Progressive dispensationalism is a recent modification of the dispensationalist theological system that attempts to bridge the gap between dispensationalism and covenant theology. Dispensationalism has traditionally emphasized a literal interpretation of prophecy and sees a distinction between Israel and the church. Covenant theology, on the other hand, sees more continuity between Israel and the church and takes a more spiritualized approach to prophecy. Progressive dispensationalism seeks to combine the strengths of both systems while avoiding their weaknesses.
Background of Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism as a system was developed by John Nelson Darby in the 19th century and popularized in the Scofield Reference Bible. It teaches that God has related to human beings through a series of covenants in different dispensations or ages. The present age is the age of grace, which is different from previous ages or dispensations. Dispensationalists hold to a pretribulational rapture of the church and a future restoration of Israel.
Traditional dispensationalism makes a clear distinction between Israel and the church. Israel refers to ethnic, national Israel, while the church consists of redeemed believers in this present age. God has a separate plan for each entity. The church will be raptured before the great tribulation, while Israel will be restored in the millennium.
This leads dispensationalists to interpret Old Testament prophecies literally as referring to Israel. Passages about the millennium describe the future nation of Israel centered in Jerusalem. The church is not the new or true Israel that fulfills these prophecies. This “literal” hermeneutic extends beyond prophecy to narratives, law, wisdom literature, psalms, and other genres.
Covenant Theology’s Critique of Dispensationalism
Covenant theology developed as the dominant Protestant view in Reformed theology. It sees Scripture organized around various biblical covenants – specifically the covenants of works, grace, and redemption.
Covenant theology argues that there is one people of God throughout all ages. The church did not begin at Pentecost but existed in the Old Testament as the people of Israel. The church age is just the latest phase of God’s program under the newer covenant of grace.
Covenant theology also relies more heavily on typology, seeing New Testament realities foreshadowed in Old Testament figures and events. This allows for more spiritual and symbolic interpretations of prophecy. The restoration prophecies about Israel are being fulfilled now in the church, not in a future millennium.
Covenant theology critiques dispensationalism for teaching multiple ways of salvation, artificially separating Israel and the church, and promoting an overly literalistic hermeneutic. Progressive dispensationalism arose partially in response to these critiques from covenant theology.
Progressive Dispensationalism’s Attempted Mediating Position
In the 1980s, Robert Saucy, Darrell Bock, and others developed progressive dispensationalism. They agreed with some of the critiques of classic dispensationalism and hoped to bring dispensationalism closer to covenant theology. However, they still maintained a future for ethnic Israel and other distinctives of dispensationalism.
Some characteristics of progressive dispensationalism include:
– Single people of God – While still seeing some distinctions between Israel and church, progressive dispensationalists emphasize that there has always been one people of God throughout history.
– Fulfillment of prophecy – Progressives are open to the church fulfilling some Old Testament prophecies that older dispensationalists applied exclusively to Israel. The promises of the new covenant apply to the church as well.
– Typology and symbolism – Progressives allow more room for spiritual and symbolic interpretations of prophecy while still holding that these have a literal fulfillment.
– Kingdom of God – The coming of Christ and the church changed how God’s rule is expressed, though there will still be a future millennial kingdom that fulfills Old Testament promises to Israel.
– Hermeneutics – Progressives adopt more of a grammatical-historical approach to hermeneutics as opposed to strictly literal. Apocalyptic and prophetic passages require contextual interpretation.
– Israel and the church – Progressives reject the rigid separation between Israel and the church. There is both continuity and discontinuity between them. Some promises to Israel are fulfilled spiritually in the church, while some await a future literal fulfillment in Israel.
In summary, progressive dispensationalism adopts some of covenant theology’s perspectives in order to moderate what they view as extremes in classic dispensationalism. At the same time, progressives maintain essential dispensational beliefs like the pretribulational rapture and restoration of Israel in the millennium. The system has gained wider acceptance among dispensationalists in recent decades.
Progressive Dispensational Distinctives
While progressive dispensationalism has more similarities with covenant theology than classic dispensationalism, it still retains certain distinctive beliefs:
– Future for Israel – God still has a plan and purpose to restore Israel as a nation. Some prophecy will be fulfilled literally in the millennial kingdom.
– Pretribulation rapture – The church will be raptured before the tribulation period when God resumes his program with Israel. This maintains the distinction between God’s plans for Israel and the church.
– Dispensations – While they may structure them differently, progressives still see biblical history divided up into distinct dispensations or economies in the outworking of God’s purpose.
– Future millennium – Progressives affirm that Christ will return to establish a future earthly reign in fulfillment of Old Testament promises. This millennial kingdom will be the setting where God restores Israel.
– Interpretive approach – While allowing spiritual applications, progressives will still interpret prophetic and apocalyptic passages in a more literal fashion than covenant theologians who spiritualize these texts. Israel means Israel, not the church.
– Law of Moses – The Mosaic Law has been fulfilled in Christ and is not obligatory in the church age. However, it will be reinstituted in the millennial kingdom.
Progressive dispensationalists differ from covenant theologians in these aspects. Covenant theology sees no future mass salvation or restoration of Israel. Old Testament prophecies are being fulfilled now by Christ and the church, not in a future dispensation. The Mosaic Law is completely abrogated with no future role to play.
Major Figures and Seminary Support
The primary writers and developers of progressive dispensationalism include:
– Robert Saucy – Professor of Systematic Theology at Talbot School of Theology
– Darrell Bock – New Testament professor at Dallas Theological Seminary
– Craig Blaising – Former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
– Robert Thomas – Professor at The Master’s Seminary
Dallas Theological Seminary and The Master’s Seminary are two major schools that formally adhere to and teach progressive dispensationalism in their curriculum. Members of the faculty at these seminaries have been influential in shaping and spreading progressive dispensational beliefs.
Moody Bible Institute is another school with historic ties to dispensationalism. While not as systemically progressive in outlook, many on faculty have incorporated aspects of progressive thinking, and the school has hosted progressive dispensationalists like Darrell Bock as guest speakers.
Overall, progressive dispensationalism occupies something of a middle ground between traditional dispensationalism and covenant theology. It aims to adapt dispensationalism for more acceptance in wider evangelicalism without abandoning core commitments.
Criticisms and Concerns
Despite its aims, some criticize progressive dispensationalism from different sides:
– From covenant theology – Progressives still rely too much on a literal fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy related to Israel when the church is the true fulfillor. This maintains an unnecessary distinction between Israel and the church.
– From traditional dispensationalists – Progressives concede too much ground to covenant theology, weakening dispensational distinctives. This could lead to a slippery slope abandoning core dispensational beliefs.
– Inherently contradictory – The attempt to combine covenant theology and dispensationalism involves reconciling contradictory positions. It creates logical inconsistencies and exegetical compromises.
– Confusing categorization – Calling this system “progressive dispensationalism” is misleading since it departs from and rejects basic tenets of dispensationalism. It muddies definitions.
– Eclectic approach – Selectively borrowing concepts from dispensationalism and covenant theology appears ad hoc, not flowing from a consistent hermeneutic. Progressives pick and choose ideas they like.
Proponents argue progressive dispensationalism improves on dispensationalism while avoiding covenant theology’s weaknesses regarding Israel and prophecy. Critics claim the middle ground attempt is inherently unstable, contradictory, and theologically confused. The debate continues within evangelicalism.
Relation to Other Dispensational Variants
Beyond classical and progressive dispensationalism, other variations have also arisen:
– Revised dispensationalism – Similar timeline as progressive dispensationalism. Less differences with covenant theology. Most associated with Ryrie.
– Moderate dispensationalism – Label for older dispensationalists who began making modifications before the 1980s (e.g. Erdman, Ironside). Not a defined systematic theology.
– Ultra (or consistent) dispensationalism – Emphasizes more radical distinctions between Israel and the church. Rejects eternal security in the church age. Very minor segment.
– Fuller dispensationalism – Views held by Charles Ryrie’s mentor, Charles Fuller. Ryrie felt Fuller went too far in departing from dispensationalism.
– Modifications proposed by Robert Lightner, Elliot Johnson, and Mike Stallard to maintain more traditional dispensational beliefs.
Progressive dispensationalism occupies the middle ground between classical/traditional dispensationalism and revised or modified dispensationalism. The variations show the diversity among dispensationalist thinkers.
Relationship to Other Theological Systems
As a distinct theological system, progressive dispensationalism relates to other evangelical views:
– Covenant theology – Progressives have adapted some covenant theology perspective while stopping short of its covenantal distinctives. More shared ground than classical dispensationalism.
– New Covenant Theology – Shares some resemblances regarding typology, single people of God, and combining covenants. But progressives maintain future for Israel and dispensations.
– Calvinism – Growing openness to Calvinist soteriology among progressives. But maintains Arminian leanings of traditional dispensationalism. Not directly connected to Calvinism.
– Continuationism – Majority of progressives are open to continuation of spiritual gifts, in contrast to cessationism more common in older dispensationalism. But allows both views.
– Fundamentalism – Dispensationalism arose out of Fundamentalist-Modernist controversies. While conservative, progressive dispensationalism distances itself from militant Fundamentalist separatism.
– Evangelicalism –situates itself within broader evangelicalism, attempting to modify dispensationalism to be a more unifying system among diverse evangelicals.
Overall, progressive dispensationalism aims for wider appeal and adoption among evangelicals, opening itself to positive elements in other evangelical systems while maintaining modified dispensational beliefs.
Connection to Other Disciplines
As a theological framework, progressive dispensationalism intersects with other disciplines and areas of study:
– Biblical Theology – Progressive contribution to understanding the unified storyline and themes of Scripture spanning both Testaments. Christocentric approach.
– Hermeneutics – Adaptation of grammatical-historical interpretation over literalistic approach. Recognize different genres require different interpretive approaches.
– Eschatology – Dispensational premillennialism remains central. Contributes understanding of rapture, tribulation, millennium. Future earthly reign of Christ.
– Ecclesiology – Expanded understanding of the church, continuity between Israel and the church, the church as the partially-fulfilled Israel.
– Covenant Theology – Analysis of continuity and discontinuity between biblical covenants. Appreciation of covenant concept.
– Prophecy – Approach prophecy with sensitivity to prophetic language while still expecting literal fulfillment regarding Israel and second coming.
– Biblical Languages – Expertise in Greek and Hebrew contributes to grammatical-historical hermeneutic. Original language study vital to exegesis.
– Church History – Exploration of how eschatology and history of dispensational thought developed. Builds on insights of historical theology.
As an evolving theological system, progressive dispensationalism intersects with many academic disciplines in the pursuit of rightly understanding Scripture.
Current Status in Academia
In academic theological circles, progressive dispensationalism has gained wider awareness and engagement:
– Published academic works – Numerous books, journal articles, papers by progressive dispensational scholars contribute to academic literature.
– Topic of doctoral dissertations – Many Ph.D and Th.M theses analyze progressive dispensationalism, indicating degree of scholarly interest.
– Evangelical Theological Society – Progressive dispensationalists actively participate in ETS, contributing papers and articles to the society.
– Presence in evangelical seminaries – Taught at Dallas Seminary, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Moody Bible Institute. Part of curriculum.
– JETS articles – Several articles in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society explain and analyze progressive dispensationalism.
– Scholarly critical reviews – Significant scholarly analysis and critiques of progressive dispensationalism by non-dispensationalist academics.
– Teaching and research – Seminary faculty members research and write within the progressive framework to further develop and spread its insights.
– Academic conferences – Progressives participate in various theological conferences through research presentations and papers.
Though originating outside academic theology, progressive dispensationalism has gained wider scholarly interest and attention as a theological system meriting examination.
Comparison to Other 20th Century Theological Trends
As a movement over the past few decades, progressive dispensationalism parallels other developments:
– Neo-evangelicalism – Like neo-evangelicals, progressives move away from rigid fundamentalism while maintaining conservative theology. More open, less isolationist.
– Charismatic movement – Openness to continuationism mirrors charismatic openness to spiritual gifts. A shared characteristic, though differing in other areas.
– Biblical theology – Emphasis on unified storyline of Scripture parallels rise in biblical theology. Recognize thematic threads across Old and New Testaments.
– Evangelical feminism – Some progressives advocate egalitarian roles for women in ministry, similar to this controversial evangelical movement. Not all agree.
– New Perspective – Seeing more continuity between Israel and church has similarities to the New Perspective on Paul in some respects. But progressives retain traditional soteriology.
– Postmodernism – Adaptation to postmodern sensitivities in moving away from rigid dogmatism toward more nuanced, relative positions that show appreciation for other views.
– Ecumenism – Desire for greater unity among evangelicals has ecumenical themes. But progressives still maintain certain exclusivist distinctives.
Progressive dispensationalism evidences several currents flowing through wider 20th century evangelicalism while retaining its own identity.
Ongoing Discussion and Development
Some ongoing areas where progressive dispensational thought continues developing:
– Hermeneutics – Continuing to refine literal/symbolic interpretive approaches, particularly with prophetic genres.
– Israel and the church – Precisely defining continuity and discontinuity between Israel and the church.
– Kingdom of God – Relation between the current spiritual kingdom and the future physical millennial kingdom.
– Covenants and dispensations – How biblical covenants and dispensations correlate and integrate into a unified historia salutis.
– Old Testament promises – Determining which promises await future literal fulfillment and which are currently fulfilled spiritually in the church.
– Nature of the millennium – Details of the timing, character, and purpose of the future thousand-year earthly reign of Christ.
– Position of the law – Role of the Mosaic Law in the present church age as well as its future reinstatement.
– Calvinism – Incorporating insights from Calvinism while maintaining traditional dispensational views of election and perseverance.
– Unification with covenant theology – Despite rapprochement, some areas remain incompatible between the two systems.
Progressives acknowledge ongoing refinement and development as their system continues maturing within conservative evangelical theology.