Will you please tell me which of the Founding Fathers was a fundamentalist of Falwell's ilk? I seem to recall that most of them were deists (Jefferson and Paine) or regular Episcopalian types (Washington) or Unitarians (the Adams brothers.)
-ccm
There is no comparison between the ranting of visions by a mad man and the thoughtful work of the founding fathers..you are the one raising Flawell (who thanks to our founding fathers) can say what he pleases without fear of being stoned to death!
I have never studied into the various Christian beliefs of the Founding Fathers, so I can't give you any names. Others might be able to.
Falwell is a "dispensationalist" in his view of "eschatology". And, like Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsay, and other "pop-culture" favorites of religious people, is one of the more zealous, less circumspect ones who hold this viewpoint.
The fact that most people don't even know what those words mean, is what results in so much confusion. Even many professing Christians themselves, are arrogantly spouting the "dispensational theology" view point as if it's the "gospel truth". Many of them aren't even aware of the "covenant theology" viewpoint of last things.
Eschatology is the word that describes the study of "Last Things" and how various professing Christians view the Scriptures concerning that subject.
Covenant theology (which I adhere to) centers on one overall major covenant known as the eternal covenant of grace (or redemption, as some call it). This covenant of grace is being worked out on earth in history through subordinate covenants, beginning with the covenant of works and culminating with the new covenant, which fulfills and completes God's work of grace to man on earth. (These covenants *include* the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and new covenants).
Covenant theology does NOT see each covenant as separate and distinct. Instead each covenant builds on the previous covenants and culminates in the new covenant.
Dispensational theology looks on the world and the history of mankind as a household over which God is superintending the outworking of his purpose and will in stages or "dispensations". These various stages or dispensations may include as many as 7: innocence, conscience, human government, promise, law, grace, and kingdom.
Under covenant theology we believe that God has one people, represented by the saints of the Old Testament era, and the saints of the New Testament era.
Dispensationalists, on the other hand, believe that God has two people - Isreal and the Church. They believe that Isreal is an earthly people, and the church his heavenly people.
Undercovenant theology, we believe that God has one people, the church, for whom he has one plan in all the ages since Adam: to call out this people into _one body_ in both the Old and New Testament ages.
Dispensationalists believe that God has two separate peoples, Isreal and the church, and also has two separate plans for these two distinct peoples. That he plans an earthly kingdom for Isreal. And that this kingdom has been postponed until Christ's coming in power, since Isreal rejected it at Christ's first coming. During the church age God is calling out a heavenly people. Dispensationalists disagree over whether the two peoples will remain distinct in the eternal state.
Under covenant theology, we believe that God has one plan of salvation for his people since the time of Adam. The plan is one of grace, being the outworking of the eternal covenant of grace and comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
*Most* (not all) dispensationalists believe that God has only one plan of salvation, and that it is by grace through faith, but the content of that faith may vary until the full revelation of God in Christ.
Here are the subjects that constitute the OTHER *major* differences in belief between those who adhere to covenant theology and those who adhere to dispensational theology:
[1] The place of eternal destiny for God's people. [3] The purpose of Christ's first coming
[4] The fulfillment of the new covenant
[5] The problem of amillennialism and post-millennialism verses pre-millennialism
[6] The second coming of Christ
I'll post those differences in this thread later on when I get time. *Some* may be interested. :)
First, Paine was not a founding father regardless of his influence on the masses. Second, J.Adams was a Calvinist as was most of New England although later in life I believe he wrote about having problems with the Trinity.
Of the 55 men who wrote and signed the U.S. Constitution of 1787, all but 3 were orthodox members of one of the established Christian communions: approximately 29 Anglicans, 16 to 18 Calvinists, 2 Methodists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 lapsed Quaker and sometime-Anglican, and 1 open Diest- Dr. Franklin who attended every kind of Christian worship, called for public prayer, and contributed to all denominations.
Tim LaHaye,Faith of our Founding Fathers1987