Date
12-4-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Paul Esswein
Keywords
Antisemitism, Covenant Theology, Dispensationalism, Eschatology, Israel, Jews, Punitive Supersessionism, Replacement Theology, Supersessionism, The Church and Israel
Disciplines
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Recommended Citation
Kinley, Jeffery Bruce, "The Error of Replacement Theology, Its Significance for Christians Today, and Its Theological Implications for Participants in the Vintage Truth Bible Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7665.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7665
Abstract
The nation of Israel regularly makes geopolitical and cultural headlines, and antisemitism continues to increase on a global scale. This carries profound theological and practical implications regarding Israel’s relationship and relevance to the Church. This DMin action research project was designed and implemented to evaluate the impact of replacement theology on approximately thirty participants in the Vintage Truth Bible Study. Through a sustained, eight-week study examining the tenets of replacement theology, along with Scripture’s teaching on God’s relationship with and covenants to Israel, and prophecies regarding that nation’s future, the doctrine was addressed. The research combined thorough biblical exposition, three Likert-style questionnaires (pre-, mid-, and post-study), and eight weeks of classroom interactions involving questions and answers, all of which directly or implicitly addressed the distinctions between the Church and Israel, including the Church’s present relationship and obligations toward Israel and Jewish people. The project resulted in both anticipated and unexpected outcomes. First, the research confirmed the existing beliefs of some participants regarding Israel's relationship to the Church, while simultaneously expanding that knowledge and enhancing others' perspectives, with fifty percent becoming aware of replacement theology and its impact on Christendom. Second, participants demonstrated a marked increase in their cognitive recognition of the need for a sound and consistent biblical hermeneutic. Third, the project incentivized the group with a mandate to bless Israel and individual Jews, and to pursue efforts to reach them with Jesus’ gospel message.
