An Apology to the Public Regarding Preterism

By Jason Bradfield
(8/26/10)

Previously classified as "Hyper Preterism", this article has been moved to the "Progressive Preterism" section due, in part, to Jason's critical re-evaluation of Full Preterism.
 (Ultimate Archive Classification tbd) 

• About the only thing preterists are dogmatic on is that "Jesus already came."

• "...if it isn't enough to make me rethink the foundations of preterism, it at least makes me want to disassociate myself from it."

• "I have heard often that a systematic approach would "destroy" preterism. Now, because i have always been pro-systematic, i would just respond by saying, "No, that's nuts. It has to be systematized. But now i wonder, "maybe that's the problem...it can't." If you've been paying any attention at all to the discussion forums involving preterists, you will see nothing but one crazy disjointed claim after another."

• "It's kinda like that game Jenga. 54 wood blocks are placed in a tin can, all nice and neat, to form a "tower". The can is then lifted. Each player takes a turn removing a block from the tower and then places that block on the top to balance things. Eventually, someone is going to remove a piece that topples the whole thing and thereby loses the game. Some pieces can be moved with little notice. Some blocks are more important though, upon which these seemingly less significant ones rest. But even these less significant blocks will eventually fall as well, when the foundation is constantly picked at. It's all connected.

• Oh, we're "reforming" alright. Reforming the WHOLE kit and caboodle! Heck, we have practically toppled the whole of Christianity and are playing with a different set of blocks! And what have we constructed thus far? "Well, we know Jesus came back. That will be our foundation block...now lets build on top of that. The rest of this stuff...well...let's just converse about it."

• Progressive: Jason Bradfield - Semper Reformanda Full Preterism  (12/20/2010) "I believe leaving the community and being inactive elsewhere (not entirely, but to a large degree) helped position me now into the role of an 'outsider' in regards to full preterism. Technically, I wasn't an outsider. Practically, I was. Instead of having my head buried in the sand and getting immersed with all the in-house scuffles, I was now able to step back and look at the bigger picture...and I didn't like what I saw. I blogged about this, an apology which has now been featured at the infamous PreteristArchive, a site ran by another former full preterist, Todd Dennis."

  "The rub is ~ given full preterist presuppositions, i want to know how you GOT from point A to point B. Systematically, logically, exegetically. Full preterism has NOT, i repeat, NOT done this! If any full preterist contests that they have, then all they have to do is simply provide the link here to either the work online or to a book they have published. It doesn't exist." // "And since no full preterist has done it ~ then why in the world would any full preterist get upset with me for stepping back and saying, "dang. I don't know about this full pret stuff anymore"? Why in the world would anyone get upset with me for wanting to exercise more CAUTION and to stop being dogmatic about a viewpoint that basically hasn't answered much of squat?" 

  • HyP Response: "Jason is like the ancient Jews who tied a rope around the High Priest so they can pull him out if need be in that Jason appears to be pulling on that rope as strongly as he can with  Sam but Sam is clawing by the fingernails to hang onto what he has invested 20 years into." // "Now it’s obvious that Sam is trying to hang onto what full Preterist legacy that he can but I’m afraid he has damaged his “theological goods” to the extent that many full Preterist will not trust his work anymore and give him the benefit of the doubt.  "

 

12/30/10: "I believe leaving the community and being inactive elsewhere (not entirely, but to a large degree) helped position me now into the role of an 'outsider' in regards to full preterism. Technically, I wasn't an outsider. Practically, I was. Instead of having my head buried in the sand and getting immersed with all the in-house scuffles, I was now able to step back and look at the bigger picture...and I didn't like what I saw. I blogged about this, an apology which has now been featured at the infamous PreteristArchive, a site ran by another former full preterist, Todd Dennis."  (Keep up the great work, Jason!)
 

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