Class Discussion ~ What IS Political Dominionism?

by Leah Posted on November 18, 2009
Long time researcher, Katherine Yurica explains it this way…
Some years ago I felt the term “religious right” was accurate enough for describing a large segment of the church world’s involvement in American “conservative” politics, but it seemed inadequate as a term when one struggled to understand the theological underpinnings that were driving the movement. Questions kept surfacing such as, “Why were so many religious conservatives becoming so politically militant?” It seemed like a contradiction in terms. And it wasn’t sufficient to argue that political issues such as the right to have an abortion, the right of same sex couples to marry or concerns over the environment were polarizing the nation—for the nation was often divided over difficult issues, especially when the morality gauge tilted back and forth like a see-saw with weighted opinions on both sides.
It had to be something else that was going on in the churches that explained the new demand for political involvement. In fact, it became obvious that a new religious doctrine was being taught that urged Christians “To take back America!” not just as a political objective but also as a theological and religious necessity.
However, the ultimate goal was not always stated openly and it was only after much study over a period of years, that included transcribing over 1,300 pages of statements of religious radio and television superstars, and comparing the wording of similar passages from different authors’ books, and creating parallel columns of quotes, that I finally uncovered an unmistakable reliance among Christian Right leaders upon the teachings of R. J. Rushdoony, who as it turned out, was indeed the theological founder of dominionism.
Only then did I begin using the words dominion, dominionists and dominionism. For it had become apparent that dominion was in fact the predominant self-determined word of the movement, and that “taking dominion” was considered a religious as well as a political act. Consider that Webster’s Third New Internationaldictionary defines “dominion” in its primary meaning:
“A supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally: acknowledged ascendancy over human or nonhuman forces such as assures cogency in commanding or restraining and being obeyed: sovereignty.”
Thus the word dominionism grew out of the religious leaders’ own use of the term ‘dominion,’ which in turn led me to the writings of the intellectual and spiritual father of the movement: Rousas John Rushdoony. His work was picked up and broadcast by those he influenced—and over the course of time, he reached literally millions of people across America, including D. James Kennedy, the late pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida, who was selected in 2005 by American pastors as the “most trusted spokesperson for Christianity,” along with Pat Robertson who also made it in the top ten.[1] Kennedy’s messages are still being broadcast by television and radio to over 40,000 cities in America and 202 foreign countries.[2]
And reporting directly from the mouth of Pat Robertson…
Then on his 700 Club television show on May 1, 1986, Robertson defined the biblical word dominion:
“God’s plan is for His people, ladies and gentlemen to take dominion…What is dominion? Well, dominion is Lordship. He wants His people to reign and rule with Him…but He’s waiting for us to…extend His dominion…And the Lord says, ‘I’m going to let you redeem society. There’ll be a reformation….We are not going to stand for those coercive utopians in the Supreme Court and in Washington ruling over us any more. We’re not gonna stand for it. We are going to say, ‘we want freedom in this country, and we want power…’”
Under this concept Christian Dominionists are to go into all the world to take dominion and “make disciples” teaching the disciples to “observe all” that Jesus commanded.” The Christian therefore must be willing to overthrow every non-Christian rule, law, custom or government.
“In other words, a measure of one’s spirituality rested upon the individual’s willingness to accept the concept of taking dominion over not only the people of America, but taking dominion over the people of the entire world. From Dominionists’ actual words, the taking of America is perceived as a violent act. Ben Kinchlow who co-hosted CBN’s 700 Club with Pat Robertson [in the 1980’s] told an audience, ‘We need to grab the American dream by the short hairs andsnatch it back to where it was originally designed to be.’
“As Robertson wrote approvingly in his book, the kingdom of heaven ‘suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.’ He explained, ‘Zealous men force their way in. That’s what it means.’”[20]
Dominionism then, can be defined as the theology behind anyone who believes that the Bible requires Christians to take dominion over the nations and peoples of the world and it is often called the “Cultural Mandate” in order to hide or disguise its goals, true objectives and modus operandi.[21]

“It is Dominion we are after.”

(NOTE: For my regular readers this may seem unusually long, but I am using this post for the dual purpose of guiding the discussion for a speaking engagement at a local college campus to a political science class. It went well, a number of the students chimed in and we actually had a discussion. One asked the proverbial question, “Do we really care what Sarah Palin does?”, and by the end of the discussion I think they better understood why that is important.

Of course, I had to devote nearly half my time defending that I am not anti-Christian or anti-republican…just anti-dominionist and anti-rebiblican. But it’s a start and a few stayed after class to visit, so some wheels were set in motion. That is a start!)

For many Americans, the idea of dominionism flies in the face of the long held principal that separation between church and state is important. It frightens people who are not extreme Christians who fear that our laws would be rooted in biblical origins if dominionists controlled our government and would be based on Christian perspective only, or that the only fit politicians would be Christians.

Especially given the diverse religious backgrounds of American citizens, dominionism in its strictest expression would seem to build in discrimination against non-Christians (or even those of different Christian sects) and some have argued that creation of a theocratic state would be not so different from some theocracies that exist today and are based on fundamental Islamic principals.

As you listen to me and find yourself questioning how far-fetched this all sounds, take a deeper look at the people who are expressing the goal to “take dominion” in our country:

April 29, 1985, Billy Graham made the following statement on the 700 Club:

“The time has come when evangelicals are going to have to think about getting organized corporately…. I’m for evangelicals running for public office and winning if possible and getting control of the Congress, getting control of the bureaucracy, getting control of the executive branch of government. I think if we leave it to the other side we’re going to be lost. I would like to see every true believer involved in politics in some way shape or form.”

Mike Huckabee on the 2008 presidential campaign trail…(quoting George Grant)

“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. It is dominion we are after.

Not just influence. It is dominion we are after.

Not just equal time. It is dominion we are after.

World conquest.

That’s what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish. We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never settle for anything less.”

Pat Robertson actually made this statement on his 700 Club show in May of 1986…

“God’s plan is for His people, ladies and gentlemen to take dominion…What is dominion? Well, dominion is Lordship. He wants His people to reign and rule with Him…but He’s waiting for us to…extend His dominion…And the Lord says, ‘I’m going to let you redeem society. There’ll be a reformation….We are not going to stand for those coercive utopians in the Supreme Court and in Washington ruling over us any more. We’re not gonna stand for it. We are going to say, ‘we want freedom in this country, and we want power…”

Gary Cass, Executive Director of Reclaiming America:

“The most humble Christian [dominionist] is more qualified than the best educated pagan [the rest of us].”

Bob Weiner, a leader in the evangelical “Shepherding Movement”:

“The Bible says we are to…rule. If you don’t rule and I don’t rule, the atheists and the humanists and the agnostics are going to rule. We should be the head of our school board. We should be the head of our nation. We should be the Senators and Congressmen [sic]. We should be the editors of our newspapers. We should be taking over every area of life.”

Frank Schaeffer’s father, Francis, was instrumental in the creation of the Political Dominionist Movement.

“The idea of taking dominion over secular society gained widespread acceptance with the 1981 publication of evangelical philosopher Francis Schaeffer’s book “A Christian Manifesto.”

In “A Christian Manifesto,” Schaeffer’s argument is that the United States began as a nation rooted in Biblical principles. Then as society became more pluralistic, advocates of a new philosophy of secular humanism gradually came to dominate our society. Since humanists place human achievement, not God, at the center of their concerns, they pushed American culture in an ungodly directions, the most visible results of which included legalized abortion and the secularization of the public schools. Schaeffer concludes “A Christian Manifesto” with a call for Christians to use civil disobedience to restore Biblical morality.

Since Dominionists teach that the mission of the church goes beyond the spiritual transformation of individuals to a mandate to change society, they must change the laws of the land, elect Christians to office, and seek to take dominion over our world and bring it under the Mosaic Law. We see the influence of this thinking even in those who may know little about it: James Dobson, The Christian Coalition, Pat Robertson, Promise Keepers, Charles Colson, Operation Rescue, are but a few of the evidences that Dominionist thinking is beginning to dominate the evangelical world.” ~ The Biblicist, Alan Torres

And now they are commercializing their message by enlisting slick salesmen and women, wrapping their message of Dominon in catchy packaging and spreading it not only in America, but around the world. It is known as the “7 Mountains Mandate”.

Introduction of the 7 Mountains Mandate in their own video trailer….

Below you will hear Frank Schaeffer talk about the influence of all this in our current political landscape today. He takes responsibility for his hand in the creation of this extremism, and clearly exhibits his anger at those who are taking what he helped design and set in place as they take that extremism forward today. I empathize with Frank, but he DID sell this activism…and now we are all paying the price of his then religious zealotry.

Straight from their own wording, an introduction to Youth with a Mission:

Youth With A Mission is an international movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Our many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training and mercy ministry. We are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 149 countries, with a staff of nearly 16,000.

Each year some 10,000 students attend a U of N school at one of the 250 different locations.

Which brings us to “C” Street and The Family, started by YWAM in 1982 by Loren Cunnigham and Douglas Coe. (National Prayer Breakfast). Douglas Evans Coe (born October 20, 1928) is the reclusive leader and “first brother” of The Fellowship also known as The Family, Coe also has been referred to as the “stealth Billy Graham.” In 2005, Coe was named one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in the United States by Time magazine.

Although Coe is not an ordained minister, D. Michael Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice University, surveyed more than 300 top evangelical politicians in Washington and one in three said The Fellowship was one of the most influential Christian groups in the nation’s capital. According to Lindsay, “there is no other organization like the Fellowship, especially among religious groups, in terms of its access or clout among the country’s leadership.” In his book, “The Family: Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power”, Jeff Sharlet documented Coe’s ascent within The Fellowship and the American Christian right.

Which all brings us to Sarah Palin ~ the most recognizable and talked about Political Dominionists to hit our political landscape in America. Her meteoric rise is a blessing in disguise. In a last video, I MUST share with you the clip of Palin’s “spiritual advisor” and their own description as to how this self-described ‘hockey mom’ ended up on a never-ending loop in our living rooms.

There are so many references in these, to the deeper discussion of dominionism and the “great commission”, that this begs another class visit to address them all. But these are just a sampling Palin’s bedrock advisors and peers.

Without her self-promotion, we would not have the extraordinary opportunity to ignite a national discussion on Political Dominionism…THANK YOU, Mrs. P!

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5 Responses to Class Discussion ~ What IS Political Dominionism?

  1. Jodi says:
    November 21, 2009 at 10:59 am

    This is why I was surprised she wanted to go after President Obama for his church attendance, when her church and participation in it was so radical. Not to mention her husbands AIP seven year membership and her support of them. She keeps saying we need to call him out on his associations and hers are much worse.

    If she runs she needs to be called out herself on these, plus her support and praise of people like her AG pick, Michael Regan, Beck, Michele B., Levin, Carrie P. and so many more crazy people.

    Her crazy church people thought she was their savior and she just might be their doom.

    I don't see why Christians aren't calling her out on her pettiness, lack of forgiving, lying, hatefulness, vengeance on others, etc., not very Christ like. She can say God all she wants, and I'm walking the walk, not just talking the talk, but she sure isn't.

    She says she was not allowed to say what she wanted to say, but has never said what that is, except that they didn't criticize President Obama enough. That's all she did, she is the reason there is so much hate and miss understanding about him now, she started this hate fest and others ran with it. She has never let up either and just keeps spewing more and more *hit about him. This is the main reason I dislike her so much, her hatefulness. That would be enough, but add in all the other crap that is her and she just plain sucks.

    • Steve Nickolas says:
      November 21, 2009 at 5:26 pm

      OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved). "We're Forgiven® and absolved for everything we can do. We can destroy the universe and we'll still go to heaven because we're the Elect (Chosen Few)". Calvinism at its most virulent.

  2. Tom says:
    November 21, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Another of your posts that wakes up the former Evangelist in me. You really hit home my daughter,wife,Two sister in laws and one brother in law made what we called a missionary cruise (twice) to The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico .There were also many others from different parts of the country . We drew reasonably large crowds and we had quite a few in our group that spoke Spanish. As I think of these trips I now realize that much of what we accomplished we did thru bribery.(We passed out money , toilet articles, socks,etc .Bottom line our mission was exactly as you describe The spread of Domionism ! Many of those we preached to and "Saved" Were referred to fundamentalist groups.These trips were made approx.18 years ago and fundamentalism was on the rise in traditionally Catholic Puerto Rico and The Dominican Republic .I regret that most of what we did was misguided.

    • leahburton says:
      November 21, 2009 at 10:41 am

      No regrets my friend, your awareness is essential to understanding the profundity of this movement. I apologize if I set any triggers, but I honestly appreciate your input.

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