afforded respect (Weber himself for example).

Secondly, on a number of occasions throughout the text the issue of Christianity's relationship with Judaism surfaced particularly the extent to which Jewish religious identity is crucial to what makes a person a Jew. This seems to me to be an issue of paramount importance for Christians to consider and yet a substantive answer is lacking in the book.

Overall however this is definitely worth considering.