Anyone familiar with Gary DeMar?

shackleton · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 04:47 PM

In reading other books on prophecy I saw his name thrown around and while at the local seminary getting some books from their library I saw his book, "Last Days Madness," which seems to be similar to Gentry's books so I decided to pick it up, have read about 70 pages, liked it and so now was wondering something about him and his views.

Southern Presbyterian · #2 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 04:51 PM

You should be able to find out most anything you'd want to know at this link

American Vision

And, IMO, Last Days Madness gets two thumbs up.

Christusregnat · #3 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 04:52 PM

DeMar specializes his studies in 1. America's Christian history, 2. Eschatology. There are other things he advocates, but these are the main two.

I don't buy from him any more because he pushes James B. Jordan's works as "brilliant biblical insight".

He has some good stuff, but will some times make assertions with confidence (particularly when relying on Jordan) that are not entirely accurate.

Cheers,

Adam

Quote:

Originally Posted by shackleton

In reading other books on prophecy I saw his name thrown around and while at the local seminary getting some books from their library I saw his book, "Last Days Madness," which seems to be similar to Gentry's books so I decided to pick it up, have read about 70 pages, liked it and so now was wondering something about him and his views.

sastark · #4 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 05:01 PM

I heard him speak in California a couple of years ago. He knows his stuff. I don't agree with his eschatology 100% (he being a preterist, and I a historicist), but other than that I haven't found anything wrong with him. He's studies in the Christian history of the United States are top notch!

Christusregnat · #5 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 05:12 PM

Seth,

He's speaking at a worldview conference in the Santa Cruz area the first week in August:

West-Coast Christian Worldview Conference

It's for highschool and college students, but my wife and I may go for a few days.

Cheers,

Adam

Quote:

Originally Posted by sastark

I heard him speak in California a couple of years ago. He knows his stuff. I don't agree with his eschatology 100% (he being a preterist, and I a historicist), but other than that I haven't found anything wrong with him. He's studies in the Christian history of the United States are top notch!

BobVigneault · #6 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 06:14 PM

I like his writings a whole bunch but I agree his support of Jordan is a bit of a turn off.

The other complaint you will hear is that he will not say where he stands on the topic of 'hyper-preterism'. I sense that he is not of the hyper variety but he has a bunch of friends and readers who are hyper and he doesn't want to offend them.

I hope I'm right and that he isn't a closet hyper.

His books are written on a popular level and are very accessible. He originally wrote books about God and Government but he found that the dispensational hermeneutic was distorting many people's view of the role of government. He starting writing on preterist eschatology to help correct a bad hermeneutic.

sastark · #7 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 06:29 PM

I hope you enjoy it. When I heard him speak, it was at a Christian Highschool in the Sacramento area. They (the school) sponsored the conference at which he spoke. Let us know how it goes after you hear him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christusregnat

Seth,

He's speaking at a worldview conference in the Santa Cruz area the first week in August:

West-Coast Christian Worldview Conference

It's for highschool and college students, but my wife and I may go for a few days.

Cheers,

Adam

Quote:

Originally Posted by sastark

I heard him speak in California a couple of years ago. He knows his stuff. I don't agree with his eschatology 100% (he being a preterist, and I a historicist), but other than that I haven't found anything wrong with him. He's studies in the Christian history of the United States are top notch!

Ivan · #8 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobVigneault

I hope I'm right and that he isn't a closet hyper.

Wow! With that sentence I imagined him bouncing off the walls inside a closet. Weird.

Christusregnat · #9 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sastark

I hope you enjoy it. When I heard him speak, it was at a Christian Highschool in the Sacramento area. They (the school) sponsored the conference at which he spoke. Let us know how it goes after you hear him.

No, Seth, you missed the point! You're supposed to volunteer to drive up for the conference!

Oh, was the school in Roseville? Cornerstone?

Cheers,

Adam

sastark · #10 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christusregnat

Quote:

Originally Posted by sastark

I hope you enjoy it. When I heard him speak, it was at a Christian Highschool in the Sacramento area. They (the school) sponsored the conference at which he spoke. Let us know how it goes after you hear him.

No, Seth, you missed the point! You're supposed to volunteer to drive up for the conference!

Oh, was the school in Roseville? Cornerstone?

Cheers,

Adam

Yes! You know Cornerstone? I know several of the teachers there.

Southern Presbyterian · #11 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:21 PM

I just heard him speak a couple of weeks ago. You can hear those sessions here: 2008 Reformed Family Bible Conference. I should have included this in my earlier post.

Also, I really don't think he is a hyper preterist, else he would not have been invited to speak at the conference. If he is, he's definitely deep in the closet.

BobVigneault · #12 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:25 PM

Dee Dee Warren thinks he's hyper. Save "What do you think of Dee Dee Warren" for another thread.

Southern Presbyterian · #13 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobVigneault

Dee Dee Warren thinks he's hyper. Save "What do you think of Dee Dee Warren" for another thread.

Hey, that's a slick looking site. How's the content? [quick answer please - I'll move along peacefully-

]

BobVigneault · #14 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 07:55 PM

It's a great site for learning about preterism. It's not reformed.

skellam · #15 (**permalink**) 07-09-2008, 09:55 PM

I read his book Last Days Madness and I found his exposition of the Olivet Discourse very helpful. I also heard him speak at the Greenville Seminary Theology Conference on Christian Worldview (I find his presentation style engaging). The title of his talk was "Penguins, Dog Vomit, and Human Sexuality" A lecture with that title would have to be interesting.

Anton Bruckner · #16 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 07:50 AM

He's a political pragmatist also. Other than that I have no problems with the guy. I learn a lot of stuff from him. But like I said, he is a political pragmatist. He is into choosing the lesser of two evils which will be McCain come November. He hasn't said it outright but he loudly insinuated it, when one guy wrote to him and told him that he will vote for Obama to teach the Repubs a lesson.

kvanlaan · #17 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 10:57 AM

He wrote the foreword for the new 1599 Geneva, no?

Stephen · #18 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 03:27 PM

Gary DeMar is a PCA minister, who is a reconstructionist and theonomist. He is very solid, and writes some excellent material on the Christian view of culture. Some would not agree with everything he teaches, but I really like his work. He is not sympathetic to the FV and would deny its teachings. He has done much work with the late D. James Kennedy and Coral Ridge Ministries. He is still doing some work with CRM even though D James Kennedy is dead.

Christusregnat · #19 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 03:36 PM

Stephen,

Thanks for the info on the FV; I wasn't sure where he stood. What about his promotion of James Jordan? Is it just that James is a G.O.B. or something?

Adam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen

Gary DeMar is a PCA minister, who is a reconstructionist and theonomist. He is very solid, and writes some excellent material on the Christian view of culture. Some would not agree with everything he teaches, but I really like his work. He is not sympathetic to the FV and would deny its teachings. He has done much work with the late D. James Kennedy and Coral Ridge Ministries. He is still doing some work with CRM even though D James Kennedy is dead.

Christusregnat · #20 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sastark

Yes! You know Cornerstone? I know several of the teachers there.

Seth,

Yes, I know Tim French, and my wife was a childhood friend with Rebecca Johnson. I know of Uttinger, and I go to the annual Reformation Bible Conference that the RCUS in Sacramento holds. Oh! And I went to church with a gentleman named Barry Sandlinger for about two weeks before we moved from Seattle back to the Bay Area.

Cheers,

Adam

Stephen · #21 (**permalink**) 07-10-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christusregnat

Stephen,

Thanks for the info on the FV; I wasn't sure where he stood. What about his promotion of James Jordan? Is it just that James is a G.O.B. or something?

Adam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen

Gary DeMar is a PCA minister, who is a reconstructionist and theonomist. He is very solid, and writes some excellent material on the Christian view of culture. Some would not agree with everything he teaches, but I really like his work. He is not sympathetic to the FV and would deny its teachings. He has done much work with the late D. James Kennedy and Coral Ridge Ministries. He is still doing some work with CRM even though D James Kennedy is dead.

James Jordan has defected into the FV heresy, but DeMar would not affirm those particulars views. I do not know what he promotes from Jordan's teachings, but I do not think we should condemn DeMar because he happens to agree with Jordan on a position. If so we would have to be suspicious of every one.