Christian Activism and Dominionist Ideologies

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Christian Activism and Dominionist Ideologies

Christian activism and dominionist ideologies are gaining ground in the modern world. The charismatic Vineyard Movement, founded by John Wimber, and the popular Fuller’s School of Missions, are examples of this movement. Charismatic evangelicals such as Alice Patterson and Jim Garlow organized a prayer rally in California to launch presidential campaigns. They are funded by the charismatic leaders and feature a prophetess known as Cindy Jacobs as its front-figure.

The New Testament teaches that baptism is essential to salvation. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter taught the crowds to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,” which leads to the gift of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, Paul was brought to Christ by Ananias, who exhorted him to be baptized and call on Christ’s name. Similarly, Peter’s ministry in the early church is a great example of the importance of baptism.

The biblical understanding of a human person is based on two aspects: body and soul. The Messiah came to save human beings and raise the body. In the gospels, twenty to eleven percent of Jesus’ public ministry is devoted to reports of physical healings and exorcisms. These accounts provide evidence that Jesus was able to save people’s souls. In addition to promoting human salvation, the apostles’ mission also includes teaching the public about the importance of repentance.

In the New Testament, demon possession is a term used to describe a variety of conditions caused by demonic influences. Demonic possession occurs when someone becomes in direct contact with an impure spirit. In Jesus’ time, it was important to provide an authoritative command to remove demonic influence. This command came from Jesus himself. The satanic spirits were not afraid to respond to Jesus’ command. Therefore, they reacted negatively to his actions.