As a born again Christian (John 3:3) for sixty years and one who has completed some formal Bible training (B.A., M.A., some work toward a Ph.D.), it has become evident that in today’s culture the doctrine of eschatology is becoming more relevant to the Christian community every day. This is one reason I put together the textbook on eschatology called, Dispensational Theology: A Textbook on Eschatology in the Twenty-first Century.
This book was an idea that came to me through my personal experiences. In College I took two-semesters of a course called “Premillennialism”—a three hundred level course. The class was structured around an 80-page syllabus and for 32 weeks the class read several books and covered all the material within the 80-page outline, completing eight tests, two midterms, and two final exams on the subject. This is how I learned the topic of Dispensational Theology, which became my supporting understanding on the subject, and I have never wavered or changed my views or position on this topic for all these many years.
Many years later I found myself on a passenger train during the Christmas season. Along the way I sat next to a very intelligent and educated woman, who happen to be Christian and one who loved to travel. Our conversation over time, somehow got onto the topic of Dispensational Theology, which she adamantly opposed. When I asked her the reason she rejected these views, our conversation turned into a very educational experience. When she completed her list of four or five objections, it occurred to me that all the various things she objected to had little to do with the Dispensational Theology I knew and understood. I made that observation to her, but without any documentation to present a more accurate view, I knew there was no way I could sway her to change her mind in such a short time frame on the subject. So, we continued a very pleasant conversation and moved on with our lives.
About five years ago, I sought and gained permission to use that 80-page syllabus material, that I saved in my personal files, and used it as an outline for my book on Eschatology, with a few updates to the topic to cover additional views that came after the writing of the syllabus.
Over the years the subject of Dispensational Theology has been excepted, rejected, and misrepresented to the point that many just gave up on trying to understand the subject. Someone recently asked me about how I handle the issue of temple sacrifices and how that all works out within dispensationalism. The answer provided within the book may surprise you.
But, in the end, I hope I have piqued some interest in this compiled work, and I encourage anyone that teaches, preaches, or is interested in such a topic to pickup a copy and read for themselves what I view as a true representation of the subject on Dispensational Theology.
One may find a better way to understand and explain to others a very relevant topic and perhaps incorporate a more accurate view in presentation to others, whether you agree with the book’s position on any given element of the topic or not. One does not have to be a supporter of the subject to appreciate the truths that one agrees with. This book would be a good educational resource to anyone’s personal or institutional library, no matter anyone’s personal position on the subject.
Dispensational Theology: A Textbook on Eschatology in the Twenty-first Century by Reid A. Ashbaucher is educational, informative, and systematic in its approach on this topic and is available in most online bookstores.
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and over 39,000 other online book retailers worldwide, in paperback or hardcover editions. (ISBN: 978-1-7331399-0-8; 978-1-7331399-1-5) This book can also be ordered through the Ingram Group for most bookstores and libraries.
Respectfully,
Reid Ashbaucher – Author
Author’s website: https://booksite.rcetc.com