The Political Inquirer

To be a citizen of quality in the United States does not demand that one become theologically astute. Nevertheless, some religious literacy is always helpful as concerns the current political scene. This has been especially true the last couple of weeks when individuals like Louis Farrakhan and John Hagee have made verbal commitments to particular candidates. Even if one knows little to nothing about the Nation of Islam it was still easy to deduce that Farrakhan’s support of presidential hopeful Barack Obama probably did the Senator from Illinois more harm that good considering what people do know of Farrakhan is that he is infamous for making racial, homophobic, antisemitic and other derogatory comments that have led people to believe that this is not an individual known for quality in character and judgment. John Hagee on the other hand is a lesser known fellow.

While Hagee has made a name for himself in the area of religious broadcasting and the pastoring of a mega church in San Antionio, TX, he is probably not as well known as Farrakhan. Being that Hagee has long been overshadowed by the likes of Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell it is understandable that his comments concerning Muslims, Hurricane Katrina, and even Roman Catholics has gone mostly unnoticed.

But Hagee is not without influence by any means. Actually, if you browse the shelves of the Religion and/or Christianity section of your local bookstore you may very well find books titled From Daniel to Doomsday: The Countdown has Begun, The Battle for Jerusalem, Jerusalem Countdown, and In Defense of Israel. Without knowing much about Hagee, if you know anything about religion, you can probably deduct that he is some form of Zionist/Apocalyptic Christian. And you would be correct with that assumption. Hagee seems to be making a move toward the title of “America’s Most Notable Eye-Brow Raiser” of the Christian genre now that Falwell is off the scene. He even said something that Falwell would never have said when he essentially denied that the nation of Israel denied Jesus as Messiah in the first century. This is an assertion that is a big no-no amongst Evangelicals. With this in mind it is hard to understand why Christians–those who claim to give allegiance to the historical Jesus of Nazareth–would overlook such comments in favor of his Zionist agenda.

When Hagee endorsed Senator John McCain for the presidency it got some attention but not as much as Farrakhan’s endorsement of Obama, but it should have. This is said because when President George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq the New York Times eventually polled and found out that an astonishing 87% of Caucasian Evangelicals supported the decision. For those on the outside looking in who are at all familiar with the teachings of Jesus this seemed very odd. How could followers of an apparent pacifist be so excited about war? The answer is Dispensationalism.

Stephen Prothero, the chair of the religion department of Boston University, in his book Religious Literacy (174) defines “dispensational premillennialism” as,

…a school of Bible interpretation that divides sacred history into distinct periods, called dispensations, in which different plans for salvation apply….According to this teaching, the end of the current dispensation is imminent. It will conclude with the Rapture of believers into heaven, followed for those who are left behind by a Great Tribulation of seven years, which will include the appearance of the Antichrist and the battle of Armageddon. But Jesus will come down from the clouds, defeat Antichrist, and establish an thousand year reign of peace and justice.

Evangelical theologian M. James Sawyer gives a shorten definition of Dispensationalism as “a transdenominational theological movement within evangelicalism that stresses an apocalyptic understanding of history (The Survivor’s Guide to Theology, 373).” Sawyer then goes on to point out that some key elements of this theology include (1) The Christian Scriptures are of utmost authority and (2) according to the Christian Scriptures history has been broken up by God into salvation epochs which (3) can be parsed into two major movements of people through whom God has engaged the world, namely national Israel and the Christian church. Therefore, (4) though right now the church, full of people from all ethnic groups and nationalities is at the center of God’s plan, (5) there is coming a time, soon, where Israel is to once again become the apple of God’s eye leading to (6) the restoration of Israel as a way to set off God’s final scene in history before (7) Christ returns to rule the world in perfect peace (380-384).Whether or not you are able to comprehend all that was just listed there is one central point that must be brought out: the restoration of Israel.

For many the apologetic reason for why God allowed the Holocaust was so that God could find a way to bring about the renewal of the Jewish people by giving them back their land so that the promises given to their forefather Abraham can begin to come to pass culminating the the return of the Messiah whom was once rejected but this time will be received. Whereas many professing Christians can agree with most or much of this basic premise, what makes dispensationalism a whole new animal is that so many have already pre-determined that the resurrection of the Israeli nation-state is the beginning of the fulfillment of prophecy.

Whether or not Jesus taught non-violence is secondary because this is the moment, this is the hour, when all hell is to break loose and therefore guaranteeing that Jesus will have to come back. Therefore individuals like Hagee despise Israeli-Palestinian peace talks of any kind because it is just the delay of the inevitable. And for Hagee the presidency of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, or other individuals who are against war and occupation in the Middle East (like Ron Paul was), are seen as going again the plan of God for the here and the now. When McCain says he is committed to war if it is needed this perks the ears of Hagee and others like him. McCain is the one who will be used by God to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy, the Battle of Armageddon in the Middle East, and therefore the end of the age.

It is not to be said here whether or not this is what Christianity proclaims–for that is debated by many within its ranks. But this does give rational for why Jesus can tell his followers, “Turn the other cheek” while his followers respond, “Can we drop another bomb?” Whether or not you like this idea you should become familiar with it because it influences more than you may know and already has influence the foreign policy of the United States in the previous presidency.

Update: Andrew Sullivan weighs in here.