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Before I left a particular charismaniac church, I was looking online at some “prophetic” blogs, and I stumbled across some blogs talking about dominionism. I just couldn’t figure out why they had such a problem with “taking the world for Christ” because to me it meant preaching the gospel. What Christian could have a problem with that? The brand of dominionism I was exposed to wasn’t particularly political and I would call it dominionism-lite because it taught that the Lord will return bodily, but Christians, must do all these things like “take back this” and “take back that” SO THAT Jesus could return. True dominionism denies that Christ will return bodily and teaches that Christ’s return is only in the sense that the church will rule.
That realization put it in a whole different light.
The most dominionist teachings we heard were related to “Taking our city for Christ” by using some form of the seven mountains mandate made ‘famous’ by Lance Walnau. This teaching assumes institutions of culture can be redeemed. They believe the man made institutions of media, art, education, etc., are part of the “kingdom” that need “taking back.” At the basis for this belief system is the belief that life in the Garden of Eden represents God’s ultimate will for man and we can “get back to the garden” if we just have enough influence, and Christians hold enough positions of power.
But no where in scripture does Jesus teach us to go out and “take back” institutions. He says to go and preach repentance and the plan of salvation. He clearly states that His Kingdom is not of this earth and our hope in glory is to be revealed at His coming, not before.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” John 18:36
Scripture also teaches us that when a person receives the truth of the gospel and the Lord’s work on the cross, they are transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light Col 1:13. What we see on this earth is by and large the kingdom of darkness. That kingdom is not redeemed. People are redeemed. People move spiritually from the kingdom of darkness into God’s Kingdom of light.
According to this scripture, one is either in the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. The believer is no longer of this world, and the Lord’s kingdom never was of this world. So if anything, there is a moving away from the cultural institutions of this world- being in them, but not of them. In fact, some translations use the terms “rescued us from the domain of darkness” in Col 1:13. This is a different impression than trying to “take back” cultural institutions into the Kingdom of God.
I am all for righteous morals and values being reflected in movies, politics, schools, art, etc. But these things are only reflections of what is in the heart of men and women. The only usefulness of “Christian” art or music or movies is the potential to reveal the gospel to the heart of a man or woman or child. The heart is only changed by being reborn of the Spirit of God.
And lets not forget this physical world with all it’s art, and media, and business infrastructure is going to be destroyed, so why would we “take it back?”
the untangling 
Excellent article. It’s amazing to me how simple the gospel is and yet what most popular Christians today will do to avoid preaching the simple gospel that Jesus died in our place to redeem us.
Keep on preaching the word!!
I am regularly amazed at the beauty of the simplicity of the gospel. The way that God has done it all. The way that we simply believe. It is definitely not like the wisdom of the world.
I agree.
So what does this mean? “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.” James 1:9-11
The poor man obviously has no “glory of a high position” on this earth, right? The poor man’s high position is in Christ only while here on the earth. What “humiliation” does the rich man endure? The rich man’s humiliation is in the brevity of his life- and also it is implied his associations with the sufferings of Christ/ trials (verse 2 and verse 12).
Neither’s hope is to be in positions of influence or political power to supposedly usher in the earthly utopia dominionists teach will result if enough Christians hold enough places of influence.
And of course for all of us, our lowly position as a sinner compared to the Lord’s perfectly holy position can be our glory, because the recognition of our need has resulted in our faith.
This is not the way the world systems work. They bear no resemblance to the wisdom of God.
I simply want to congratulate you on being wise enough to understand the false teachings of the Dominionist movement.
Thanks for stopping by, Nicole.
This is really excellent and so are your comments!
Maria