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After Dispensationalism: Reading the Bible for the End of the World
What God wants his people to know about the end times.
Christians' fixation on the end times is not new. While eschatological speculation has sometimes resulted in distraction or despair, Scripture does speak about the end. So what does God most want us to know and do with prophecy?
In After Dispensationalism , Brian P. Irwin and Tim Perry sympathetically yet critically sketch the history, beliefs, and concerns of dispensationalism. Though a minority view in the sweep of church history and tradition, dispensationalism is one of the most influential end-times systems today, and there is much to learn from it. And yet, sometimes it gets sidetracked by overlooking the prophets' main concerns.
Irwin and Perry reexamine the key texts and show that Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation primarily give a word of hope to God’s people.
Christians' fixation on the end times is not new. While eschatological speculation has sometimes resulted in distraction or despair, Scripture does speak about the end. So what does God most want us to know and do with prophecy?
In After Dispensationalism , Brian P. Irwin and Tim Perry sympathetically yet critically sketch the history, beliefs, and concerns of dispensationalism. Though a minority view in the sweep of church history and tradition, dispensationalism is one of the most influential end-times systems today, and there is much to learn from it. And yet, sometimes it gets sidetracked by overlooking the prophets' main concerns.
Irwin and Perry reexamine the key texts and show that Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation primarily give a word of hope to God’s people.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
400 pages, Hardcover
Published May 3, 2023
12 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 1, 2023
This is a really, really, really good book. First, and least importantly, it is perhaps the most beautiful, aesthetically pleasing book I have ever held and looked at. From the dimensions of the book to the paper choice to the layout within the book to the magnificent cover, it's truly a joy to hold and just look at. Again, all very unimportant actually. But it is an achievement by a Press that routinely is making beautiful books. Ok, to the book itself.
Irwin and Perry have accomplished a feat. Their book is at the same time a sweeping history and a thorough theology. The two take up the often overly-controversial topic with care and precision. They do not demonize, but they do critique. They do not straw man the other side, but they do engage honestly with it.
As someone from within the progressive dispensational world, I very much appreciated their tone throughout. They are stark differences between forms of dispensational theology and covenantal theology and other systems and it is right to acknowledge them and even point out the quite severe dangers of a traditional dispensational hermeneutic. While I believe progressive dispensational theology and covenantal theology are actually not far off at all as Robert McKenzie seems to agree in Identifying the Seed: An Examination and Evaluation of the Differences between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology (my view is they only divide, really, over the "future for Israel" issue), classic dispensationalism itself is a troublesome system. Irwin an Perry do an excellent job at showing why without casting to the outer dark those who hold to such a framework.
I cannot more highly recommend this book as it is now my go to resource on dispensationalism from a nondispensationalism perspective.
I received this book for free from Lexham Press in exchange for an honest review. I was not required or asked to present the book in a certain light
Irwin and Perry have accomplished a feat. Their book is at the same time a sweeping history and a thorough theology. The two take up the often overly-controversial topic with care and precision. They do not demonize, but they do critique. They do not straw man the other side, but they do engage honestly with it.
As someone from within the progressive dispensational world, I very much appreciated their tone throughout. They are stark differences between forms of dispensational theology and covenantal theology and other systems and it is right to acknowledge them and even point out the quite severe dangers of a traditional dispensational hermeneutic. While I believe progressive dispensational theology and covenantal theology are actually not far off at all as Robert McKenzie seems to agree in Identifying the Seed: An Examination and Evaluation of the Differences between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology (my view is they only divide, really, over the "future for Israel" issue), classic dispensationalism itself is a troublesome system. Irwin an Perry do an excellent job at showing why without casting to the outer dark those who hold to such a framework.
I cannot more highly recommend this book as it is now my go to resource on dispensationalism from a nondispensationalism perspective.
I received this book for free from Lexham Press in exchange for an honest review. I was not required or asked to present the book in a certain light
October 16, 2023
I hate that Goodreads won’t let me give a half-star, as this book deserves a solid 3.5 stars.
The book was good, but I felt it could have delved deeper into every subject it hit on. The commentary focused on three particular texts, and delivered great exposition. But those three texts just weren’t enough to address the hermeneutic. And while the explanation of dispensationalism was decent, I've seen better elsewhere both to the academic and lay audiences. The exploration of the political history of dispensationalism in America was well thought out and interesting, but the author seemed to straddle the line and didn't thoroughly address accusations of politicism. And finally at the pinnacle of the book, the response to dispensationalism was insightful and well thought out but a single chapter comprising just a few pages just wasn’t enough to make any meaningful impact.
All in all, the book lacked a clear direction. It attempted to cover a broad range, offering glimpses of great scholarship without presenting a cohesive argument either for or against dispensationalism. If it aimed at a lay audience, it could have been billed as a comprehensive primer, but it was just too academic for that lay audience.
I also felt the editing and marketing teams did this work dirty. The work was titled “After Dispensationalism,” show me what comes next. I had hoped for a thorough exploration of the political history of dispensationalism and a compelling amillennial response to the hermeneutic. I wanted a clear roadmap for how the church could progress beyond dispensationalism, but these expectations fell short.
Overall, the book was good, and I appreciate having read it. However, it left me wanting in far too many categories to be considered a great text.
The book was good, but I felt it could have delved deeper into every subject it hit on. The commentary focused on three particular texts, and delivered great exposition. But those three texts just weren’t enough to address the hermeneutic. And while the explanation of dispensationalism was decent, I've seen better elsewhere both to the academic and lay audiences. The exploration of the political history of dispensationalism in America was well thought out and interesting, but the author seemed to straddle the line and didn't thoroughly address accusations of politicism. And finally at the pinnacle of the book, the response to dispensationalism was insightful and well thought out but a single chapter comprising just a few pages just wasn’t enough to make any meaningful impact.
All in all, the book lacked a clear direction. It attempted to cover a broad range, offering glimpses of great scholarship without presenting a cohesive argument either for or against dispensationalism. If it aimed at a lay audience, it could have been billed as a comprehensive primer, but it was just too academic for that lay audience.
I also felt the editing and marketing teams did this work dirty. The work was titled “After Dispensationalism,” show me what comes next. I had hoped for a thorough exploration of the political history of dispensationalism and a compelling amillennial response to the hermeneutic. I wanted a clear roadmap for how the church could progress beyond dispensationalism, but these expectations fell short.
Overall, the book was good, and I appreciate having read it. However, it left me wanting in far too many categories to be considered a great text.
June 18, 2023
This book is a page turner. It’s well organized and concise. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in eschatology.
January 15, 2024
Summary: A study of the history, key beliefs, and teachers of dispensationalism with an assessment of the movement’s strengths and weaknesses along with a treatment discussing reading prophetic and apocalyptic books within their context.
Dispensationalism has been an influential movement within American Christianity, influencing presidents and shaping policy on everything from Israel to the environment. Dispensational readings of scripture for many is understood as Christian orthodoxy, even though much of the theology is of relatively recent origin, and by no means accepted through much of church history or by much of the global church.
Brian P. Irwin, with Tim Perry, provide a text that is at once an orientation to the history, teachers, key beliefs of dispensationalism and a critical assessment, framed against a backdrop of how we ought read prophetic and apocalyptic writing. They argue that our starting place must not be today’s newspaper but rather that context and worldview of the intended recipients of these works–how they would read these works.
The first part offers a study of dispensationalism on its own terms. The authors explain and illustrate with charts the idea of dispensations. They trace history of end-times predictions throughout church history, offering these conclusions:
Don’t make a prediction about the end of the world.
Remember that the books of the Bible were not given to us first.
Read a biblical book as a whole for its meaning.
Remember that Jesus himself told us not to bother.
Irwin and Perry then discuss the key teachers of dispensationalism: J. N. Darby, C. I. Schofield, Lewis Sperry Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, John Walvoord, Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, and Tim LaHaye, and their distinctive emphases. They offer an extended summary of the dispensational end-times story including the restoration of Israel to the promised land, the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, the rapture including the pre-tribulation belief of many, the judgment of the saved, the marriage feast, the great tribulation, the false prophet and dragon, the 144,000 and the two witnesses, Armageddon, and the return of Christ, the millennium and great white throne judgment, the new heaven, earth, and Jerusalem. They show the key passages for these beliefs, which helps make the case for how these are often used in isolation of their context in the books of which they are a part.
The final chapter in this section offers an assessment, both positively and negatively. They focus on the literalism that fails to read literarily, failing to recognize poetic speech and symbol, even while fostering dedication to Bible reading and study. They note the somewhat arbitrary character of “dispensations.” While the Israel/church distinction has protected the movement from anti-Semitism it has led to forms of Christian Zionism and an uncritical support of modern Israel, though it is both secular and often has unjustly treated Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians who seem invisible to much of the American church). On the one hand, this movement has fostered vibrant evangelism because of the belief in a pre-tribulation rapture. On the other hand, it has been suspicious of creation care, development, justice, and peace efforts.
Part Two focuses on how we read prophetic and apocalyptic literature. They show the connection between prophecy and the covenantal blessings and curses in the Pentateuch. Many warn Israel, in its idolatry and injustices, that God is both withdrawing blessing and bringing promised curses. They also offer material on apocalyptic passages, such as those found in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. (It should be noted that the writers accept recent scholarship on Daniel as a second century work, referencing both sixth century and near future events.)
Part Three offers three chapters of more extended studies (not commentaries) on Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. The writers show the structure of each book (including a chiasmic structure for Revelation 4-19). They treat key passages cited by dispensationalists in their larger contexts, refusing to “daisy chain” references. With Revelation, they discuss historicist, preterist, futurist, idealist and their own eclectic approach to the book.
The book concludes with “thirteen theses for encountering the end of the world” encompassing both their critiques of dispensationalists approaches and their own positive approach. This is too lengthy to list here but I would particularly single out numbers 11 and 12:
11. To live in expectation of Christ’s return does not require knowing when Christ will return.
12. Questioning the idea of the rapture or other dispensational teaching is not to question the hope of Christ’s promised return in glory to a creation made fit for eternal life.
This book takes on an ambitious agenda. The writers offer both an overview and critique of dispensationalism and an alternative approach to prophetic and apocalyptic books. Each would warrant its own book. What they offer is a readable and usable resource for pastors and teachers in the church who may not have roots in dispensationalism who are confronted by those immersed in such teaching who want more teaching on “the end times.” This work helps people understand both what may be meant by this and offers approaches to favored texts in their contexts that address both our hope for Christ’s return and how early readers may have read these texts. It’s a book that matches the passion of dispensationalists for Bible study while grounding that study in sound interpretive practices that guard us from reading the newspaper into scripture while helping us read our times in light of scripture.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Dispensationalism has been an influential movement within American Christianity, influencing presidents and shaping policy on everything from Israel to the environment. Dispensational readings of scripture for many is understood as Christian orthodoxy, even though much of the theology is of relatively recent origin, and by no means accepted through much of church history or by much of the global church.
Brian P. Irwin, with Tim Perry, provide a text that is at once an orientation to the history, teachers, key beliefs of dispensationalism and a critical assessment, framed against a backdrop of how we ought read prophetic and apocalyptic writing. They argue that our starting place must not be today’s newspaper but rather that context and worldview of the intended recipients of these works–how they would read these works.
The first part offers a study of dispensationalism on its own terms. The authors explain and illustrate with charts the idea of dispensations. They trace history of end-times predictions throughout church history, offering these conclusions:
Don’t make a prediction about the end of the world.
Remember that the books of the Bible were not given to us first.
Read a biblical book as a whole for its meaning.
Remember that Jesus himself told us not to bother.
Irwin and Perry then discuss the key teachers of dispensationalism: J. N. Darby, C. I. Schofield, Lewis Sperry Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, John Walvoord, Hal Lindsey, Jack Van Impe, and Tim LaHaye, and their distinctive emphases. They offer an extended summary of the dispensational end-times story including the restoration of Israel to the promised land, the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, the rapture including the pre-tribulation belief of many, the judgment of the saved, the marriage feast, the great tribulation, the false prophet and dragon, the 144,000 and the two witnesses, Armageddon, and the return of Christ, the millennium and great white throne judgment, the new heaven, earth, and Jerusalem. They show the key passages for these beliefs, which helps make the case for how these are often used in isolation of their context in the books of which they are a part.
The final chapter in this section offers an assessment, both positively and negatively. They focus on the literalism that fails to read literarily, failing to recognize poetic speech and symbol, even while fostering dedication to Bible reading and study. They note the somewhat arbitrary character of “dispensations.” While the Israel/church distinction has protected the movement from anti-Semitism it has led to forms of Christian Zionism and an uncritical support of modern Israel, though it is both secular and often has unjustly treated Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians who seem invisible to much of the American church). On the one hand, this movement has fostered vibrant evangelism because of the belief in a pre-tribulation rapture. On the other hand, it has been suspicious of creation care, development, justice, and peace efforts.
Part Two focuses on how we read prophetic and apocalyptic literature. They show the connection between prophecy and the covenantal blessings and curses in the Pentateuch. Many warn Israel, in its idolatry and injustices, that God is both withdrawing blessing and bringing promised curses. They also offer material on apocalyptic passages, such as those found in Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. (It should be noted that the writers accept recent scholarship on Daniel as a second century work, referencing both sixth century and near future events.)
Part Three offers three chapters of more extended studies (not commentaries) on Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. The writers show the structure of each book (including a chiasmic structure for Revelation 4-19). They treat key passages cited by dispensationalists in their larger contexts, refusing to “daisy chain” references. With Revelation, they discuss historicist, preterist, futurist, idealist and their own eclectic approach to the book.
The book concludes with “thirteen theses for encountering the end of the world” encompassing both their critiques of dispensationalists approaches and their own positive approach. This is too lengthy to list here but I would particularly single out numbers 11 and 12:
11. To live in expectation of Christ’s return does not require knowing when Christ will return.
12. Questioning the idea of the rapture or other dispensational teaching is not to question the hope of Christ’s promised return in glory to a creation made fit for eternal life.
This book takes on an ambitious agenda. The writers offer both an overview and critique of dispensationalism and an alternative approach to prophetic and apocalyptic books. Each would warrant its own book. What they offer is a readable and usable resource for pastors and teachers in the church who may not have roots in dispensationalism who are confronted by those immersed in such teaching who want more teaching on “the end times.” This work helps people understand both what may be meant by this and offers approaches to favored texts in their contexts that address both our hope for Christ’s return and how early readers may have read these texts. It’s a book that matches the passion of dispensationalists for Bible study while grounding that study in sound interpretive practices that guard us from reading the newspaper into scripture while helping us read our times in light of scripture.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Read
August 4, 2025Potential readers can get the premise of this book from the summary, so I'll point out what I liked about After Dispensationalism (many things) and what I didn't like (only one thing, really).
What I liked
Irwin and Perry do a good job of summarizing various approaches to apocalyptic literature, and even dispensationalism, without much obvious prejudice. They are generous in their treatment of their theological opponents. It would probably be better to get a description of dispensational theology from dispensationalists, but this is the next best thing.
Excellent job helping the reader understand the difference between prophetic and apocalyptic writing. Their treatment of this subject is succinct, but well-organized and clear. This is probably the best part of the book. Irwin and Perry are intent on two ideas. First that we read whole books of the Bible and understand them as whole books (this is one of my personal soapbox issues as a pastor!), and second that we understand the genre that we are reading. Because prophetic and apocalyptic literature are similar and often confused by Bible readers, their treatment is valuable.
One thing that annoyed me
Finally, Irwin and Perry give helpful summary treatments of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, the three main books from which dispensationalists draw their theological conclusions. The most helpful of these three was on Revelation. They see the structure of Revelation (or at least the main sections after the seven letters) as chiastic. I don't know if I'm 100% sold on this structural reading of Revelation yet, but they point out a lot of compelling parallels and connections. They have a good case that should be read by anyone interested in interpreting Revelation according to its own literary conventions.
The only thing that bothered me was that because treatments of these three books are short, a lot of important, technical issues get short shrift. For instance, the authorship and dating of Daniel has been a fairly controversial issue among commentators. Irwin and Perry take up a more modern approach (author unknown, dating in the 2nd century), which is fine, but they don't really do much to explain their view. This type of work prejudices the reader in their favor on a very difficult issue. Readers can consult the commentaries, so it's not a huge deal, but I did find myself a little annoyed by things like this.
What I liked
Irwin and Perry do a good job of summarizing various approaches to apocalyptic literature, and even dispensationalism, without much obvious prejudice. They are generous in their treatment of their theological opponents. It would probably be better to get a description of dispensational theology from dispensationalists, but this is the next best thing.
Excellent job helping the reader understand the difference between prophetic and apocalyptic writing. Their treatment of this subject is succinct, but well-organized and clear. This is probably the best part of the book. Irwin and Perry are intent on two ideas. First that we read whole books of the Bible and understand them as whole books (this is one of my personal soapbox issues as a pastor!), and second that we understand the genre that we are reading. Because prophetic and apocalyptic literature are similar and often confused by Bible readers, their treatment is valuable.
One thing that annoyed me
Finally, Irwin and Perry give helpful summary treatments of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, the three main books from which dispensationalists draw their theological conclusions. The most helpful of these three was on Revelation. They see the structure of Revelation (or at least the main sections after the seven letters) as chiastic. I don't know if I'm 100% sold on this structural reading of Revelation yet, but they point out a lot of compelling parallels and connections. They have a good case that should be read by anyone interested in interpreting Revelation according to its own literary conventions.
The only thing that bothered me was that because treatments of these three books are short, a lot of important, technical issues get short shrift. For instance, the authorship and dating of Daniel has been a fairly controversial issue among commentators. Irwin and Perry take up a more modern approach (author unknown, dating in the 2nd century), which is fine, but they don't really do much to explain their view. This type of work prejudices the reader in their favor on a very difficult issue. Readers can consult the commentaries, so it's not a huge deal, but I did find myself a little annoyed by things like this.
September 26, 2023
One of the best resources I have come across that explains things in a way that isn't just based on opinions or such scholarly language that the message gets lost in translation. Very well researched, and clearly explains ideas and thoughts of how certain beliefs came to be from a factual standpoint, as well as scripture that addresses those viewpoints. What I really liked was the breakdown of the books by themselves, Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation, and the unfolding of events and the clear and concise explanations of those books. I think this is a resource that should be on the library shelf of every student of the bible. Excellent, and still unpacking the content.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*
June 27, 2024
This is a good resource to help readers interpret and understand the prophetic and apocalyptic texts of the Bible in a responsible fashion. I appreciated the fair engagement with dispensationalism while showing the very real issues with the theory.
April 10, 2025
This is in no way an exhaustive eschatological book, but an extremely helpful overview of where dispensationalism originated and has formed our understanding of what it means to live as a Christian. I found the most practical take away to be that if you are expecting the world to descend into chaos, you run the risk of becoming apathetic. If you expect it to ultimately flourish and achieve God’s ultimate design, you will look to bring God’s love into all aspects of life for the good of the world. While having a hard stance on your eschatological beliefs isn’t the most important thing in the world, it will impact your mindset and motives more than you might think.
May 31, 2024
A key hermeneutical principle used throughout the book is that the prophetic or apocalyptic biblical messages were first given to the original audience, and must first be understood from the perspective of what it meant to them.
In interpreting Revelation, the author follows a similar approach to that of Martin Culy in "The Book of Revelation: The Rest of the Story" where chapters 4 and following are seen as responses to the challenges faced by the 7 churches in chapters 2-3.
In interpreting Revelation, the author follows a similar approach to that of Martin Culy in "The Book of Revelation: The Rest of the Story" where chapters 4 and following are seen as responses to the challenges faced by the 7 churches in chapters 2-3.
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