Dominionism

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As Dominionism or Dominion Theology a flow within the Christian fundamentalism in the United States referred, relying on Genesis 1.26 to 28  EU appeals to a Christian responsibility in shaping the state before the return of Christ to establish. The Lutheran doctrine of the two kingdoms is rejected.

The hard wing of the Dominionists wants to achieve a qualified dominant influence over the secular state. This can be done through a God state or a state that is shaped in some key areas essentially according to the ideas of certain interest groups.

term

Dominionism is also known as Dominion Theology or - as the followers of a specific Dominionist school of thought - Christian Reconstructionism . The exact meaning and application of the term is handled differently. In the literature, Dominionism and Christian Reconstructionism sometimes appear as interchangeable terms; Dominionism is more of the generic term, while Christian Reconstructionism is a model of Christian Dominionism propagated by the Chalcedony Foundation . The term Dominionism was coined in the 1980s by the sociologist Sara Diamond, it is not used in the conservative or religious environment. In 1986 and 1987, the evangelical writer Albert James Dager used the terms Kingdom Now Theology and Dominion Theology in his essay Kingdom Theology . In the literature, the terms triumphalism and theonomy appear in connection with Dominionism, and in the context of charismatic Protestantism also the term Kingdom-Now-Theology (Kingdom-Now-Theology).

Teaching

Dominionist theologians such as the reconstructionist Presbyterian Rousas John Rushdoony (1916–2001 ) literally take God's command to man in his likeness to subjugate the earth (Gen. 1). According to this, it is necessary to establish a Christian state in which there is a free market economy , the state stays out of welfare and education (Dominionists recommend home schooling ) and the sanctions for sins ordered in the Old Testament are restored, namely the death penalty for murder, adultery , Homosexuality and uncorrectable juvenile delinquency.

These positions are widespread in the United States within the religious right . Dominionism has significantly influenced the tea party movement . For example, the 2012 Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann were associated with Dominionism. With Perry a special version of the "Seven Mountains Dominionism" played a role. This stipulates that Christians who are close to Dominionism must gain control in seven essential sectors of society, namely in the state, business world, media, arts and entertainment, education, family and religion.

Within the Dominionist movement, there were repeated, sometimes violent, personal and theological controversies. So is controversial among other things, whether Christ millennial kingdom will occur before or after the Second Coming ( Postmillenarismus vs. premillenarianism ). There is also disagreement between Dominionist Presbyterians and Pentecostals . The Kingdom of God Now theology as a variant of Dominionism is seen as a product of the charismatic Latter Rain movement, which was heavily criticized within the American Pentecostal movement. The New Apostolic Reformation movement emerged from the Latter Rain movement .

Conspiracy theories are common in Dominionism . Rushdoony and his son-in-law and rival Gary North (* 1942) supported the right-wing extremist John Birch Society , while North also believed that the United States was threatened by a "conspiracy of super-rich and super-powerful insiders" behind whom Satan was actually standing .

distribution

United States

Essayist Katherine Yurica suggests that there are potentially 35 million people in the United States in favor of some model of Christian Dominionism. Marcia Pally observed for the 1980s and 1990s that leaders of the evangelical center followed both the general democratic and the dominionist direction in their political thinking.

Latin America

In Brazil, supporters of an evangelical theocracy have gained far-reaching influence on politics, even though the country is predominantly Catholic.

There are a number of parties in parliament that represent right-wing religious and fundamentalist positions, including the Partido Social Liberal , Partido Social Cristão , Democracia Cristã , Partido Republicano Brasileiro and Patriota . The high number of parties is less due to ideological differences than to personal differences and intrigues among the party representatives. Patriota and influential representatives of the Partido Republicano Brasileiro have explicitly called for the introduction of a theocracy. The television preacher and founder of the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus organization and gray eminence behind the Partido Republicano Brasileiro, Edir Macedo , stated that he " wanted to establish a theocratic state".

Since the election of right-wing extremist Jair Bolsonaro as president in 2018, fears have increased that he would transform Brazil into an authoritarian state of God. Although nominally Catholic, he is politically close to the Dominionists. In 2017, Bolsonaro commented on a Christian state: “God above everything. There is no such thing as a secular state. The state is Christian and any minority who oppose it must change that while they still can ”. During the presidential elections, he corrected his attitude: We will make government for everyone, regardless of religion, even for atheists. We have five percent atheists in Brazil and they have the same needs as others.

Ivanir dos Santos, Chairman of the Council Against Religious Intolerance, summed up in 2009 that Pentecostal churches, not only in Brazil, but throughout Latin America, sought political power.

criticism

There are many critical voices in both secular and ecclesiastical literature. Some Christians refer to Dominionism as anti-Christian.

The emphasis on spiritual warfare in the charismatic movement is interpreted by traditionally anti-charismatic critics as a call to militant violence, since individual authors mixed the spiritual visions with political intentions. This would also classify movements as dominionist in the sense of Neo-Constantinism, which had nothing to do with it, but were limited to purely spiritual goals.

Dominionism outside of Christianity

In Judaism there is the theologically liberal dominionist current of reconstructionism , which is propagated in the USA by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation .

Reinterpretation of the term

The theologian Thomas Schirrmacher criticizes a semantic reinterpretation of the term Dominionism by individual representatives of Christian fundamentalism. Martin Erdmann describes the vast majority of Christians who stand up for Christian values ​​and social justice as Dominionists. Social engagement - such as the fight against global poverty - is rejected because it tarnishes the preaching of the Gospel. Schirrmacher writes that the reinterpreted word “Dominionism” is being misused to discredit socially committed Christians. Although the term “dominionism” exists in English, it describes “only a small charismatic variant of the practically extinct movement 'Christian Reconstruction” ”. The evangelical theologian Tobias Faix also opposes attempts to place Christian social engagement under “Dominionism” suspicion. With reference to Dietrich Bonhoeffer , he calls not only to bandage wounds, but also to work for structural reconciliation and justice.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Christian Reconstructionism, etc. Definitions and brief description; Political and religious program (accessed March 6, 2012).
  2. Exposing religious fundamentalism in the US on aljazeera.com (accessed on: March 10, 2012).
  3. ^ The Creed of Christian Reconstructionism ( Memento of May 16, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on: March 10, 2012).
  4. ^ Martin Durham: Dominion Theology. In: Peter Knight (Ed.): Conspiracy Theories in American History. To Encyclopedia . ABC Clio, Santa Barbara / Denver / London 2003, Volume 1, p. 232.
  5. Nuts and Dolts, Washington DC 2011 ( Memento of 15 August 2013, Internet Archive ) (accessed on 7 March 2012).
  6. Michelle Goldberg , "A Christian Plot for Domination?" The Daily Beast , August 14, 2011 (accessed June 11, 2012)
  7. Rachel Tabachnick, "The Evangelicals Engaged in Spiritual Warfare," National Public Radio, Aug. 24, 2011, (accessed June 11, 2012)
  8. ^ Martin Durham: Dominion Theology. In: Peter Knight (Ed.): Conspiracy Theories in American History. To Encyclopedia. ABC Clio, Santa Barbara / Denver / London 2003, Volume 1, p. 232.
  9. Inside the Christian Right Dominionist Movement That's Undermining Democracy in US (accessed March 10, 2012).
  10. ^ Martin Durham: Dominion Theology . In: Peter Knight (Ed.): Conspiracy Theories in American History. To Encyclopedia . ABC Clio, Santa Barbara / Denver / London 2003, Volume 1, p. 234.
  11. Yurica Report News Intelligence Analysis of Yurica & Associates, Bellingham WA 2004 ( Memento of 28 September 2007 at the Internet Archive ) (accessed on 7 March 2012).
  12. ^ Marcia Pally: The New Evangelicals. Berlin University Press, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-940432-93-3 , pp. 66-67.
  13. Quem é Cabo Daciolo, o candidato nacionalista que quer transformar o Brasil em uma teocracia
  14. ^ A b Fabiana Frayssinet: RELIGION-BRAZIL: Intolerance Denounced At UN . Interpress Service. July 3, 2009.
  15. Who is Jair Bolsonaro? (en-IN) . In: The Hindu , The Hindu, November 3, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018. 
  16. Em última fala antes de votação, Bolsonaro faz aceno para ateus e gays . UOL . October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  17. ^ The Dominionism ( Memento of January 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on: March 10, 2012).
  18. Martin Erdmann: The grip on power. Betanien, Oerlinghausen 2011, ISBN 978-3-935558-97-6 , p. 53f.
  19. Thomas Schirrmacher, book review
  20. Thomas Schirrmacher: How www.dominionismus.info falls victim to the (Internet) zeitgeist ( Memento from March 16, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  21. Thomas Schirrmacher: The poised grip on power ( Memento from March 17, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  22. idea Spektrum, edition 17/2012, pp. 16-18