Fortean Winds Selling the Apocalypse – From Scofield to Now
Aug 20, 2025
Delve into the fascinating commercialization of apocalyptic narratives, tracing their roots to the Scofield Reference Bible. Discover Cyrus Scofield's controversial life and the rise of dispensationalism and Christian Zionism. Explore how these beliefs shaped American culture and politics, including the Iraq War's possible ties to end-times theology. Unravel the connections between conspiracy theories and influencer culture, examining how doomsday is still sold today. From pamphlets to pixels, the evolution of these themes has never been more intriguing!
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What Dispensationalism Claims
- Dispensationalism splits human history into phases where God interacts differently with people.
- This theology foregrounds a literal reading of scripture and the idea that Christians will be 'raptured' before a final thousand-year reign.
Why Israel Is Central To The Theology
- Dispensationalism separates Israel's covenant history from the church and expects a future restoration of Israel tied to Christ's return.
- This leads Christian Zionism to view modern Israeli state events as prophetic milestones.
Schofield's Checkered Personal History
- Schofield's personal history included desertion, forgery, corruption, and abandoning his family before his conversion.
- The hosts highlight these facts to question his moral authority as the curator of authoritative footnotes.
