Hegel, Dispensationalism, and Darwin

There is a symbiotic relationship between a culture’s worldview and the major philosophical and theological ideas found within that society. Often, new philosophical or religious concepts change a society, such as Christianity’s impact on the Roman Empire(27 B.C.) After a period of unrest and competing generals jockeying for power, Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, becomes the first official Emperor of Rome, being known as Augustus. Octavian’s rule initiated an approximately 200 year period of... more. At other times, historical events inspire new philosophical or theological ideas. Hegel’s philosophy is a good example of the later. It was a product of the optimism of the emerging modern world. Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more was unquestionably the dominant philosopher at the beginning of the nineteenth century, but his ideas are hardly considered today. Regardless, his legacy continues in subtle indirect ways.

The dawn of the nineteenth century was the apex of the era of European colonization and an economic boom created by the industrial revolution. It was a period of optimism and pride in human achievement. Hegel’s philosophy echoed that sentiment. It explained world history as a series of positive evolutionary steps whereby societies redefined themselves in a chain of developments leading up to that point in time when culture had finally matured to reach the pinnacle of success. This was reflected in Europe’s worldview that their ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more modern world was God’s gift to humanity. The world had not seen hubris on such a grand scale since Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great (356–323 B.C.) was King of Macedon and went on to create one of the largest empires of the ancient world by the time he was thirty, extending from Greece to northwest India. He was undefeated in battle... more tried to Hellenize it.

Like Plato(c. 427–348 B.C.) Greek philosopher, Socrates’s student, Aristotle’s teacher, and founder of the only rigorously non materialist philosophical tradition in the West and, therefore, a major philosophical resource for Christian theology. more, Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more believed that ultimate reality consists of ideas. Just as Plato(c. 427–348 B.C.) Greek philosopher, Socrates’s student, Aristotle’s teacher, and founder of the only rigorously non materialist philosophical tradition in the West and, therefore, a major philosophical resource for Christian theology. more thought his world of forms was more real than the physical world, Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more thought that there was a distinct real-world consciousness in which humans participated. Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more introduced the perspective of a historical consciousness to philosophy. Hegel’s historical consciousness is somewhat akin to society’s overarching worldview, the way people generally look at the world which changes over time and influences how they act. Specifically, he theorized that the essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more of existence was an undifferentiated, unconscious, eternal spirit essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more, which some equate to God. This spirit essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more created the cosmosthe idea that the universe is one harmonious and orderly system. more by separating from itself or differentiating itself to form the stars, planets, life, et cetera. This essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more develops through a three-part process whereby it increases in self-consciousness. Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more refered to the first step as a thesis, which is negated by an antithesis, leading to the resolution of the tension between the thesis and antithesis by realizing a new higher state of awareness.  At this point the process starts over with a new antithesis negating the status quo until the conflict is resolved again by this spirit essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more achieving a higher level of self-consciousness. An integral part of this progression is society’s link with this spirit essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more, so humanity’s progression and self-awareness are tied directly to the development of this divine essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more.

For Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more, religion is a social phenomenon tied to this collective progressive self-consciousness of spirit and humanity. It is a fundamental way for individuals and society to understand who they are and to express their connection with this spirit essencethe English word generally used for the Greek term ousia, that is also translated as “being” or “substance” and refers to that which makes something what it is such as human nature is the essence of a human being. This... more. Hegel(1770–1831) was a very influential philosopher in his day and espoused a philosophy based on historical consciousness that reflected the optimist colonization attitude of his day. He believed that the Protestant modern industrial world was the apex of human and... more believed that studying the development of religion through the ages was one of the best ways to see how his theory of an evolving historical consciousness played out in real life. The Christian God and the incarnation of Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more became the ultimate symbol of the Spirit pouring itself out into humanity and the resurrectionThe doctrine that Jesus’ spiritual essence was reunited with his physical body and that other humans will likewise live again with their spirit or soul reunited with their material body. This term does not refer to the doctrine of the... more reflects resolution of this progressive synthesis and the divination of humanity. Protestantism is the consummate religion with its more universal freedom that makes all believers priests. Notice how Hegel’s influence regarding one’s consciousness informed Schleiermacher’s liberal theology.

Even though his idea of historical progression has largely been rejected, the residual effect of this perspective still permeates society. This can be seen in the popular belief that the arc of history is always moving forward to a more enlightened world.1

Hegel’s idea of progressive religious development bled into Christian theology. In England, JohnJohn (c. A.D. 6–100) was a Jewish fisherman, chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles, and appears to have developed an especially close bond with Jesus. John outlived the other Apostles and heavily influenced early Christian thinkers... more Nelson Darby(A.D. 1800–1882) John Nelson Darby was an Irish Bible teacher who featured prominently in conservative evangelical movements in Ireland. He is considered the father of the Dispensationalist method of interpreting the Bible. more (1800–1882) introduced the concepts of modern dispensationalismA theological movement popular among conservative, evangelical Christians in the 19th and 20th centuries that divides history into a series of time periods called dispensations in which God dispenses a different covenant or relates to his people in a different... more and the rapture to evolving ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more theology. He introduced these ideas in 1833 after he analyzed the Bible and determined that the history of the world was divided into distinctive ages or dispensations in which God revealed his truth in progressive stages, like steps going up a ladder. Each stage built on the previously revealed truth, until Christ’s imminent second coming ushers in a millennial period of peace. Additionally, there would be a set period of premillennial tribulation when true believers would be snatched up to heaven to escape this time of suffering. This is the genesis of the premillennial tribulation period being combined with the new idea of the rapture, which is widely accepted in evangelicalComes from the Greek term, evangelion, and means good news or the Gospel. This term was use in the 16th century to refer to Protestants and is still used this way in Germany to this day. In England and the... more Protestantism today.

Darby(A.D. 1800–1882) John Nelson Darby was an Irish Bible teacher who featured prominently in conservative evangelical movements in Ireland. He is considered the father of the Dispensationalist method of interpreting the Bible. more founded a movement called the Plymouth Brethren, which spread his ideas to America where they became intermixed with the nineteenth-century revival camp meetings and the Holiness and Keswick(A.D. 1875) The Keswick movement begins in a meeting of Presbyterians and Anglicans in Keswick, England. The movement developed out of the non-Methodist (non-perfectionist) arm of the Holiness movement and took hold in America. It emphasized yielding to the Holy... more movements. They focused on reading the Bible, particularly the Book of Revelation, to decern the signs of the times before the second coming of ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more.

These ideas were incorporated into Dr. C. I. Scofield’s new edition of the Bible in 1909 and in his classic 1917 edition. The Scofield Reference Bible(A.D. 1917) Publication of the second edition of the Scofield Reference Bible, which becomes the most important text for the Dispensationalist movement. more included extensive notes explaining the various dispensations in the Bible. He broke biblical history into seven dispensations and tied each one to a covenant. Each dispensation and covenant involved a test of obedience that ultimately ended in failure followed by a judgment. For example, the first dispensation was the dispensation of innocence in the Garden of Eden, resulting in the fall and the dawn of the dispensation of conscienceDerived from Latin and literally means “shared knowledge” such as an accomplice to a crime. Modern usage of this term developed out of the practice of private confession in Catholicism in the late Middle Ages. The concept of conscience was... more, eventually leading to Noah and the flood. ScofieldC. I. Scofield (A.D. 1843–1921) Minister, Bible teacher, Dispensationalist theologian, and editor of the Scofield Reference Bible, whose 2nd edition (1917) is the most influential book in the Dispensationalist movement. more expanded Calvin’s concept of a covenant of works in the Garden of Eden and the covenant of graceIs a term used to identify unmerited assistance by God primarily to redeem and transform human beings. In the early and medieval church it also referred to God’s influence throughout existence. Redemptive grace is important to Augustinian theology which has... more that followed to include seven covenants, including the covenant of lawIs a fundamental concept of Luthernism and is contrasted by Luther with the Gospel. For Luther, the law consists of God’s commands regarding how one should live which no one can fully obey. Consequently, the law functions to condemn and... more introduced in the dispensation of Moses(Died c. 1400 B.C.) Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He instituted the Mosaic Law consisting of both ritual and moral elements. Many Christians believe that this law is part of God’s... more. It ends with the tribulation, rapture, second advent of ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more and his millennial reign on earth.2

Charles DarwinCharles Darwin (A.D. 1809–1882) was an English biologist who formulated a theory of evolution in which the struggle for survival served as a means of natural selection similar in effect to selective breeding. This basic theory is now widely accepted... more (1809–1882) followed the evolutionary Hegelian worldview of his day and applied it to biology and genetics. DarwinCharles Darwin (A.D. 1809–1882) was an English biologist who formulated a theory of evolution in which the struggle for survival served as a means of natural selection similar in effect to selective breeding. This basic theory is now widely accepted... more shook the world when he published his seminal work On the Origin of the Species in 1859. What grabbed people’s attention was not the idea of evolution itself. That concept had been around since the early Greeks and people understood that genetics played a role in that process. In fact, the Catholic monk Gregor Mendel proved this concept decades early with experiments in his pea garden. What made Darwin’s work controversial was his claim that natural selection was the underlying mechanism that enabled this process to function. God was no longer needed.

Darwin’s theory rests on the twin pillars of universal common ancestry and natural selection. He used the image of a tree of life branching out from a common trunk to illustrate the concept of all life coming from a common ancestor.  Each new species evolved like branches on his tree of life. He postulated that natural selection was the process by which this pattern of evolution was realized. Natural selection consists of random inheritable variations that survive over time while competing traits die off because of the vicissitudes of nature. Eventually, the cumulative effect of these changes results in a new species. DarwinCharles Darwin (A.D. 1809–1882) was an English biologist who formulated a theory of evolution in which the struggle for survival served as a means of natural selection similar in effect to selective breeding. This basic theory is now widely accepted... more acknowledged that this could only occur gradually over a very long period of time. People fell in loveIn a theological discussion “love” refers to one’s love for God and neighbor and is often referred to as “charity” or the pure love of God. It does not mean giving alms to the poor. more this this theory because of its simplicityRefers to the philosophical concept applicable to the source of all creation that also has no parts. for example, Aristotle’s “great mover unmoved” or the traditional Christian God, To help understand the concept, think of a point in geometry. It... more and its independence from divine influence.

Today, science has established that major aspects of Darwin’s theory are flawed, but it is such entrenched dogma that it is often considered heresyComes from a Greek term meaning “sect,” and was used by the early Church theologians to identify doctrines that they rejected as not orthodox. The term does not refer to unbelief but ideas held by some baptized Christian that was... more to dispute it. Yet the following four foundational postulates on which Darwin’s theory is based have never been observed: 1) life comes from nonlife, 2) all life came from a single cell life form, 3) time and chance drive the evolution process, and 4) minor genetic variations in species are evidence of macro evolution. What has been observed is that whenever there is code, language or a design, there is an intelligent designer. Regardless, just like Aristotle’s harmonious interlocking system, DarwinCharles Darwin (A.D. 1809–1882) was an English biologist who formulated a theory of evolution in which the struggle for survival served as a means of natural selection similar in effect to selective breeding. This basic theory is now widely accepted... more created such a beautiful rational paradigm that people are loathe to question it.3 All that was left to complete society’s current worldview was for the masters of suspicionA philosophical concept articulated by Paul Ricoeur that some doubts drives the interpretation of consciousness as false. more to kill God and cut the Western world loose from its Judeo-Christian moorings.3

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