The Promise of Dawn

By Jeffrey J. Richards

This book identifies Lewis Sperry Chafer, evangelist, teacher, author, and founder of one of the world's largest seminaries, as one who has greatly influenced recent controversies and scholarship concerning the Second Coming of Christ. This work portrays this important figure in the Evangelical movement as a forceful and creative theologian who has had an incredible impact on religious thought and practices, not only in the United States by worldwide. Chafer gathered massive themes, materials and collective dispensational premillennial thought of the latter nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. He did not merely collect, but he interpreted the evangelical theology in a positive manner. He had the ability to interpret the timeless truths of Scripture in a manner which captivated and inspired others. A University Press of America Book.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1579109101
• ISBN13: 9781579109103
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent & Thorough

I loved reading this work by Dr. Richards. It was wonderful reading about the life of a man who God used to start one of the world's largest seminaries. What's most significant about this work is how it traces Dr. Chafer's early life at Northfield, his experiences with Dr. Scofield, Dwight Moody and others, his early teaching jobs, and his life-long bible study into what essentially became his systematic views, with his primary focus on soteriology and eschatology. The book is well-researched, adequately engages with other writers on their thoughts about Chafer's theology and how it grew from his earlier experiences, and is easy to read in the process. Though a part of the book is devoted to explaining his eschatology (as Chafer's development of it is Richard's main focus in the book), those who have read Chafer will find nothing new here, just a rearticulation of his views on the End Times. Those who've read his Systematic Theology should probably just skip over this, but those who haven't would need to read it. Overall, this book is well-worth the read. It focuses on the development of Chafer's eschatology (primarily) and how this man, out of no formal theological training, came to help form one of the largest Evangelical Seminaries in the world. This man's theology has influenced the face of the North American continent, not only through his books and seminary, but through the teachings of many other seminaries and men who shared similar views (Ryrie, Pentecost, Lightner, Walvoord, McClain, etc.). A truly wonderful book that helps people understand much older/traditional Dispensational beliefs within Evangelical history. Highly recommended.

A must read!

This is a great book! Few people hve ever heard of Lewis Sperry Chafer, but many know the names of those who have been influenced by his life and writings. Though the book is religiously oriented, the reader gets the feeling that s/he is marching wiht Chafer from the mundane to the sublime. This book concerns the subject of futurology and pinpoints with great accuracy what awaits the world inthe end days.

The Promise which Delivers

Richards has written an outstanding book! He goes into great detail,increidibley interesting, about the origins of those who believe in a secret rapture of Christians. The authors of the best-selling series of books, Left Behind,took many of their ideas from the person of whom Richards writes, Lewis Sperry Chafer. This fascinating book is a must read for anyone who has an interest, passing or intense, in the subject of religion.