What Should I Do with My Book?

[freespiritchurch]

This is not a typical post in this forum, but really addressed to dispensationalists.

First: I am not a dispensationalist: I'm an ex-Catholic who is now a Protestant minister. I got really interested in the history of fundamentalism while getting a Ph.D. in church history at the University of Chicago (which is about as anti-dispensationalist as a place can be). When I first encountered dispensationalism.

Long story short, I ended up producing a dissertation on the history of dispensationalism between 1820 and 1880. During my research, I uncovered previously unknown evidence that showed how dispensationalism got from Darby & the Plymouth Brethren to American evangelicals. I also learned a lot about the context of the early dispensationalists to offer some reasons why dispensationalism was a reasonable theological response to the problems facing American Protestants in the 1800s.

Almost all the writing about dispensationalism I see is intended to prove or disprove it--including the historical writing, which means that most of the history is very biased. So I have a dissertation that presents the early history and context of dispensationalism. My thought is that it challenges everyone: I work to show that dispensationalism is rational and logical, but I also show that it's a specific theology that develops out of a specific context.

For various reasons I didn't do anything with the dissertation for years, but I've come back to it recently and would like to turn it into a book. I don't think it would be right for me to go to a dispensational publisher (like Moody) because I'm not a dispensationalist. I could go to a university press, but I doubt the book would be accessible to the people who would find it most interesting. The third option would be to do a Kickstarter and self-publish.

I'm wondering what, if any, of these options would bring those of you here to encounter the book. I could easily write a book for non-dispensationalists only but my discoveries are relevant to debates within dispensational theology and I don't want to be segregated in a secular/academic universe.

PS: Just so y'all know this is legit, here's a link to the dissertation:

https://search.proquest.com/openview/8f7052e71efd049593b9dd99a8b0b86e/1?cbl=18750&diss=y

 

[LastSeven]

I'm curious, why this post is addressed to dispensationalists.

 

[PloverWing]

(Preliminary note: I'm not a dispensationalist, but I'm going to chime in anyway. Hope that's not rude. )

It sounds like you've produced a scholarly work; so, while you might choose to aim for a readable writing style in your book, there's no point hiding its scholarly origins. I see sound scholarship as a plus in a book like this; it distinguishes it from lots of religious books that are just some guy's unfounded opinion.

A university publisher could still be a good way to go. I have books from Oxford U. Press on my shelf that are quite readable. If you don't like that, you might consider a publisher like Eerdmans or Zondervan that publishes both scholarly and popular works. I'd reserve self-publishing for a last resort, to use only if you can't find a conventional publisher.

Good luck with your book!

 

[2tim_215]

Looks interesting. You might want to get it reviewed here before you publish if you're looking for some additional critique. Looks pretty good from what you've shown us.

 

[drjean]

... post it in the right forum, not one that goads believers in the rapture?
Make it a free e-book.

 

[bcbsr]

This is not a typical post in this forum, but really addressed to dispensationalists.

First: I am not a dispensationalist: I'm an ex-Catholic who is now a Protestant minister. I got really interested in the history of fundamentalism while getting a Ph.D. in church history at the University of Chicago (which is about as anti-dispensationalist as a place can be). When I first encountered dispensationalism.

Long story short, I ended up producing a dissertation on the history of dispensationalism between 1820 and 1880. During my research, I uncovered previously unknown evidence that showed how dispensationalism got from Darby & the Plymouth Brethren to American evangelicals. I also learned a lot about the context of the early dispensationalists to offer some reasons why dispensationalism was a reasonable theological response to the problems facing American Protestants in the 1800s.

Almost all the writing about dispensationalism I see is intended to prove or disprove it--including the historical writing, which means that most of the history is very biased. So I have a dissertation that presents the early history and context of dispensationalism. My thought is that it challenges everyone: I work to show that dispensationalism is rational and logical, but I also show that it's a specific theology that develops out of a specific context.

For various reasons I didn't do anything with the dissertation for years, but I've come back to it recently and would like to turn it into a book. I don't think it would be right for me to go to a dispensational publisher (like Moody) because I'm not a dispensationalist. I could go to a university press, but I doubt the book would be accessible to the people who would find it most interesting. The third option would be to do a Kickstarter and self-publish.

I'm wondering what, if any, of these options would bring those of you here to encounter the book. I could easily write a book for non-dispensationalists only but my discoveries are relevant to debates within dispensational theology and I don't want to be segregated in a secular/academic universe.

PS: Just so y'all know this is legit, here's a link to the dissertation:

https://search.proquest.com/openview/8f7052e71efd049593b9dd99a8b0b86e/1?cbl=18750&diss=y

Along side (or part of dispensationalism) was the development of Free Grace Theology, which basically overlooks the Biblical correlation between salvation and behavior which is due to the regenerate nature. That is they don't view the regenerate nature (being born of God) having the kind of significant impact on one's behavior as taught in scripture (i.e. 1John 3:9,10) And so deal with verses the speak of those who don't measure up are saved, but end up in some kind of purgatory scenario from the extreme thesis of Witness Lee/Watchman to who would assign them to hell fire for a time, to the mild versions of being subjects of the millenial kingdom, but not ruling in it. Those theories originated from the same time period and involved the same people like Darby. And I assume you might have mentioned the Keswick conference where these groups got together.

I think also around this same time period and among similar groups and including Charismatics, there arose the two class system, which these various groups would express in different ways.

First class Christians: Those baptized in the Spirit, Those filled with the Spirit, and such class distinction from
Second class Christians: Carnal, saved and having the Spirit, but not baptized with the spirit, not filled with the Spirit, immature.

The concept developed that there was not a spectrum between these two classes, but rather you were either one or the other. That was new, and in my opinion unBiblical.

 

[LastSeven]

Only the author can determine if "free" is a fair price for his work, but personally I think the market lacks fair and unbiased scholarly works of religious topics.

 

[LaSorcia]

The third option would be to do a Kickstarter and self-publish.

You can self-publish for free:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/writinglife

https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/

 

[dysert]

As someone who has used CreateSpace to self-publish a book myself, my advice would be to use a conventional publisher if you want any distribution.

 

[freespiritchurch]

I'm posting in this forum because I want actual dispensationalists to read the book. So that's a more focused question: if a university press published a history of early dispensationalism, would you be likely to hear about it? If you did hear about it, would you read it? Would it be less credible because it came from a university press?

I appreciate the suggestions. As noted, self-publishing doesn't get you far if you don't have a way to distribute. A Kickstarter would confirm that the product is viable. Eerdmans says they don't think they can sell enough copies to make it work and pointed me to a university press. Zondervan only accepts unsolicited academic books, which is pretty much "university press lite."

 

[dysert]

Personally, I get a book if I think it sounds interesting. Rarely do I care who published it (an exception being a book published by IVP). So I think you should take a route that will get people to know about the book (whatever that is ;-).

 

[ac28]

I've been an A28D for 30 years, which, in reality, has nothing in common with the A2D (Acts 2 Dispensationalist) variety you wrote about. You should learn the differences. Just using the word, "Dispensationalist", without qualifying the type, is meaningless. There are also several mid-Acts, or A9D, members on here. I did download what you wrote, though, and probably will read it when I get a chance.

Biblewriter, an A2D, has written many very long posrs on this forum concerning the history of A2D (I would guess several 100s of pages) and he definitely knows that subject. If you need a knowledgeable critic, he should be your very 1st choice. Also, he has always seemed to be a nice guy.

I've read many books and articles about dispensationalism written by non-dispensationalists. Without exception, none had any value at all. The only people that truly know anything about dispensationalism are dispensationalists.

I would think that, due to the complexity of any form of dispensationalism, that it would be always be better if a dispensationalist were the author of a book on dispensationalism. To understand what any type of dispensationalist believes, you have to be a dispensationalist of that particular type. For example, the A9D have zero idea what A28D is all about, and visa versa.. The difference is the A28D really has no interest in what A9D believes, since we have no doubts that since they aren't A28D, they are totally wrong. Hey, Dan!

Your title, "Inventing the Rapture" could be provocative for many people. For me, I couldn't care less, since A28D doesn't believe the rapture is for anyone living today. Our "rapture" is the "Appearing", which is found only in Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles, the only books that apply directly to anyone living during the last 1953 years. The other 59 books are 100% Israel and contain no information about our future.

I just looked at the 24 page download. "Where's the Meat?"

 

[Stone-n-Steel]

I vote to self publish and let the Lord take it from there. Paul used "oikonomia" in several epistles and we all know what the Lord did with his writings.

 

[dysert]

I vote to self publish and let the Lord take it from there. Paul used "oikonomia" in several epistles and we all know what the Lord did with his writings.

No offense to the OP, but I think there is a significant difference between him and the apostle Paul.

 

[Stone-n-Steel]

No offense to the OP, but I think there is a significant difference between him and the apostle Paul.

I confess to being a little snarky in my reply. I am a dispensationalist and consider it to be a God honoring method of Biblical interpretation. Maybe by pointing at Paul the OP may check out the concept at the source. I'm surely not a scholar like the OP is, but Paul was one.

 

[Danoh]

I've been an A28D for 30 years, which, in reality, has nothing in common with the A2D (Acts 2 Dispensationalist) variety you wrote about. You should learn the differences. Just using the word, "Dispensationalist", without qualifying the type, is meaningless. There are also several mid-Acts, or A9D, members on here. I did download what you wrote, though, and probably will read it when I get a chance.

Biblewriter, an A2D, has written many very long posrs on this forum concerning the history of A2D (I would guess several 100s of pages) and he definitely knows that subject. If you need a knowledgeable critic, he should be your very 1st choice. Also, he has always seemed to be a nice guy.

I've read many books and articles about dispensationalism written by non-dispensationalists. Without exception, none had any value at all. The only people that truly know anything about dispensationalism are dispensationalists.

I would think that, due to the complexity of any form of dispensationalism, that it would be always be better if a dispensationalist were the author of a book on dispensationalism. To understand what any type of dispensationalist believes, you have to be a dispensationalist of that particular type. For example, the A9D have zero idea what A28D is all about, and visa versa.. The difference is the A28D really has no interest in what A9D believes, since we have no doubts that since they aren't A28D, they are totally wrong. Hey, Dan!

Your title, "Inventing the Rapture" could be provocative for many people. For me, I couldn't care less, since A28D doesn't believe the rapture is for anyone living today. Our "rapture" is the "Appearing", which is found only in Paul's 7 post-Acts epistles, the only books that apply directly to anyone living during the last 1953 years. The other 59 books are 100% Israel and contain no information about our future.

I just looked at the 24 page download. "Where's the Meat?"

Lol - luv ya back, Ac.

Romans 14:5, in memory of Romans 5:6-8 - in each...our stead.

 

[Biblewriter]

This is not a typical post in this forum, but really addressed to dispensationalists.

First: I am not a dispensationalist: I'm an ex-Catholic who is now a Protestant minister. I got really interested in the history of fundamentalism while getting a Ph.D. in church history at the University of Chicago (which is about as anti-dispensationalist as a place can be). When I first encountered dispensationalism.

Long story short, I ended up producing a dissertation on the history of dispensationalism between 1820 and 1880. During my research, I uncovered previously unknown evidence that showed how dispensationalism got from Darby & the Plymouth Brethren to American evangelicals. I also learned a lot about the context of the early dispensationalists to offer some reasons why dispensationalism was a reasonable theological response to the problems facing American Protestants in the 1800s.

Almost all the writing about dispensationalism I see is intended to prove or disprove it--including the historical writing, which means that most of the history is very biased. So I have a dissertation that presents the early history and context of dispensationalism. My thought is that it challenges everyone: I work to show that dispensationalism is rational and logical, but I also show that it's a specific theology that develops out of a specific context.

For various reasons I didn't do anything with the dissertation for years, but I've come back to it recently and would like to turn it into a book. I don't think it would be right for me to go to a dispensational publisher (like Moody) because I'm not a dispensationalist. I could go to a university press, but I doubt the book would be accessible to the people who would find it most interesting. The third option would be to do a Kickstarter and self-publish.

I'm wondering what, if any, of these options would bring those of you here to encounter the book. I could easily write a book for non-dispensationalists only but my discoveries are relevant to debates within dispensational theology and I don't want to be segregated in a secular/academic universe.

PS: Just so y'all know this is legit, here's a link to the dissertation:

https://search.proquest.com/openview/8f7052e71efd049593b9dd99a8b0b86e/1?cbl=18750&diss=y

This is interesting, but relies heavily on flawed sources. J.N.Darby indeed popularized dispensationalism, but he did not originate it. Most of its main elements were clearly taught by numerous writers during the first three centuries of the church, as well as in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. And a fully developed dispensationalism was clearly set forth by Lewis Way in the teen years of the nineteenth century. (I think it was 1815, but am not sure, and am not inclined to check at the moment.)

And the concept of a rapture before the great tribulation was taught in the very oldest Christian commentary on Bible prophecy of any significant length that has survived to the present day, as well as in several other documents written in truly ancient times. It was also taught in medieval times, during the reformation, and by at least two dozen writers during the sixteen hundreds and seventeen hundreds.

You can read about all this in the book "Dispensationalism Before Darby," by William C. Watson, Lampion Press, 2015 and in the forthcoming book, "Ancient Dispensational Doctrine," by myself, whose publication is currently being negotiated with a publisher.

 

[dysert]

whose publication is currently being negotiated with a publisher.

Best of luck with that, James.