Dispensational Hermeneutics: Interpretation Principles that Guide Dispensationalism’s Understanding of the Bible’s Storyline. Michael J. Vlach. Columbus, SC: Theological Studies Press, 2023. 111 pages. Print, $10.95.

Summary

In Dispensational Hermeneutics: Interpretation Principles that Guide Dispensationalism’s Understanding of the Bible’s Storyline, Michael Vlach seeks to help clarify how dispensationalists approach interpreting Scripture. Focusing specifically on the storyline of the Bible, Vlach seeks to help readers understand how a dispensational approach to hermeneutics fits all the pieces of the Bible together. He also lays out the methodology of non-dispensational interpreters and evaluates these tactics in comparison with those used by dispensationalists, to help readers understand the differences between various systems. The result is a concise, informative, and clarifying work designed to demonstrate the interpretive principles behind the dispensational approach to Bible interpretation. Vlach, who serves as professor of theology at Shepherd’s Theological Seminary in Cary, NC, has written several other books related to Dispensationalism and has been a regular conference speaker on the topic. He brings years of theological teaching and biblical study to the table as he addresses the hermeneutics of Dispensationalism.  

Flow of Book

Vlach’s book is intended as a summary. He does not seek to address every nuance within Dispensationalism but rather explains generally how dispensationalists fit the pieces of Scripture together (8). Vlach notes in the beginning that his goal is not to address the theology of Dispensationalism, but limits the discussion to “key hermeneutical principles that influence Dispensationalism’s view of the Bible’s storyline” (9). Vlach achieves this goal by providing ten interpretive principles that make up a core part of dispensational hermeneutics (76). In approaching this topic, Vlach acknowledges that differing views do exist within Dispensationalism and notes that he falls somewhere between Revised and Progressive Dispensationalism (9). Vlach opens chapter one with an analysis of the dispensational view of the story of Scripture. Here he focuses on the centrality of the earthly kingdom of God and how Dispensationalism handles the various covenants in Scripture (13-16). He also addresses the Dispensational understanding of Israel, arguing that God still has plans for ethnic Israel (17-21). Vlach spends the next three chapters giving the hermeneutics of Dispensationalism. Here he lays out his ten hermeneutical principles which he believes are at the core of Dispensationalism and explains each one. Following these sections, Vlach provides two helpful chapters evaluating the hermeneutic of non-dispensational approaches, seeking to fairly summarize the differences and give brief evaluation.        

Analysis

Vlach does a tremendous job of taking a difficult and contested topic and outlining it in clear and concise ways. He masterfully boils down this issue into ten key talking points that adequately describe the dispensational approach to Bible interpretation. Not only that, but Vlach does this in just over one hundred pages. Much could be said about the content of this book, but I would point out a few highlights. Vlach’s discussion on Christ in Bible interpretation is incredibly valuable. Vlach seeks to deal with the objection that Dispensationalism does not have a Christ-centered means of interpretation (67). Vlach sets the record straight, noting that Dispensationalism “affirms the centrality of Christ” and promotes a Christ-centered method of interpretation (67-69). Vlach further explains how this is combined with a grammatical-historical method, and that Dispensationalism sees Jesus in “all aspects of creation and history (69). I found this discussion very useful, and Vlach does an incredible job of explaining how Dispensationalism embraces a Christ-centered focus that is controlled by a literal hermeneutic. I also found Vlach’s discussion on typology to be extremely helpful. Vlach clearly explains how Dispensationalism allows for typology, but this is different from typological interpretation (73-74). Vlach very clearly distinguishes between the two, and readers will appreciate his clarity in this regard. Throughout this book, the author did a very good job of presenting how Dispensationalism views the storyline of the Bible. Even given the wide disparity of views within Dispensationalism, Vlach successfully described the dispensational approach in a way that could be agreed upon by most dispensationalists.

Points of Contention

My only area of contention was Vlach’s description of passage priority. Vlach uses the terminology “passage priority,” stating that “the meaning of any Bible passage is found in that passage” (36). Vlach distinguishes this category from “testament” priority, which he describes as the method of non-dispensational interpreters (35-36). While I agree with what Vlach is trying to say here, I found the “passage priority” terminology a little confusing in my mind, and have a few lingering questions about how this works in passages that are quoted or contributed to by a New Testament passage.   

Recommendation

This book is a very insightful read. Vlach is able to demonstrate in an understandable fashion how Dispensationalism approaches the storyline of the Bible and the hermeneutical principles that undergird this approach. This book is for anyone who is interested in Dispensationalism. More specifically, this book is a great resource to provide as an overview for someone who may not be familiar with the system and wants to learn the interpretive principles that set Dispensationalism apart. 

*This book review was originally published in the Journal of Ministry and Theology, copyright © 2023 by Baptist Bible Seminary. You can access the Journal of Ministry and Theology HERE.