Dominion Theology - Right or Wrong

[Christ4Ever]

I've come across this in the past while researching Religious/Political movements and was wondering if anyone had any understanding or a position as it pertains to "Dominion Theology"

Being a bit ignorant of this. I checked through Apologetic sites and came up with a few of the links below, but they all seem to hold the same position and none of them are overly supportive to say the least.

I guess that's the problem with just searching with a question of "What is.....?"

There are many more sites with reference material, but the below was just a quick search and not a complete listing by any means. Your opinions would be appreciated, but more importantly would be any scripture references you can provide.

Thanks.
YBIC
C4E
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Dominion Theology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What is dominion theology / theonomy / Christian reconstructionism?

What is Christian dominionism?

Christian Reconstructionism|Arose Out of Conservative Reformed (Calvinist) Churches|Is Extremist Christian Movement

DOMINION THEOLOGY : Apprising Ministries

Dominion Theology

 

[Bendito]

All I will say is that God gave His kids dominion in the Earth.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”

Dominion authority was given to Christians. We do not have to stand in positions of power in the world, as for instance, a Christian does not have to be president, to rule....Our words activate the material world as well as the spiritual world....All the authority that Jesus has belongs to us too...and just as Jesus commands things to happen, so do we, all the time, and every day. You may not want to believe this but it IS so...The words you speak will make your part of the world heaven or hell as you choose.
Proverbs 18:21 Matthew 12:36 Matthew 12:37 Proverbs 13:3 James 3:1-12
Our words have the same creative power as the words God speaks, He did create us in His image, we can create or destroy by the power of the words we speak...We can control governments and the entire planet by right words....You WILL see what you speak.

 

[Lanolin]

I think its for people who believe Jesus is a lion and not a lamb. Only the lamb could open and own the book of life. People want to believe in another Jesus. They want Him to being fire down from Heaven and destroy things.

But scripture tells us its the meek who will inherit the earth.

 

[B-A-C]

I think this is a difficult subject for some because of the different ways eschatology and dispensations are viewed.

Some think everything in Revelation has already happened. The tribulation already happened. The millennial reign already happened, and God/Jesus are reigning over the earth right now. They view all of this as more of a "spiritual only" dominion.

Well... I don't remember reading about any of this in the history books and if they are reigning over everyone on the earth right now there sure is a lot of dissension and rebellion.

The Wikipedia article is liberally biased (what else is new) but it gets some of it right. The thought is... when you govern
a nation, you should govern it according to the majority of religious beliefs. It wasn't that long ago (in my lifetime) that the
US was predominantly a Christian nation. Everyone didn't agree on everything, but we agreed on the "obvious" Christian teachings. Don't kill, don't steal.. and by all means don't be homosexual. Marry someone of the opposite sex, stay married
until you die, take care of your children, teach them Godly values and don't have an abortion.

Some would take this a little further and say teach everyone in the nation about Jesus.

... so far, so good...

But if we take this a little bit further... after we've taught you about Jesus and you don't accept Him, we should
either kick you out of our country, or we should kill you. (Does this sound like another well known religion?)
This appears to be the prevailing opinion of the church and some governments during the crusades and the inquisition.

But can there be a happy medium? We don't have to report or kill people because they aren't believers, but on the other
hand we shouldn't let them come in and teach values to the next generation that oppose our values. (Not only are we
doing this, we are paying them to do it).

When I was in elementary school we prayed, the ten commandments were talked about (this was public schools).
Creationism was taught along side with evolution, it was up to you to believe what you wanted.

Homosexual marriages were illegal, abortions were illegal, recreational drugs were illegal, under-age sex was
illegal, and pornography was hidden behind counters and the internet didn't exist.

My how far we've gone in just a generation or two... Is it up to the people to control these things, or the government?
.. or both? In a way it really is the dominion of light vs the dominion of darkness. The light is supposed to have
much more power than darkness... yet it seems many aren't doing anything at all about it. Yet others don't see
anything wrong with "the way things are".

 

[Lanolin]

Hmm I dont know about nationalism and religion being tied up together I guess cos I grew up in a time where we dont have a national church, I mean there is church of england also known as anglican and that is the majority or used to be but now it isnt. There is no 'church of new zealand' although the Queen is actually the defender of the faith for her countries that she rules or is sovereign over.

In nz domiminion meant we were supposed to be a colony of England but we sort of obtained our independence and became our own country, while still being under the Crowns or royal protection.

Americans do not have this, they rebelled against England. So it could mean a different thing in america.

 

[Lanolin]

Jesus is ruling, its just unbelievers dont recognise it. God had always been sovereign.
We've always had tribulation.

When John wrote revelation God was showing him past present and future PLUS what was going on in the spiritual realm. It was very specific to the time he was living in remember he was the only disciple left who wasnt matyred.

Some people have a strange idea that events in revelation were put on hold for 2000 years and Jesus is coming back only for this generation (what about all the saints in the past??) which is kind of ludicrous when you think about it. Revelation tells us there are two resurrections, not three.

I think people like to divide scripture according to specific political agendas that is obviously biased toward whatever agenda they have regarding their own nation. Thats when dispensTionalism becomes silly. And you get people saying the rapture or end of the world will happen in 1914 or whenever.

 

[Hekuran]

The Wikipedia article quotes George Grant from his 1987 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. ... 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."
​

If this is a true representation of Christian Dominionism, I would have serious questions about it. First, our history books tell us that whenever the church has tried to impose itself on the political and civil areas of society, things have gone horribly badly.

Jesus' commission to the disciples was: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”​

The church's task is to witness to the risen Christ, baptise, teach Jesus' commands and make disciples of all nations.

Yes, it is right for the church to speak for justice and against injustice, and it is good for Christians to take up political office and to take a full part in politics. But the most powerful means we have of changing the world is to be Jesus' witness in our words and actions. That happens when we live as a true community under God.

Last, I don't see anything in the life of Jesus, the apostles or the early church that fits well with dominion thought.

 

[Lanolin]

Am reading about Bonhoeffer..it would seem dominionism is what motivated the Nazis in Germany, and they claimed a form of militant christianity.

Luther was apparently very sore that the Jews didnt convert and the Nazis used his rantings to their advantage in justifying concentration camps and holocausts. In america it seems they have some sort of neo nazism or nationalism going on with kkk groups.

I know if you have someone righteous in power, the nation will benefit, when the wicked rule, things are destroyed. But the only person who is righteous to rule is Jesus, and his kingdom is forever and ever. He also said his Kingdom will be done on earth as it is in heaven, but it is a spiritual kingdom you cannot enter it by flesh or blood.

Dominionism sounds like its good in theory but its doesnt work out to be that way cos our weapons of warfare are not carnal. That is why the crusades were so misguided.