Pat Robertson is hailed as an evangelical leader by many, a conservative political figure of some influence by most, and a nice old man who got his own TV show – but has badly formed theology – by a few of us. And by a few of us, I mostly mean me.
I will save the more general theogical commentary that I have pertaining to his particular vision of government, faith, and America; and I won’t delve into the implications for the church’s witness after his recent infamous remark about assassinating a South American leader. Today, I am just inspired to share a cursory theological assessment of his publically stated thoughts that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s near death health crisis is because Sharon (similar to the UN and some of the US’s policy), dared to carve up the land of Israel that belongs to God. God punished Sharon for this political decision, says Robertson, because that land belongs to God – the state of Israel is to remain within its current borders, even if Israelis themselves do not see value in that. An article sharing the details is here
Aside from the detailed philosophical ‘theology’ that Zionist thinkers – and presumably premillenialist dispensationalists – like Robertson espouse; aside from any specific thoughts on whether this policy would be healthy for Israel, Palestine, the US, or other regions in the area; aside from any informed and varied opinions on the role of faith in public life (and in stating sickness/death is a sign of judgment from God on a particular person), these statements from Robertson is the result of bad Bible reading. Bad theology. Pure and simple.
This public display of immature, shallow, nationalistic, Constantinian, violently coercive, simplistic, and extremist thought is sadly often what gets attached to ‘evangelical’ thought in the US, and to the ‘Christian’ mission in the world. For that, world, I am sorry. For this failure of people who take your name to be able to imagine, creatively discuss, think, reflect, learn, fail, search and debate truth, disagree but in love, and biblically embody your church – for that, God, I grieve. Bad, bad theology.
(My summary for why the reasoning behind his statements are bad theology are quickly summarized here – but this is not to say that no thoughtful or biblically consistant arguments exist for Zionism, dispensationalism, or varieties of how to view the role of authority, divineor otherwise, in the nation state; just that Robertson failed to communicate or embody any of them.) My reasons: It is inaccurate to think that Jehovah Jireh, Lord of the Universe, is reigning over the secular nation of America, or Israel, in a theocratic sense as He did in the Old Testament when specific covenants and embodied forms of God established this kind of relationship with a people that God chose; or that God would even try to use the nation state to embody the righteousness/justice of the inbreaking/coming kingdom of God. It is a misunderstanding of anthropology and trinitarian orthodoxy to imagine that a limited humanity could hurry, hasten, cause or determine when Christ will return, when it will occur – in Emmanuel’s own words – in an hour and day when you do not expect it, as a thief in the night.
Very well said… say on…
I think you are definitely one of “a few” if you think he’s a “nice old man with badly formed theology”…take off the “nice” and I think quite a few more people will agree with you ; )
Very well put though and enjoyed the tie-in and education on the greater mindset driving many of these people who see the area as a greater staging area to manipulate with an agenda.
Yes. Bad theology.
When I first heard of this statement by Robertson with regard to Sharon, I was wondering if Robertson was losing it. But when seeing the report I realized he was indeed coherent, and could have said the same thing from his theology 20 years ago.
Sad the influence this kind of theology has among believers in the USA. I’m happy for the inroads that better theology is making among us though, through scholars like N.T. Wright.
The dominant position of dispensational nonsense has to be challenged. Worldwide it is a minority position, historical it is a modern invention. As for Pat, I extend the hand of forgiveness to him as Christ did for me, I only pray that he sees his own lack of grace.