Dispensationalism

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Summary: A Dispensationalist
Review: ...This is considered by many to be the Classic Handbook on Dispensationalism, and it is a Revised Version of his original work entitled "Dispensationalism Today".

It serves as a Curriculum Resource for Doctrine courses at Philadelphia Biblical University, and, therefore, it comes highly recommended.

Charles Ryrie served as the President of Philadelphia Biblical University and he continues to serve as a Professor at this Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary.

As for the book itself, it provides the Basic Doctrines of Dispensationalism as understood by C.I. Scofield, and as reinterpreted by Charles Ryrie himself. As such, it is essential to a Proper Understanding of Modern Dispensationalism.

However, it is NOT a proper assessment of the Original Dispensationalism that was taught by J.N. Darby and the Plymouth Brethren. It neglects the Essential Doctrine of the Apostasy, which was the Foundational Doctrine for the Original Dispensationalists.

It also does not consider the excellent and profound insights provided by John Master and Brian Toews, concerning the New Covenant. Nor does it do justice to some of the arguments brought forth by the Progressive Dispensationalists.

Overall, this book serves as an excellent Primer for Dispensationalism....

Shalom - Soror Samhain

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Summary: Good overview of Dispensationalism
Review: Charles Ryrie gives an able defense of classical dispensationalism. He begins with an overview of the idea of dispensations and provides a new and revised definition of the term as well as Biblical justification for the use of the word. Dispensationalism is a help, not a heresy, as its opponents have often uncharitably characterized it. Ryrie goes on to outline and defend the dispensationalist view on the following topics:

the logic of seven dispensations

the need for a literal hermeneutic

the plan of salvation under the Law and under Grace

the distinction between Israel and the Church

pretribulational, premillennial eschatology

Other chapters include an account of dispensationalism's origins and a defense against the charges of recency and divisiveness. Ryrie also provides three chapters dealing with dispensationalism's opponents: 1) progressive dispensationalism, which bears a remarkable resemblance to Laddian historic premillennialism, 2) covenant theology, and 3) ultradispensationalism.

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Summary: True Objective Interpretation
Review: If you are lost in a subjective world of Bible interpretation then this book could be for you. Dr. Ryrie has a very high view of the Scriptures and his method of interpretation allows the Scriptures to speak for themselves. Dispensationalism is about understanding the Bible and this book clears up some misconceptions and misguiding remarks that have been said about "Classical Dispensationalsim".

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Summary: An excellent timely defense of Biblical Dispensationalism
Review: Probably the most important asset to this book is the historical information provided by Dr. Ryrie. Those of the Refomed and New Evangelical persuation claim that the relative novelty of Dispensational doctrines places them under suspicion. However, Dr. Ryrie provides the reader with the evidence that covenant theology was largely an invention of the German theolgian Cocceius in the seventeenth century. Another important aspect of this book is Dr. Ryrie's refutation of Progressive Dispensationalism and Ultradispensationalism. If you truly desire to learn about God's plan for the ages, this is a must read.

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Summary: Clear Explanation of ¿Classical¿ Dispensationalism
Review: The purpose of this book is to clarify what 'Classical' dispensationalism is. The topic is obviously a controversial one (look at the other reviews), and the author does a good job of explaining the dispensational position. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and harsh feelings when it comes to dispensationalism. But the author appeals to the readers to put theological presuppositions aside and try and understand scripture. It is this part of the book that I appreciated. I also appreciate the dispensational system that Ryrie describes, I feel the system is the safest and truest way to understand scripture systematically (if Scripture can be understood that way).

I did not enjoy the parts of the book where Ryrie tries to explain other camps of theology. He has a chapter on progressive dispensationalism, covenant theology, and ultra dispensationalism. I didn't feel like I got a good representation of these theological positions. Ryrie exhorts critics of dispensationalism to not blow down theological straw men, but it seems as if he does exactly that to other theological systems.

At the end of the book, Ryrie makes a plea for unity despite theological differences. Earlier in the book he listed some of the many things dispensationalists hold in common with covenant theologians. There is much more common ground than areas of disagreement. I agree with Ryrie on this point, the differences between the two camps are clear, but they are not major enough to lose fellowship over.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding this particular camp of dispensationalism. I enjoyed reading the book. The book is easy to read, and the thoughts and arguments are outlined well. A must read for any serious theological student (dispensational or not).

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Summary: Solid presentation of a problematic system
Review: There are two measures by which this book can be evaluated. First, how good is this book at explaining its subject matter -- Dispensationalism? Second, how convincing are the arguments? On the first point, this book is mostly without competition. It covers the significant elements of dispensationalism (salvation, hermeneutics, Church vs. Israel, eschatology/end times) without a great deal of theological jargon. He also has some nice material on the systems of ultradispensationalism and progressive dispensationalism. As mentioned elsewhere, his tone is irenic and not polemical. He could be clearer on the relationship between the way of salvation and the idea of a dispensation. I found his arguments convoluted and even circular at times. On the first score, it gets 4 stars.

On the second, though, his arguments seem weak at times. Apart from the clarity problem I mentioned already, it's worth nothing that he mostly argues with a "stereotypical" covenant theologian. But, like stereotypical dispensationalists, I'm not sure any really exist. He never addresses the positions held by Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians. (Although, since neither holds to a strictly literal interpretation, Ryrie probably lumps them in with "liberals".) Finally, his treatment of oikonomia (economy; "dispensation") in the chapter "What is a Dispensation?" plays very fast and loose with its exegesis. He makes oikonomia mean "dispensation" (in the Dispensationalist sense of the word) everywhere, and it doesn't work. A careful reading of Irenaeus would provide a lot of interesting material on what God's "economy" really is. On the second score, 2 stars. Overall, I'd give it 3.

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Summary: The textbook on dispensationalism
Review: This is the textbook on dispensationalism written by one of the strongest dispensationalists: Charles Ryrie. The reading is fairly easy, although if you don't have an understanding of basic Bible theology, the reading can be quite cumbersome. This is a very clear and fair presentation of the dispensational hermeneutic and it also presents the theological problems with dispenstionalism, covenant theology, progressive and hyper dispensationalism.