The Ideology and History of the New Apostolic Reformation
Rachel Tabachnick printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 01:07:13 AM EST
Following is a repost of an article from March, 2011 with a few additions.  This is a short summary of the ideology and history of the New Apostolic Reformation.
Ideology

The New Apostolic Reformation can now be defined as a distinct movement with a unique ideology.  The leaders of the movement, called apostles and prophets, claim that this is the most significant change in Protestantism since Martin Luther and the Reformation. The stated goal of the NAR is to eradicate denominations and form a unified church that will be victorious against evil in the end times.  Like many American fundamentalists, the apostles teach that the events of the end times are imminent, but unlike fundamentalists, the apostles see this as a time of great victory for the church.

Instead of escaping the earth (in the Rapture)* prior to the turmoil of the end times, they teach that believers will defeat evil by taking dominion, or control, over all sectors of society and government, resulting in mass conversions to their brand of Charismatic evangelicalism and a Christian utopia or "Kingdom" on earth. The end times narrative of the apostles is similar to that of the Latter Rain movement of the late 1940s and 1950s.

The Transformations movies, Transformation organizations worldwide, and the Seven Mountains campaign are promotional tools to market their methodology for taking Christian dominion over:  arts; business; education; family; government; media; and religion.  The apostles who lead in areas outside church are called Workplace or Marketplace Apostles.

The apostles teach that the obstacles to their envisioned Kingdom on earth are literal demonic beings who hold control over geographic territory and specific "people groups." They claim this demonic control is the reason why people of other religions refuse to become evangelized and that the demons are also the source of crime, corruption, illness, poverty, and homosexuality.  Purging of the demons results in mass evangelization and eradication of social ills, as claimed in the Transformations, media. The apostles teach that their followers are currently receiving an outpouring of supernatural powers to help them fight these demons through what they call Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare (SLSW).

These unique concepts and methodologies, previously unknown in the evangelical world, include spiritual mapping to identify and purge both demons and their human helpers, sometimes identified in training materials as witches and witchcraft.  Another requirement of this utopian Kingdom on earth is the restructuring of all Charismatic evangelical believers under the authority of their network of apostles, the eradication or unification of denominations, and the total elimination of competing religions and philosophies.  

Many of the evangelical "Reconciliation" programs popularized over the last decade are an outgrowth of the apostles' SLSW efforts to remove demons including "generational curses" which they claim obstruct evangelization of specific ethnicity groups.  These activities have political significance not apparent to outsiders.  For instance, Senator Sam Brownback worked extensively with leading apostles in pursuing an official apology from the U.S. Senate to Native Americans.  However, the NAR advertised this Identificational Repentance and Reconciliation a SLSW method to remove demonic control over Native Americans, evangelize tribes, and curiously, as a required step in their spiritual warfare progress in  criminalizing abortion.

History

A wave of charismatic religious fervor swept through the U.S. in the early 1900s resulting in Pentecostalism and the establishment of  denominations emphasizing supernatural "gifts of the Holy Spirit," including speaking in tongues.  A second wave swept through other Protestant denominations and Roman Catholicism beginning in the 1960s, resulting in pockets of Charismatic believers. Some remained in their respective churches while the remainder left to join other nondenominational Charismatics in what would become the largest single (and largely overlooked) block of Protestantism in the world - Independent Charismatics, or the "Third Wave."  By the late 1980s, Independent Charismatics began to be organized under the leadership of self-appointed apostles and prophets who view the reorganization of the church as crucial to preparation for the end times.

C. Peter Wagner, a prolific author and professor at Fuller Theological Seminary for 30 years, became the primary force behind organizing one of the largest and most influential of apostolic and prophetic networks.  He dubbed it the "New Apostolic Reformation" (NAR).  Wagner and other NAR pioneers refined their unique Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare training and demon-hunting methods through the latter 1980s and 1990s.  Due to Wagner's international reputation as an expert in "Church Growth"  (his most famous pupil is Rick Warren) and Wagner's leadership role in the frantic rush by international missions to evangelize the world prior to the year 2000, these unusual techniques gained surprising widespread acceptance in some evangelical circles.

With the aid of Ted Haggard (later president of the National Association of Evangelicals),  Wagner left Fuller Seminary and continued his networking from the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs.  Wagner claimed that the NAR and a new era in church history began in 2001.  He organized several hundred apostles with their own networks into the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) which formed an inner circle of prophets (ACPE or Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders), demon deliverance experts (ISDM or International Society of Deliverance Ministries), faith-healers (IAHR or International Association of Healing Room Ministries), an international training network (Wagner Leadership Institute), and their own educational accreditation system (ACEA or Apostolic Council for Educational Accountability).  

These apostles and their networks work in "Transformation" efforts around the world including promotion of the Seven Mountains campaign for Christian dominion.  The Transformation entities usually begin as prayer networks of pastors and individuals which are advertised as nonsectarian and emphasize charitable activities, often working with financially strapped municipalities.  Today the NAR has "prayer warrior" networks under the authority of their apostles in all fifty states, some now organizing by precincts.  

The movement has had a widespread impact, spreading ideology to other Charismatics inside Mainline Protestant denominations and Roman Catholicism, although non-Charismatic Roman Catholicism is viewed as controlled by a powerful demon named "The Queen of Heaven."  The political potential of the movement has been tapped by politicians including Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Sam Brownback, Rick Perry, and others, as well as large numbers of local and state politicians.  Over the last few years, the apostles have taken visible leadership roles in the Religious Right in the United States and numerous nations in Africa, Asia, and South America and claim Uganda as their greatest "Transformations" success story and prototype.

*Author's note about eschatology.  The NAR has played a significant role in the gradual transition away from Dispensationalism to Dominion Theology, although most apostles have not openly embraced postmillennialism.  Most are still teaching a premillennial framework but have abandoned the concept of pre-Tribulation Rapture by simply moving the timing or redefining the meaning of the Rapture.  This has caused some confusion since the apostles are promoting Dominion Theology similar to that of Christian Reconstructionism, while still teaching many components of dispensational narrative and that the turmoil of the end times is imminent.

Also see:

C. Peter Wagner Explains the New Apostolic Reformation
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/5/28/19033/8502




Display:
They want worldly power, and anyone who opposes them is by definition demonic.

by khughes1963 on Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 12:58:52 PM EST
The difference in the NAR and previous Religious Right activists is their creativity. They

-name the demons
-plot them on maps
-have ceremonies to remove the demons from racial, religious, and ethnic groups
-call this reconciliation
-pray for the destruction of other houses of worship

and frame the whole package as compassion and love!

by Rachel Tabachnick on Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 01:47:45 PM EST
Parent

I seem to recall the Assemblies of God expelled the NAR group as a heresy. Unfortunately, it is one the rest of us will have to deal with.

by khughes1963 on Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 04:11:55 PM EST
Parent
... but now many Assemblies of God congregations have embraced the ideology of the movement.  

by Rachel Tabachnick on Fri Aug 12, 2011 at 11:37:49 PM EST
Parent



they supported Efrain Rios-Montt in Guatemala. (Dogemperor has an article mentioning this). Their ideals are found in Gothard's law enforcement training program, too. They are prominent in the Council for National Policy- the Religious Right's version of the Muslim Brotherhood.

by zowie on Sat Aug 13, 2011 at 06:35:46 PM EST
Parent



WWW Talk To Action


Refuting Nullification, Part One
The emerging influence of Thomas J. Woods and other neo-Confederate ideologues within the Catholic Right was the focus of the first post in this......
By Frank Cocozzelli (1 comment)
The Film the Christian Right Does Not Want You to See
The acclaimed documentary God Loves Uganda, which depicts the role of American conservative evangelicals in generating vicious antigay campaigns in Uganda will be screened......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Reflections One Month after the Boston Marathon Bombing
A month after the Boston Marathon Bombing, the unified response here in the Boston area is the slogan "Boston Strong," which I see on......
By Chip Berlet (0 comments)
The Partisan Preacher's Complaint: Franklin Graham Has No Grounds To Whine About IRS
The ongoing scandal over the Internal Revenue Service's heightened scrutiny of Tea Party groups took another twist yesterday when evangelist Franklin Graham complained that......
By Rob Boston (3 comments)
`Merry Christmas' In May?: Texas Legislators Reaffirm Right To Use Holiday Greeting
Texas legislators appear to have too much time on their hands. Members of the House of Representatives just passed legislation protecting everyone's right to......
By Rob Boston (5 comments)
Why Nullification Matters
In the first post in this series, I discussed the push for secession and nullification now being made by Catholic Right Neo-Confederates, notably Thomas......
By Frank Cocozzelli (5 comments)
Rios Montt, Hero to the Christian Right, Guilty of Genocide in Guatemala
Former Guatemalan dictator and darling of the American Christian Right, Rios Montt, was found guilty of genocide, making world news. ABC News has a......
By Bill Berkowitz (8 comments)
"It's Great to be a Government-Paid Missionary"
These are the exact words of Maj. Douglas W. Duerksen, a military chaplain, which you can hear for yourself in the embedded video below.......
By Rachel Tabachnick (2 comments)
Mark Sanford and His Free Pass from Religion
Mark Sanford, recently elected Congressman from South Carolina, has hit the airwaves with a startling comeback. The former governor of the state, hid in......
By wilkyjr (7 comments)
Christian Right Default: Blame the Jews
This past week we saw a remarkable example of the whipping-up of outrage over the alleged persecution of Christians. The story turned out to......
By Frederick Clarkson (2 comments)
Investigating the Indiana Family Institute
The Indiana Society of Professional Journalists gave Andy Kopsa its 2012 award for Best Investigative Reporting for a newspaper under 40,000 in circulation.  And......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)
Thomas E. Woods, Jr. and the Neo-Confederate Catholic Right
Thomas Woods is an increasingly influential  player on the Catholic Right. In this and a subsequent post, we will consider how his world view......
By Frank Cocozzelli (3 comments)
Memo To The Religious Right: You Don't Need The Government To Tell You When To Pray
Thursday is the National Day of Prayer, and if you want to pray, by all means have at it.I'll let you in on a......
By Rob Boston (3 comments)
Book in 2012 Predicted Boston Bombing Motive
A book published in 2012 predicted the motive for the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. Terrorist's Creed, by professor Roger Griffin, explains how......
By Chip Berlet (0 comments)
The End of the Literature of Pooh Poohery about Dominionism?
It is no small thing that Sally Quinn, doyenne of religion at The Washington Post, seems to have turned around on the problem of......
By Frederick Clarkson (1 comment)

Christian Hate For Hire
The Chairwoman of Republican Liberty Caucus of Washington (the Ron Paul formation), is Sandi Brendale, wife of Philip Brendale–a featured speaker at the regional Anti-Indian Conference held in Bellingham on April 6. Sandi Brendale,......
Jay Taber (3 comments)
Mississippi high school forces students to attend Christian lectures: lawsuit
Reposted from Raw Story: A high school in central Mississippi allegedly forced students to watch a Christian video and listen to church officials preach about Jesus Christ. The American Humanist Association's legal center filed......
COinMS (0 comments)
PA Candidate Max Myers Advocates Theocratic Church Governance
I'm working on a story to go with this video, but for now here's just the video. For context, see Rachel Tabachnick's story, NAR Leader Running for Governor in Pennsylvania - As a Democrat......
Bruce Wilson (1 comment)
Former Maranatha Pastor Stars as Thomas Jefferson in Fox and Friends Segment
I wasn't planning on playing Seven Degrees of Maranatha Campus Ministries this evening, but was instead perusing my usual array of news and opinion websites when I found this gem on Talking Points Memo:......
ulyankee (5 comments)
American Family Association launching drive to influence 2014 elections
CBN's David Brody has learned that the American Family Association is greasing the wheels for an effort to influence the 2014 elections.  The American Renewal Project, an AFA-affiliated group that helped push Prop 8......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Kevin Swanson encourages Christian educators to break law and push religion on kids
cross-posted at dKos Kevin Swanson of Generations Radio was in rare form on his podcast yesterday.  He decried the numerous Supreme Court decisions that have resulted in government-mandated prayer being barred from the public......
Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Far-right religious group behind 'Path to 9/11' film continues to infiltrate mainstream media
‘Path to 9/11’ director David Cunningham, who was outed a few years ago as a member of the far-right group Youth with a Mission, has been toiling away on a number of media projects......
unholyalliances (1 comment)
S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012
My senator, Roger Wicker, has introduced the Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012. A couple of things here: 1.) It's very interesting that it bears the exact same name as the Military Religious Freedom......
COinMS (2 comments)
West Point cadet drops out to protest influence of fundamentalist Christianity
Blake Page was a senior at the United States Military Academy, slated to graduate in May.  He was due to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army, and once he left the......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Brownback endorses major fundie/dominionist prayer rally on Saturday
Those of you in the Kansas City/Topeka area, be on alert--there's going to be a major invasion of fundie lunacy in Topeka on Saturday.  And it has the endorsement of none other than Kansas'......
Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)
Why is the religious right defending an unrepentant con man who preyed on minority communities?
All indications are that the religious right is rallying to the defense of Jews Offering Alternatives for Healing (JONAH), the "pray away the gay" outfit that is facing a lawsuit from four former clients......
Christian Dem in NC (1 comment)
Mike Bickle's Sexually Charged "Bridal Mysticism" IHOP Teachings
I've been picking through Mike Bickle's teachings on Bridal Mysticism and the Song of Solomon - which Bickle seems to view as allegorical for the end-time relationship of the church (the Bride of Christ)......
Bruce Wilson (19 comments)
Rick Joyner and Bob Jones delude themselves into thinking Obama will help them
Two days ago, I mentioned that Rick Joyner hosted a post-election "webinar" with another NAR leader, Bob Jones.  In it, Joyner and Jones actually laughed about the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy because......
Christian Dem in NC (3 comments)
NAR leaders LAUGH about destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy
If you want to get a picture of how fundamentally sick and twisted the New Apostolic Reformation is at bottom, I offer as an example a video recently released by Rick Joyner. Yesterday, Joyner......
Christian Dem in NC (16 comments)
Rick Joyner, who wants to set up a dictatorship, accuses Obama of wanting to set up tyranny
Last Sunday, Rick Joyner told his flock at MorningStar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina (only 20 minutes south of me--gag) that if Obama is reelected, he plans to set up "the worst,......
Christian Dem in NC (5 comments)

More Diaries...




All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments, posts, stories, and all other content are owned by the authors. Everything else © 2005 Talk to Action, LLC.