I recently published a long form article on the roots and influence of Christian dominionism, and the culture of down playing and denial that limits discussion of and understanding of this movement that powers so much of our politics in the 21st century.  The best efforts of the obscurantists notwithstanding, the movement has evolved as has our our understanding of it.

One of the challenges facing all of us who write about these things is finding a usable definition.  To help us get there, with the support of my colleagues, I updated the short definition:

   

Dominionism is the theocratic idea that regardless of theological camp, means, or timetable, God has called conservative Christians to exercise dominion over society by taking control of political and cultural institutions. The term describes a broad tendency across a wide swath of American Christianity. People who embrace this idea are referred to as dominionists.

Reasonable people may define it differently. and that's ok as long as we continue to remind ourselves that reasonable discussion of these matters requires reasonable and clear definitions so we don't engage in endless rounds of food fights with word salad.

But that said, dominionism denial and pooh poohery is now going to be more difficult to get away with, thanks to four works of scholarship published in the last year, that feature dominionism as a major theme. I draw on three of them in my article.  They should be considered required reading for anyone serious about this subject.

   

Julie J. Ingersoll, Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstructionism, Oxford University Press; Michael J. McVicar, Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism, University of North Carolina Press;  and John Weaver, The New Apostolic Reformation: History of a Modern Charismatic Movement, McFarland & Company.

When I wrote my piece, I was not aware of a fourth such book: Far Right Fantasy:  A Sociology of American Religion and Politics, Routledge, 2015. Author James Aho is a professor emeritus of sociology who has published number of books across his career.   My purpose here is not to review the book, although like the above mentioned, it certainly merits that kind of considered discussion. It is a short, accessible analysis of hard to understand movements that have a more profound impact on our society than many of us are prepared to acknowledge.  

In Far Right Fantasy,  Aho critiques several elements of the American far right, including dominionism, and how they interact. In so doing, it underscores why it is not only important for us to understand dominionism but to develop our capacity to apply that understanding to contemporary politics and culture.