Rightly Dividing The Dividers
Three Books on Dispensationalism
Reviewed by R.C. Sproul Jr.

In my early days at Ligonier Ministries it was my job to answer the mail. When Dr. John Gerstner's book, Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth was first released in 1991, my job got busier and more delightful. Boy were they mad. One thing dispensationalists believe in, is writing angry letters. Here Gerstner is Gerstner, pulling no polemical punches, but rightly applying rigorous logic and exegesis to the fevered imaginations of John Nelson Darby and his heirs. Gerstner accuses this system of being not only spurious Calvinism, but dubious evangelicalism. With the former he point by point demonstrates that the four sided TU-IP of this system is more a daisy, the flower of choice among the Arminians (He loves me, He loves me not). With the latter he demonstrates that the dispensations destroy the gospel, as does the separation of Israel and the church. Of course the letters howled that Gerstner wasn't addressing current dispensationalism, but historic dispensationalism. My standard response to all the angry mail was simple, "If he's not addressing what you believe, what are you so upset about? If Moody, Scofield, Darby, Ryrie, Hodges and Dallas Seminary don't represent dispensationalism, what does?" Originally published by the now defunct Wolgemuth and Hyatt, the book is back in print, complete with Gerstner's responses to the scathing critiques he received from dispensational journals. This expanded version is available from Soli Deo Gloria Publishing.

Dispensationalism Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow is another fine critique. Published by tiny Footstool Publications (the same folks who brought us Heiland, by Franklin Sanders), this book has not received the reading it deserves. Though it doesn't have Gerstner's bite, it is equally devastating in its exegetical critique. The authors, Grover Gunn and Curtis Crenshaw both came out of dispensationalism, and became fine Reformed pastors. They provide here, therefore, both an insider's view, and a practical view.

Last but not least is the most recent destruction of dispensationalism, Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing The People of God? by Keith Mathison. Keith, who was gracious enough to write the Ekklesia column for us this issue, is a fine young scholar who made sure he did his homework. The book is in four sections, the first defining the term and giving historical background. Section two deals with the issue of the relationship of the church and Israel, and section three covers salvation and the law, including the controversy over Lordship Salvation. Section four covers eschatology. He not only covers the bases, but he covers them well. The book concludes with two appendixes, one on progressive dispensationalism (which, I'm happy to report, is progressing away from dispensationalism), another on the Olivet Discourse.

The latter two books come from a distinctly post-millenial perspective. Neither, however, are overtly theonomic. For more on that I would commend, among others, Keith's book titled Postmillenialism: An Eschatology of Hope. I commend all three of these works to your reading. It will not only help you understand the dominant theology of the evangelical church, but will also help you understand sound theology.

Imagine
The Citadel, by Dr. Tom Schroder
Reviewed by Justin Eastwood, a friend I would want in my foxhole

Imagine yourself in a society where children are taken away from their parents, educated in government-controlled institutions, immerse themselves in video games, and whose ultimate end is to be a servant to the state. Ponder what a culture would look like if exclusive allegiance to one Lord, Jesus Christ, and disapproval of sexual perversion caused one to receive the label "intolerant." Picture a political environment in which the state rules as an unlimited tyrant with the aid of advanced technology and mediamanipulation. Sounds a lot like the United States of America, eh?

As a matter of fact, this is America, but in the middle of the twenty-first century as portrayed in The Citadel, a novel. Dr. Tom Schroder; Professor of Political Science at nearby King College in Bristol, Tennessee, wrote this novel because he believed that a more contemporary version of Brave New World and 1984 was in order, especially a version that took place in these United States. Schroder takes trends that are dominant today, such as the media's stranglehold on information, the rampant perversity of our society, the continual call for "tolerance," and the development of sophisticated technology, and carries these trends to their extreme conclusions.

The overall plot involves two major groups, "the Elite" and "the Savages." The Elite are a consortium of political leaders and media moguls whose goal is to push their agenda down the throats of the populace. Most people capitulate to the Elite, but a small segment of this society, called the Savages, refuse to buy into the anti-morality of the ruling class. Consequently, the Elite are determined to stomp out the seeds of dissent by attempting to destroy the Savages. The protagonist, a young man named Joe, escapes from a governmental education institution called an "EducCenter" and finds himself amongst Savages in rural South Carolina, living with a New Order Mennonite family. Among this family he meets Sarah, his romantic interest throughout the novel. The name of the novel comes from the military college in South Carolina, the Citadel, where the final battles between the Elite and Savages take place.

This novel blends political satire, action, science fiction, religion, and romance; thus, this novel should have a wide appeal. While Mennonites are not among the most orthodox of Christian groups, nonetheless, the novel still contains a distinct Christian worldview, and at times, explicit references are made to Christianity. For example, Sarah presents the Gospel to one of the government thugs who is detaining her. One disclaimer is necessary. Certain scenes in the book are sexually graphic, so one should exercise caution at these points in the novel. Nevertheless, this novel was enjoyable to read, and being a lover of freedom, small government, and Dixie, I sympathized with the "good guys" in the story. I trust that like-minded folk will similarly enjoy the novel. The Citadel: A Novel is available at all bookstores in the Tri-City area, Java J's in downtown Bristol, and at amazon.com.