Theologian Doug Wilson argues that biblical prophecies of cosmic collapse—like the sun going dark—are not about the future end of the world. As a "preterist," he views this "decreation language" as a standard Old Testament metaphor for the fall of a nation, asserting Jesus used it to predict the historical destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
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While societal decline can be a long, slow process, it can unravel rapidly. The tipping point is when the outside world loses confidence in a nation's core institutions, such as its legal system or central bank. This triggers a sudden flight of capital, talent, and investment, drastically accelerating the collapse.
Doug Wilson follows a key interpretive rule: the Old Testament applies today unless the New Testament specifically says it doesn't. This "applies unless revoked" view contrasts with the more common evangelical stance that the Old Testament *doesn't* apply unless the New Testament *reaffirms* it. This principle has vast implications for his views on law and society.
Unlike pre-millennialists who await an imminent rapture, post-millennialist Doug Wilson believes Christians must build a prosperous, global Christian order for at least a thousand years *before* Jesus returns. This theological framework transforms the faith from a passive waiting game into an active, long-term political and cultural project to "make the world a better place."
Rather than seeking immediate revolution, Christian nationalist Doug Wilson outlines an incremental, long-term strategy. He distinguishes between an ideal "Presbyterian utopia" 500 years from now and the current pragmatic need to solve bigger problems. This patient approach, rooted in peaceful persuasion and cultural change, means controversial goals like religious tests for office are not a present focus.
Author Robert Kaplan uses the Weimar Republic not to predict another Hitler, but as an analogy for a world in permanent crisis. Technology has shrunk the globe, creating a claustrophobic, anxious environment where no single power is in control, leading to constant paralysis rather than a clear authoritarian outcome.
Doug Wilson defines Christian nationalism as a direct response to the perceived collapse of secular governance. He argues that a society without a "transcendent grounding" for its morality inevitably disintegrates, citing current cultural shifts as evidence. The movement's goal is to re-establish a public confession of dependence on God to restore social order.
Wilson distinguishes "biblical absolutism" from literalism. He argues for a "natural" reading that respects each book's literary genre—interpreting history as history, poetry as poetry, and apocalyptic literature as symbolic. This allows him to uphold the Bible's authority without, for example, looking for a literal doorknob on Jesus when he says, "I am the door."
A cuneiform tablet from 1700 BC, predating the Old Testament by a millennium, tells a nearly identical flood story. The Babylonian version attributes the flood to gods annoyed by human noise, whereas Judean authors later repurposed the narrative to be about a single God punishing humanity for its sins.
Current instability is not unique to one country but part of a global pattern. This mirrors historical "crisis centuries" (like the 17th) where civil wars, plagues, and economic turmoil occurred simultaneously across different civilizations, driven by similar underlying variables.
Political violence and societal decay are not random events but predictable outcomes of economic desperation. By analyzing quantifiable data like debt-to-GDP ratios on a spreadsheet, one can forecast these outcomes with high accuracy. Because the problem is knowable and data-driven, it is also avoidable.
