It is a common myth within the Hyper Pret circle that "once a full preterist, always a full preterist".   In fact, there is a great deal of turnover in the view.  Most of those who once strongly defended the view fade away and are never heard from again.   As is the case with all other theologies, some are heard from, but outside of the confines of Christianity.   Regardless of the actual number, however, is the fact that the earliest known adherents of a fully Preterist theology eventually left the view for more mature approaches.   By mature, I mean views that took AD70 into account, but no longer as the focal point of Bible prophecy.  Similarly, there are a number of high profile writers today who have left the view.   Many of their writings are being archived below. Hyper Preterism: Defining "Hyper Preterism" | Criticisms from the Outside / Criticisms from the Inside || Progressive Pret | Regressive Pret | Pret Universalism | Former Full Preterists

At what point does AD70 hinder the message/messenger?

Taylor Adams

• Review of "When Shall These Things Be" - "I was a hyper-preterist. Then I read this book. I read it in order to refute it. I could not. I can attest to the accuracy of the contributor's statements regarding hyper-preterism, and I'm thankful I was pulled from the clutches of it before I had sunk deeper.  This book constitutes the first detailed and in-depth response to the movement known as "full preterism" but better called "hyper preterism." Naturally, because it is the first, it will stumble in some areas. But there are also positives.

• Review of "The End of All Things" - "Seraiah's book is a direct theological response to hyper-preterism, and it does its job well. It has helped a number of my friends escape pantelism as well, and so I am personally thankful for its parousia. Occasionally I return to those websites that I used to haunt as a hyper-preterist. So far I have not found one response to this book or to Mathison's, that is anywhere near the same league, in terms of theology and scholarship."
   

Dorothy Anderson (2008)

• Hyper Preterism for Dummies (2009) "It is common to hear talk about leaving their Church families – due to the conflict of their position or because they see too much error being taught. (This adds to the problems for those who leave the view because they have no Church support)"

• The Devil is in the Details (2009) "My position today is this: If they want to lay claim to the start of the next reformation, they must have a prepared response here. Luther wasn’t negligent in that area. Since their position requires a defeat of Satan, inquiring minds want to know. Who or what is/was Satan that proves this scripture is fulfilled?"

• Re-Shuffling the Creed Deck (2009) "What has happened in hyper-preterism is their eschatological (end times) position requires them to redefine, or at best reschedule the resurrection and after 25+ years, they still have no unified solution to offer. You would think that would give them a clue that maybe they have a real problem. Instead, they are still arguing over what the resurrection represents. So their supposed answer to eschatology has resulted in a major creedal failure."

• Return from Oz (2008) "I do believe full preterism is dying out. The reason: In order to have fellowship today and further their studies, a large number of full preterists have been reduced to embracing those who hold the full preterist position regardless of their other doctrinal beliefs, like denial of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, universalism, denial of the trinity, the emergent Church “truth can’t be known”, etc."

• Dorothy's public announcement on PretCoz Group (2008) "It may come as a shock to some, but I no longer hold to the FP position and no, Lloyd, nor Rod can be held to ridicule here for my change but they both have made some valid points that have complimented my study.. I do have a scriptural response and I'll share it privately with some and then publicly when I get it on paper but in the meantime, I'm still in study.  I've been seeing some problems for a while and have finally taken the time to search it out.  While FP has straightened out much, it is not the end all imho."

  • Mike Sullivan's Full Preterist Response: "I will say the same thing about you that I did Roderick.  I pointed out how there is no middle ground and that Roderick's heart would eventually get harder from his sin of rejecting and compromising the Word of God.  That is the road you are on.. And because of this, reading you (like Roderick) will end up being a complete waist of anyone's time."

John Anderson (2007) Host of "Voice of Reason" - Explained shift to partial preterist view on 11/11/7 Broadcast - The Binding of Satan (man's rebellious spirit of antichrist) in AD70, and the Loosing of "Satan" in the Atheistical Plunge of the Mid-20th Century

• "Voice of Reason" Radio Show is seeking financial support to cover for the losses brought about by host John Anderson's conversion from Full Preterism
   

Marcus Booker

• When Our House is Torn Down "the law is done away on an individual level (not to the exclusion of the historical passing away of the Law of Moses). What I am presenting in this article is a more systematic development and exploration of this idea. "
   

Jared Coleman - Columnist at Preterist Planet - Reputedly embraced freethinking atheism after a long struggle. "eschatology probably played a small role in the demise of my faith."

• "God of the Gaps" Did My Faith In You are correct that I didn’t just wake up an atheist one day, but the change had been building so slowly and for so long that when I finally hit the “tipping point” it sure felt that way.

• In Defense of Atheistic Morality I seemingly woke up one morning and realized that my life would be no different, practically, without God. I made all of my decisions based on the assumption that the universe operates by simple cause-and-effect. My hopes did not involve God’s intervention. My sense of “right and wrong” did not come directly from the Bible or any other Christian source. In fact, as I’ve said since then, the word ‘God’ had become meaningless to me. I had no idea what it even meant

• Why delectatio Dei?  "Lately I have come to really hate the word 'preterist' .. the word focuses on looking backward at a time when I am focused on looking forward (not without looking backward as well, of course). And third, while I still read many of the eschatological passages of scripture in a very similar (though in many cases not the same) way as others in that community, the language of the preterist community is woefully deficient and unless it changes it will never be able to project an adequate picture of the kingdom of God. That last statement is pretty strong, but I believe it just that strongly. Many of you may already agree and so I'm not going to list the reasons here, but if any of my preterist friends want to talk about it we can discuss it in the comments. So, I am not going to use this word to describe myself anymore."

David P. Crews

• My Journey From Religion to Rationalism "In my Christian life, I was often a teacher, but never a preacher in the traditional sense. I did write and publish (in 1994) a book about the New Testament that helped start an ongoing movement in Christianity called Preterism. I began writing the actual text of the book in 1990, and decided the only way this book would actually become published was if I produced it myself. In order to control the production of my book completely, I formed my own publishing company, New Light Publishing, in 1994. “Prophecy Fulfilled - God’s Perfect Church” was published in that year.  All during this time, I assumed that I and a few family members were the only ones who knew and held to the preterist view. Interestingly, however, just prior to publication, I found out I was not alone! There were many others who had come to essentially the same conclusions independently of one another, and had formed an ongoing community with journals, seminars, and other connections. Kingdom Counsel (now the International Preterist Association) held a preterism seminar in Pennsylvania in the summer of 1994 and I attended it to introduce my book."
   

Jonathan M. Companik

• The Anti-Church Movement (Hyper-Preterism) (2004) "These times of refreshing are still to come (on a cosmic scale), as reported by the prophets (Acts 3:19). Hyper-Preterists would like to discuss this in terms of a subjective, inward, and mystical "refreshing", but that ignores the very historical, geographical description and context in which these prophecies were couched originally. It is every generation's job within the Church to seek to hasten the coming of the Day of Christ."
   

Todd Dennis (2006) - Founder and Curator of PreteristArchive.com - Started online full preterist movement in 1996, but after a considerable amount of studies determined that full - not partial - preterism represent the "half-way point" in eschatological studies... resolving that Jesus Christ and His work is the true focal point of all Bible prophecy.  AD30-70 is not the substance of fulfillment, but is the type and shadow of Christ's work in transitioning His people from "old" to "new"

• Hyper Preterism's AD70 Focal Point for Redemption and the New Covenant is Fundamentally Different From Christianity's Focal Point of the Cross (2009) "When the life of Jesus was draining away on the cross, He Himself noted that the redemptive work had been accomplished, in saying "it is finished". Finished (Tetelestai, from the verb teleo) means “to complete, to accomplish".  Though some HyPs may try to diminish the meaning of the cross and Jesus' declaration prior to His sacrificial death (which diminishment in itself serves as a litmus test for error), it was of the utmost significance. In fact, in order to maintain continuity with Christianity, it must remain the central focus. To diminish the centrality of the cross for redemptive accomplishment is to fundamentally alter the message that has been handed down and delivered throughout all generations. To diminish the cross event is not just a small matter of end times disagreement; Rather, it is an attack on the very foundations of Christianity."

• On Leaving Full Preterism After A Decade (And The Doctrinal Advancement Which Comes From Properly Seeing AD70 As Symbol, Not Substance)  (2008)  Though full preterist systems don't deny that spiritual truths can be applied from the events of AD70, the idealist takes exactly the opposite view -- that AD70 itself was an application (outward show) of eternal spiritual realities - and was not the Substance in itself. (Not "Re-Fulfillment"!)  ..The most common complaint against the full preterist view is its inability to answer the "what now?" questions... but there is a concern that runs much deeper.  By identifying  the corporate "consummation of the ages" as having been settled for all time in AD70, the individual believers' "transition period" is removed from today, being made a first century reality alone.  This error neglects the importance of the "glory to glory" process at work in the life of the believer, and chooses rather to accept that there is no sin, death, or devil to be contended with today.  In short, full preterist doctrine chooses the corporate over the individual, and this betrayal results in much suffering."

• Matthew 26:64 is NOT a "Preterist Time Indicator" Pointing to AD70 "In short, the usage of "Apo Arti" in Matthew 26:64 [Apo ("from" - Strongs 575) and Arti ("now on" - Strong's 737)] is highly suggestive of the themes that have been previously offered at this blog ; that is, a series of revelatory recognitions of the power and glory of Jesus Christ's dominance by friend and foe alike. Though the typically pret-friendly Weymouth translation would like to make Jesus say "later on, you will see.." this is not really honest. I would rather say that it was simply a mistake, but I find it impossible to believe that neither Richard Francis Weymouth ("If this belief ever obtains general acceptance the earlier date of the Apocalypse will also be regarded as fully established. For it will then be seen that the book describes beforehand events which took place in 70 A.D.") nor Earnest Hampden-Cook (co-editor and author of "The Christ Has Come") were aware of the importance of this passage regarding their Preterist assumptions. However, not only is there no sense of futurity in this very emphatic Greek phrase, but rather we

• Matthew 10:23 is NOT a "Preterist Time Indicator" pointing to AD70 "It has become a working assumption of Hyper Preterism that the "coming" passages in the New Testament refer to AD70. And the eisegetical presupposition that Matthew 10:23 is a "(Hyper) Preterist time indicator" is considered to be unassailable, even though there is not a hint of reference to AD70 in the text or context of the chapter from which to support this conclusion."

• Israel's History a Type - From Beginning to Telos (AD70) "Sometimes, however, in an attempt to "confirm" a prophecy, a rush to judgment is made, whereby a mistake brings disrepute upon the supposed author. This happens often regarding supposed prophecies about "the end of the world." For almost 2,000 years, futurist Christians have predicted the end of the world in their near futures, only to have their expectations crushed when the earth did not blow up on cue. Repeated failures have brought an odium of shame to the Bible and the Lord, even though the fault was entirely with those who mistook the prophecies for something they were not. With Hyper Preterism, the miscues usually accrue in the other direction -- declaring something as completed when in fact it was not."

REACTIONS

• "I do not believe that Todd Dennis is dangerous, but he seems to be motivated by an irrational zeal which is clouding his mind and controls him and all he does. Good people and ideas are judged by their fruits, and so far, the fruits of “preterist idealism” seem to be hate, injustice and elitism. The very fact that a guy uses his divorce and personal life to rationalize attacking other people should tell you enough about his theology and his relationship with the Creator so that we can only pray for him to recover and do what’s right in relation to those around him, his family and people he is using to further whatever agenda he has created in his mind. Please either reach out to Todd if you know him, or pray for him so that he is redeemed and healed of his hate and evil plans. "

Philip S. Desprez (1865) - Wrote second-oldest known Full Preterist book, but left that view for a more critically mature approach, built a wide reputation as a higher critic of the books of Daniel and Revelation.  His take on full preterism after his conversion away: "something more was intended by the coming itself and the unearthly scenes with which it is said to be accompanied, than the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent establishment of Christianity.  However momentous the ruin of their city might have been to the Jews, it could not have materially affected the Gentile converts to whom the warnings relating to the advent were principally addressed."

• P.S. Desprez: Analogy between the Apocalypse of the Old Testament and that of the New (1865 PDF)

• Daniel; or, The apocalypse of the Old Testament (1865) Written after his conversion away from full preterism // Added a PDF File   "We are not ashamed to confess our inability to reconcile the proximity under which these phenomena are announced with the actual course of events. We seem to be painfully conscious of the existence of a serious discrepancy between the latter-day anticipations of the New Testament and what might be considered their due and legitimate fulfilment: a conviction arising not from a superficial or deceitful handling of the sacred text, but from a reverent and careful examination, extended over many years, of this particular question ; and we think it the part of exegetical consistency to endeavour to grapple with it, before we stereotype with too great confidence traditional opinions which appear unable to stand the test of searching and out-spoken criticism. "

Nathan DuBois (2007)

• Full Preterism vs. Idealism: Part Three - Full Preterism's "New" Gospel  "So what kept men from God. What stood in the way of God and man. The law of Moses? By no means. If so Paul would have taught that it was in the destruction of Judaism that would remove the veil. Instead Paul said it was the Spirit that removes the veil.  Full Preterism must either submit to the idea that the law is still in existence for everyone who is not in Christ, or submit to Universalist interpretations. The law of Christ is the reality of the shadow law of Moses. Removing the law of Moses, a copy, a shadow, does not remove the veil. Only the Spirit removes the veil. "

• Full Preterism vs. Idealism: Part Two - Full Preterism's Achilles Heel "The issue here is the consistency in the approach. The devil is gone and inactive, irrelevant and being tormented, and so is death. The same punishment for both MUST produce the same results. Do I really need to do a study on Romans to show that the death from Adam is still going on today? Do I need to state anymore that the only way for Full Preterism to answer the devil and death problem is to invent a "new law" that humans break after AD 70, and a "new death" to explain the lake of fire that Universalists get wrong? Reformed Full Preterism must either depart from the Reformed grounding, lead to a Universalist approach, or lead to an Idealist approach."

• Why I Needed to Repent: A Letter to a Friend... Among Friends (2006) "Am I saying full preterists are the Pharisees of today? NO!   But I am saying I AM ONE!   I was so caught up in the system of things that I could SEE that I was missing, and causing others to miss, the things that can only be seen by the heart. I saw the purpose and will of God in AD 70, the "new" (though very old) law of God being advented, but I missed the heart behind it. I have been guilty of Phariseeism."

Roderick Edwards (2008) Article Archives at PreteristBlog

• NoHidingTheTruth.wordpress.com - Unmoderated discssions on Hyper-Preterism

• A Review and Response to WSTTB (2009) "Since 2004, hyperpreterists have sought to respond to the response but as of yet the hyperpreterists have been unsuccessful in not only publishing a response but even in getting together in enough unity to write a response.  At this present time, there are at least 3 separate teams by hyperpreterists that seek to publish a response."

• Preterism and 'Emergent Eschatology' (2009) “I personally see a strong possibility of Preterism and Emergent/Emerging eschatology becoming eventually synonymous. Do you think this is a possibility, and is there enough space for all of us to learn from each other and grow together?”

• Interview with Gene Cook on Unchained Radio / Archives "A lot of times, Full Preterists become Universalists."  "When you add all these things up  together, with the Universalism,  the covenant creation, with the poor character, with the idea that the law has been destroyed, it just got too much" "Between all of the theological problems, and the textual problems, and the character problems, I just cannot support that anymore."  // Gene Cook: "a lot of the Full Preterists I've come in contact with .. they are strange, they are just weird"

• Preterist Podcast with Warren and Edwards - "Hyperpreterism is an over-reaction to Dispensationalism"

G.R. Gaudreau (2000)

• My Journey: A Funny Thing Happened (2000) "It was in October 1996, when I came to Preterism, that I started having these very serious doubts and I just couldn't get rid of them. I kept trying to bury them, but they just kept coming back.  I'm glad I found these errors and I'm grateful to that man who first posted the list of errors. He had a lot of courage. He met with a lot of opposition and stood his ground, because he knew he was right. He could not, would not, ignore the evidence."

• The Second Coming: Another Failed Promise (2000) "Preterists constantly accuse futurists of evasion and of dismissing the clear meaning of such passages as those I have cited above, in favour of a soon return of Jesus. But on the other hand, Preterists hyper-spiritualize whatever scriptures are in their way. What's that old French proverb again? Oh yes... "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!" Preterists, who accuse their "brethren" of being dishonest with the Scriptures, end up doing exactly the same thing. "

Cho Sun Hoon

• My journey from protestantism to the Catholic Church "Then as I adopted the full preterist viewpoint, I began doing more research, and even attended a live debate between a futurist and a preterist.  The more I learned about preterism, the more I was looking for applications of preterism for the present day:  Namely, where is the parousia (presence of God) if it came to an end?  Some of the full preterist arguments were so convincing, yet there was something missing"

Vince Krivda (2009)

• Can Full Preterism Be Considered Reformed Theology? (2009) "I wanted to give some of the reasons why I left full preterism.. ; full preterism is "semi-pelagianism" which is "unsatisfactory to the Reformed position"

• Typological Illustration of My Eschatological View (2009) "I recently announced that I have supplemented my eschatological view. This is an introductory survey my view, but by no means the whole picture. I do not attempt to persuade anyone, nor endeavor to formulate a radically new system. There are many points that I have not included here. I will address them as the Lord permits over the next few months. The themes I will address as I get the time may include Covenant Theology, the curse and total depravity, definite atonement, redemption of the curse, etc. These themes among others were what prompted me to reconsider my eschatological views."

• I Am Not a Full Preterist (2009) "I wanted to announce with conviction - and with a pure conscience - that I am no longer a full preterist" / Full Preterist Response / Another "Sadly on this day we mark the passing of a dear friend: my Friend is not deceased but has merely transitioned away from Fulfilled Eschatology. Yes, another full preterist has strayed from the herd."

Sharon Nichols (2009)

• Sharon Nichols and Minna Hill - A Choice: Full Preterism or Reformed Theology (2009) Congratulations to two more "Former Full Preterists" - "We have come to realize that Full-preterism and Reformed theology are antithetical to each other. We greatly appreciate the honesty from Sam who has admitted as much. After much prayer and study, we have determined to change our view on Full Preterism."

William Price

• Preterism's Hopeless Belief (2008) "Preterism removes the comfort and hope of the return of Christ. It relinquishes to the past any thought of Messieh’s return. It is an empty and void Gospel which has destroyed many homes and churches because of it’s damnable lies. The truth is, as a former full and partial preterist, I know and see for myself the damage this lie does. It eliminates hope, peace, and future glory with Christ. Full is far worse than partial, because it outright denies the resurrection. What a lie!"

• My blog about coming out from false doctrine, and into Kingdom reality (2006) "I wanted it to be public that I renounce my full preterist position..  It is not as if prophecy is a salvation issue, but just wanted to share this."

Robert Townley (1852) First Known Full Preterist, First Ex-Full Preterist

• Christianity in the Nineteenth Century A Sermon in the Universalist Church of Charlestown, Mass,. Sunday Morning, September 26  (1852) "We, on the contrary, fulfill every thing by that magic phrase, "the destruction of Jerusalem." But can we really and seriously refer these passages which I have quoted from Paul, to the destruction Jerusalem? Can we truly say that the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, let that mean what it may, exhausted all their meaning ---the meaning which was the thought in Paul’s mind when he wrote them? I must confess I cannot"  On leaving Preterist Universalism: "I fear that we are in a poor sickly way just now, by all I can read and hear. I fear we shall remain a sect without hope of ever being anything better. It does not look likely that the grub will ever come to be a butterfly."

Russell Warren

• Reflections on the End of movements "I would, I guess, consider myself a cautious partial preterist, but no where near the "full" preterism I held in my (earlier) youth.. I remember some of the things that initially made me wary, while I was in the midst of being groomed as a future leader of the movement: sloppy exegesis and dependence on pagan thought for proof (one writer proved that the resurrection body was non-material by referencing, of all people, Plato...shudder). The fruits of that, I am finding out, are now becoming ever apparent. Universalism, the doctrine that all people are saved--whether just by existing or through the remedial means of post-mortem purgatory--is becoming popular and widespread amongst preterists.. This, and the fact that some non-universalist preterists claim that a "secret Rapture" occurred in AD 70, seals the coffin lid for me. " - Withdrawals of a Theological Junkie (Russell Warren)

Email PreteristArchive.com's Sole Developer and Curator, Todd Dennis  (todd @ preteristarchive.com) Opened in 1996 http://www.preteristarchive.com