From the Pastor's Bookshelf

Okay- here it finally is. 

I ran into one of my former seminary professors, Dr. Gordon Isaac, at our Eastern Regional Conference back in October.  He was displaying his most recent book, Left Behind or Left Befuddled (Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minnesota ISBN #978-0-8146-2420-3), an examination of the pop-theology of the incredibly successful Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. As I am not a subscriber to the dispensational* views of LaHaye and Jenkins, I was intrigued as to how Dr. Isaac would engage the material.  I was not disappointed.

Dr. Isaac states up front that his work is not an attack against persons.  He says,

‘It is possible to disagree theologically and still recognize each other as being fully Christian, part of a single family.’ (Preface, pvii)

  Unfortunately, as the book implies at certain times, familial sentiment does not go both ways. 

Having been raised in the dispensational view, I can say from personal experience that one of the by-products of the views held by those in the Left Behind camp is a tendency to label as ‘un-Christian’ any view that does not line up with their ingrained ‘dispensational’ system.  I once harbored similar feelings.  Through a careful study of the Scripture I came away from the dispensational thought system.

Dr. Isaac points out that the dispensational teachers, such as LaHaye and Jenkins, are caught in a contradiction.  They insist that Scripture be understood in its ‘plain sense’ yet their own methods often distort the ‘plain meaning’ in order to support their own ideas.  Dr. Isaac writes,

‘In place of Biblical interpretation one is given a rather haphazard populist reading that divines a sequence of events without reference to the rest of Scripture.  Historical and exegetical research is bypassed for the familiarity of the populist reading of the text that reaffirms dispensational positions.’ (p70)   

Left Behind makes a good story, but it is not good theology.  As Dr. Isaac points out,

‘distinctive [dispensational] beliefs…mark a clear departure from traditional Christianity.’ (p50).

Essentially all of what dispensationalism teaches does not square with almost 1900 years of previous Christian thought.

But do they not quote chapter and verse?  Yes, but most often totally out of context. 

‘A close reading of the critical texts…does not affirm the Left Behind point of view.’ (p54-55) 

Dr. Isaac does a fine job of exposing the twisting of these ‘critical’ texts preformed by the dispensationalist teachers, particularly the secret rapture of the church (pp55-74).

In chapter 5, Dr. Isaac engages the ‘subtle dangers’ of the Left Behind view.  Most in this camp would be aghast at the radical political alignments and violence associated with their position. 

Chapter 6 was a wonderful conclusion to the work.  Many offer criticism but no alternative.  Dr. Isaac lays out his understanding of ‘recapturing the Christian imagination.’  He offers his opinion that when read in their full Biblical contexts, these awesome apocalyptic texts, Revelation in particular, become incredibly relevant for the contemporary Church without the need for artificial systems or interpretation.

I recommend this book for people on both sides of the issue.  For we who are in agreement with Dr. Isaac’s views, the book refreshes our convictions.  For those on the other side, the book will challenge them to rethink what they believe and why, and hopefully drive them back to the Scripture to discover not what Isaac, LaHaye or Jenkins has to say, but to let God have the final Word.

Definitely good stuff!

*in short, the dispensational view holds that all of history is divided into periods of time- ‘dispensations’ (usually an age of either Law or Grace).  These are distinguished in the Bible in the changing way God deals with humans (for example, the time of Abraham is a time of Grace, but the time of Moses is an age of Law).  Dispensationalism has a very precise (rigid) view of prophetic matters including the secret rapture of the Church, the rise of antichrist, the millennium and so on.  This view did not find its way into mainstream church thought until the late 19^th century.

About the Pastor

Pastor Chad is a lifetime member of the Seacoast community. Chad has served in congregations in Kittery, ME and Exeter, NH as well as having spent time teaching at Portsmouth Christian Academy.  Chad and his family had been members of Hope Community Church prior to the call to the pastorate.

SAINT-SATIONAL!!!!

(We love Disney World)

(Abigail and Cheyenne)