Dominionism in History
Posted by SitePastor in Dominion Theology and Latter Rain MovementGreat article written about the source of Dominion Theology in the church
Historically Dominion Theology emerges whenever the Christian Church enters into covenant with a political power that is either at the apex of international wealth and power or about to make a play for it. The first Church-State deal was seen in the 4th Century. This was the prototype for all the Church-State accords which were made with the European princes in the following 17 centuries. Here is how it happened.
After the sickening persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the late third century the Roman powers faced a fact that was becoming quite obvious. Using their cruel methods of direct persecution they were unable to halt the Christian witness. Diocletian’s successor Caesar Constantine came to power early in the 4th century. He soon saw the writing on the wall. The persecutions against the Christian Church were clearly counterproductive. Accordingly he issued the Edict of Milan in 308 A.D.. This halted the persecution of Christians. What had happened?
As the 3rd century came to an end the Church was spiritually victorious against the powers of Rome. The Roman powers, realized that the direct persecutions of the Church were actually hurting them. Persecution of Christians led to martyrdom, which is the very same Greek word “witness”. For the early Church “witness” for Christ meant “martyrdom” for Christ. This is the way it is for Christian believers in China and in the Muslim world today.
The facts were quite straightforward. Roman persecution was creating Christian witnesses. All the efforts to stamp out Christianity were a waste of time. They were just adding to the numbers of Christians. So early in the 4th century the Roman powers realized what was going on. And so they decided to take a different approach. They decided to take the advice of Balaam. Their new goal was to get the Church compromised. In short, they had adopted a Fabian approach to conquest.
Under the Emperor Constantine the icy relationship between Imperial Rome and the Christian Church began to thaw. In 325 A.D. it broke out into a veritable love-fest. The invitation was there before them. What to do?
Many of the Church elders saw the opportunity for advancement and seized upon it. They accepted the invitation to “go up” to Nicene to meet with Constantine. They did not go. They stayed behind. (And they suffered for it afterwards). But it was right here that the Christian Church began to enter into power politics. Christians were all abuzz with talk of an accord with Rome. For politico-religious opportunists their hour had come. Finally, they had their chance. They packed their bags. Soon they were off to make some lucrative and power garnering deals with Rome, the worldly power of the day. This is how the Christian Church became “established”.
And what was the result of all this of this power play? History bears witness to the tragic outcome. Dalliance with a pagan world system led to corruption of the Church. The Christian Church fell from grace into a pit of spiritual debauchery.
The spiritual collapse of the Church led to grievous consequences. Western Civilization went down with the Church. This first blush of Dominionism took us into the Dark Ages. And there we stayed for a thousand years.
The course of events here is not hard to follow or complicated. Christians are called to a life of holiness before God. Our devotion is to Jesus Christ and to Him alone. Jesus said the “No man can serve two masters”. He went on to say “You cannot serve God and Mammon”.
There is an inherent corruption that comes whenever the Church, the people “called out” to be the Holy Congregation of God, forget the way of the cross. When Christians enter into a blood covenant relationship with the princes of this world it gets worse. There is Hell to pay. The Anabaptists finally realized this important truth. Whenever Christian believers embrace the power of the sword it always corrupts the Christian faith.
Dominion Theology is not Biblical. It is not a doctrinal belief that emerges from a careful study of the Holy Scriptures. Typically it emerges in the heady milieu of a wave of success in a nation’s economic, political, and military successes. Religious enterprises soon follow this. So in this sense Dominionism is really a form of religious populism.
Dominion Theology was showcased in the history of the former British Empire. It rose up in the Edwardian period during those heady early years of the 20th century. We shall be looking at the British experience with Dominion Theology further down in this article.
National pride and hubris is a great spiritual danger. The temptation is to assume power and authority over others instead of being a servant before God. This is inclined to happen when a nation comes into great blessings. The prophets of Israel warned God’s covenant people about this danger. Indeed this theme of corruption right in the midst of God’s blessings is a theme that recurs throughout the Old Testament.
King Solomon was a classic case of corruption coming in with great wealth and power. His peaceful rule took the nation of Israel to the peak of economic and national greatness. But in doing this he compromised the glory of the God of Israel. Solomon defiled Israel with the paganism of the world. He intermarried many hundreds of women of power from neighboring nations. He did this on a grand and opulent scale.
The result of Solomon’s bid for power with the world was soon plain to see. The following generation saw Israel going into steep economic decline. The once proud nation lost its glory and its power. Soon afterwards it lost the Kingdom. Israel was divided and separated into two kingdoms. The northern ten tribes went off on their own to end up in subjugation 200 years later. They were carried off captive to Assyria in 722 B.C.. Later the royal southern kingdom Judah was taken off captive in 605 and 587 B.C.. Judah went into Babylon to return 70 years later. The lost ten tribes are still lost. Or are they?
The sad reality of Dominionism is that in order to achieve power and control over other men some sort of accord or treaty must be established with the world system. Biblical Christians of the devotional evangelical variety are fully aware of this danger. They see any bid for power and authority in this world as a very dangerous move. The gathering and the “unity” that is achieved by this means is artificial, cheap, and short-lived. The reason for this is quite simple. Any bid for power is based on compromise with the spirit behind that power. Dominionism is achieved by playing games with the systems of this world. And when they use the ways of this world to establish authority the Church that becomes established finally ends up running counter to true Christianity.
History bears this out. The recurring pattern is as follows. Establishment Christians make deals with the worldly powers. Then they always end up beholden to these worldly powers. Compromised Christians then find themselves, (through fear of their worldly masters), being forced to persecute their uncompromised fellow Christians. Church history is absolutely full of strange stories based on this corruption. Sadly, it continues today.
There is a resurgence of Medieval church Politics. The crusades were a classic case in point. Whenever we see the Church departing from the pathway of Christian grace to embrace the sword it is an ominous sign. Because at that very point the glory of God is departing. And the Presence of God, the foundation of any true national greatness, is already heading out the gate.
To see the Christian Church compromise the faith is a very sad thing to see. They do this in order to gain “pull” with the temporal political power. But Christian Dominionists will do this. They will do a lot of terrible things to fulfill their dream to dominate the world.
The cycle of events is quite common. A nation begins to realize great blessings from God. This is when dominionists arise. Call it the “deceitfulness of riches” or call it “religious jingoism” this high minded controlling spirit is suddenly front and center. Dominionists are bound and determined to make a lunge for power. This aggressive power hungry spirit is foreign to true Christianity. The Dominionist spirit and Dominion Theology does not have a foundation in the Gospel. But militant Christianity takes up the sword anyway. And why? They will say that the sword is to be used to advance the Kingdom of God.
Dominion Theology does not really belong in the church. It crosses over from national politics. Or it may come from the prosperous merchant world that burgeons up in a superpower. At that point this Dominionist dream and mindset gains entry into the church.
The spirit of Dominionism is highly intrusive. It infiltrates the Christian Church of the land. It seduces and dominates church leadership. Then it proceeds to set up shop inside the church. The Church, and all it stands for, is then “re-engineered”.
This is so sad to see. Gospel outreach and overseas missions are often neglected. The Great Commission is sidelined in favor of the new political agenda. Christian offerings, funding that should be going to missions and the Gospel outreach is used to pay politicians, fund-raisers, lobbyists, and lawyers. The church attempts to buy favor with government officials. She tries to extract promises of consideration in governmental affairs.
Dominion Theology is very persuasive and quite successful in seducing nominal Christians. Traditional evangelical endeavors are sidelined in favor of political action programs. Christians who do not embrace the evangelistic Gospel mission can be very easily drawn into these projects. Dominion Theology appeals to those who believe that the nation’s woes can be solved when “good Christian men” “rise up” and “take control.
Dominion Theology is not a child of the Bible. Nor is it spawned in the seminaries for that matter. It slips into the Church from the world. Political and economic realities are mixed in with this as well. The church is wowed with special political rallies, loud music, and a drumbeat for concerted political action. The new optimistic politico-religious mindset for world takeover is presented as the main option. It is phallic in spirit, energizing the lower carnal nature of man. Dominion Theology brings with it a new aggressiveness and pugnacity. This changes the character of the church. True worship and reverence for the Holy Scriptures takes a back seat to politics. And the Gospel, missions, and the devotion to the true Spirit of Christ suffers.
Dominion Theology can be brutish. It always was a forceful militant sort of Christianity. Dominionism embraces the methods of worldly power, including the use of the sword and the gun. It is not new. It is the same sort of “crusader mindset” that was seen 900 years ago. When Pope Urban preached the First Crusade the whole of Christendom began to rise up in Edomite anger.
The crusaders were, in fact, Christian dominionists. Some evangelicals would doubt that they were really ‘Christian’ at all. Most people, unfortunately, do not know the difference. After the crusades, came the Spanish Inquisition, the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in France, the Pogroms of eastern Europe, and the Holocaust. Unfortunately they have left a bloody legacy. Most Jewish authorities believe to this day that all Christians are capable of bloody mayhem and anti-Semitism. This is not true of Bible believing Pilgrim Christians. But sadly, these shameful events keep recurring in Christendom, (so-called). They happen whenever economic conditions deteriorate and the superpower of the day rises up in anger.
As Dominionists the crusaders were a very diligent lot. They were fully committed to their task. After selling their lands, entrusting their funds to the international banking system of the Knights Templar, and locking up their wives in chastity belts they strapped on their sword and headed out. They began in Europe by killing “Jewish infidels” in their own home towns. Why did they start their crusade by slaughtering their Jewish neighbors?
Their thinking went along these lines. Why come back from a crusade to find that the “infidel” Jews owned the land and had taken their wives? “Good Christian men” headed off on the crusades in a high state of religious excitement . The first crusade was not a governmental thing. It was preached into existence by Pope Urban. The spirit of Dominion Theology arose from inside the Church.
This was a disaster for Christendom. The Crusades were shameful, bloody, and tragic affairs. They destroyed any hope of true Christian witness. The cross of Christ was whisked away. It was magically transformed into the Excalibur, the “sacred” sword of the crusaders.
So what was actually achieved for the cause of Christ by the crusades? . . . . . The answer is, ‘precious little’.
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