Talk:Dispensationalism

Peak and decline section merely reports a blip

(1) The Peak and decline section contradicts the rest of the article, which in the lead begins by identifying the "establishment of Bible Institutes" (not "acceptance by seminaries") as a major factor of the spread of Dispensationalism. The fact that Dispensationalism was not being taught in seminaries is the raison d'être of Dallas Theological Seminary; it was necessary to found a seminary from the Fundamentalist grass-roots up. Dispensationalism only spread to other seminaries when graduates from DTS were hired. To say that Dispensationalism as a whole is "in decline" because professors in seminaries prefer covenant theology--what is this? Wishful thinking by the enemies of Dispensationalism? Totally lacks NPOV! If author Daniel G. Hummel fails to understand the grass-roots nature of Dispensationalism to begin with, he is not a reliable source about anything other than the groves of academe. (2) The history of Dispensationalism is still playing out; it's too early to say that it has "peaked" or "is in decline". (3) A proper title for this section would be Recent decline in academic circles; that, and no more. Wikipedia should not be a playground for seminary professors who are worried about Dispensationalism. The "decline" may be due to graduates of DTS only being given seminary jobs only on the condition that they agree to renounce Dispensationalism. Weasels, weasels everywhere! We are not told the reasons why these seminary professors changed views. (The "pop" of Pop prophecy is also a weasel word, but at least it alliterates well.) Vagabond nanoda (talk) 17:54, 26 October 2023 (UTC)

Well we need solid sources that the theology is declining amongst evangelicals who aren't academics. —Confession0791 ^talk 01:13, 1 December 2024 (UTC)

Spread

I would like to better understand how Dispensationalism has been received in traditionally Black churches and among Hispanics (and Lusitanians) who have become Protestant. WenonahNj (talk) 02:33, 10 April 2024 (UTC)

Better to define a dispensation as an economy/stewardship, rather than an age

The article may base the definition of dispensation largely upon Bass & Mauro, two non-dispensationalists, as an age. But this confuses the special economy (οἰκονομία) with a time period (aiōn) in which the special economy is in effect. As I understand it, King Henry VIII wanted a dispensation from the pope to divorce a wife. In other words, the Catholic right to divorce depended upon the pope granting the king an exception to the general rule. Such a dispensation would have been a special rule applicable only to this king. It would not have been an age, a time period, but a rule, though of course it had a corresponding age (the life of the king). The idea of a dispensation should be considered as the idea that certain particular persons or some particular time period has special rules which are not universally valid, but only apply to those persons or time period, like the animal sacrifices or the diet rules of the Law of Moses -- like Noah's command to build an ark (which is not taken to apply to all men everywhere for all time). But it seems best to use "dispensation" for the special rules, not for the time period, though there be a corresponding age. Do you think that the definition of "dispensation" would be better taken from Ryrie's Dispensationalism Today, rather than from Bass and Mauro? (Appletonclack (talk) 14:54, 3 September 2024 (UTC))

I don't think you can reject Bass or Mauro so quickly. Mauro, who actually coined the term "dispensationalism", was a dispensationalist until he became disillusioned with the system. Bass's text is quoting Scofield directly. In the 1917 version of the Scofield Reference Bible, Scofield defined a dispensation as "a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God" (this is quoted in Bass's text and footnoted there as well). Mauro's text quotes Matthew Francis from Rock or Sand, Which? stating, "that system of doctrine which divides the history of God's dealings with the world into periods of time, called 'dispensations'" and later (p. 26), he also provides the verbatim Scofield definition. ButlerBlog (talk) 14:14, 4 September 2024 (UTC)

You are correct on Scofield. Yet to me it makes little difference how Scofield coined a term (if he did). And I think that by 1970, most dispensational scholars were no longer using "dispensation" for a time period. So since this article is not on Scofield per se, it seems to me that the article should be appropriately revised. (Appletonclack (talk) 17:23, 20 September 2024 (UTC))

Re: "You are correct on Scofield" - I know. ButlerBlog (talk) 23:10, 20 September 2024 (UTC)

One might add a topic to the article on the historical change in meaning of "Dispensation"

The one could show how the consensus on the meaning has changed over time, including, for example, the definition in the New Scofield Reference Bible. (Appletonclack (talk) 18:28, 21 September 2024 (UTC))