Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 06:18 (Aug 2002)
Article: History of the War Over Dispensationalism: Where We Stand Today, Part II
Author: Mal Couch

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CTJ 6:18 (August 2002) p. 220

History of the War Over Dispensationalism:
Where We Stand Today, Part II

Mal Couch

President & Professor of Theology & Languages
Tyndale Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX

In this second article of a two-part series on the history of dispensationalism, the author presents the attacks that system of theology has received in more recent years. This paper was presented at the December 2000 meeting of the Pre-Trib Research Group in Dallas, TX.

The Twentieth Century: The Defining Years For Dispensationalism (cont.)

The 1950s–1960s

After the death of Lewis Sperry Chafer in August 1952, John Walvoord was appointed president of Dallas Theological Seminary. He had been Chafer’s assistant for some time and had been teaching most of the theology courses. He was well equipped mentally, spiritually, and certainly by his experience as one who walked by Chafer’s side.

Just prior to this, and a little after, DTS took off as one of the most influential seminaries in America. Though it didn’t intend to, the seminary carried the banner of the Scofield Reference Bible. I believe DTS was important also because of the books that began to be published. Chafer’s Systematic Theology was available by 1948. Walvoord wrote: The Holy Spirit (1948); The Thessalonian Letters (1955); The Rapture Question (1957); The Millennial Kingdom (1959); and Israel in Prophecy came out in 1962.

Though others had written on dispensationalism and premillennialism before, Walvoord’s books represented an important level of academic achievement in the way dispensational issues were presented. His books also exhibited a distinct clarity in expression and doctrinal savvy. His historical and biblical

CTJ 6:18 (August 2002) p. 221

arguments were irrefutable. With Chafer’s Systematic Theology, the Scofield Reference Bible, along with Walvoord’s books, dispensationalism had taken the theological initiative. Along with DTS, there was a host of prominent dispensational schools, such as Moody, Philadelphia Bible Institute, Dallas Bible College, and many, many others that were spiritually flourishing and prospering. There were publishing houses friendly to dispensationalism, such as Moody and Kregel. And even some of the other non-dispensational publishing houses were not afraid to publish dispensational material, such as Baker, Zondervan, and Eerdmans.

I was privileged to begin DTS in 1960. At that time, the giants were in the land! Besides Walvoord, there was Merrill Unger, Charles Ryrie, S. Lewis Johnson, J. Dwight Pentecost, to name a few. Guest faculty came to the school and taught, such as J. Vernon McGee, Carl Arme...

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