The Covenant Universalist: Divergent Strands of Postmillennial Eschatology: Pietistic Futurism and Preterist Theonomy

Introduction

Postmillennialism, one of the historic millennial views in Christian eschatology, teaches that the kingdom of God will progressively advance in history, culminating in a long era of righteousness and peace before the bodily return of Christ. While united in optimism regarding the gospel’s victory in history, postmillennial thinkers diverge in their theological emphases and hermeneutical approaches. This paper explores two major expressions of postmillennialism: the pietistic futurist view associated with Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, and Lorraine Boettner, and the preterist theonomic perspective developed by Christian Reconstructionists such as Kenneth Gentry and Gary North. The final section considers the implications of these views for covenant universalism, particularly the idea that all people may be saved in history.

I. Pietistic Futurist Postmillennialism: Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, and Lorraine Boettner

Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), one of America’s most influential theologians, advanced a pietistic and revivalist form of postmillennialism. He foresaw a future era in which the gospel would flourish globally as a result of the Spirit’s outpouring, leading to worldwide moral and spiritual renewal. In A History of the Work of Redemption, Edwards writes: “There will be a far more glorious work of God… than ever yet has been, since the world began” (Edwards, 1839, p. 547).

Charles Hodge (1797–1878) echoed Edwards’s views, placing emphasis on the gradual triumph of Christianity through evangelism and the influence of Christian ethics. As Hodge put it, “The conversion of the world is to be effected by the truth, through the Church, by the power of the Spirit” (Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, p. 865). Hodge rejected political or legal impositions of Christian principles in favor of spiritual transformation.

To this pietistic lineage belongs Lorraine Boettner (1901–1990), whose The Millennium (1957) remains one of the most accessible expositions of classical postmillennial thought. Boettner stressed that the world will be transformed not by coercion or theocracy, but by the persuasive power of the gospel, working over long periods through preaching, missions, and godly living. He writes, “The world is to be Christianized gradually, not by revolutionary political upheavals, but by the quiet, steady progress of the gospel” (Boettner, 1957, p. 135). Like Edwards and Hodge, Boettner’s emphasis is spiritual and optimistic, grounded in God’s promises and the efficacy of the Word.

Summary Characteristics

Futurist orientation: The millennium is still ahead, brought about through global revival.
Pietistic emphasis: Personal regeneration and evangelistic missions are primary.
Non-theonomic: Civil law is not subject to biblical Mosaic statutes.
Spiritual focus: Cultural transformation occurs organically through gospel penetration.

II. Preterist Theonomic Postmillennialism: Gentry, North, and the Puritan Legacy

The second form of postmillennialism is rooted in the Puritan tradition but was revived and systematized in the late 20th century by Christian Reconstructionists. This form integrates partial preterism (i.e., the belief that key biblical prophecies, including Matthew 24 and much of Revelation, were fulfilled in A.D. 70), a robust cultural mandate, and theonomy, the belief that Old Testament civil law remains binding today unless abrogated by Scripture.

Kenneth Gentry is a leading exponent of this view. In He Shall Have Dominion, he explains that postmillennialism teaches the progressive growth of Christ’s kingdom in history, culminating in the worldwide conversion of the nations. Gentry also places strong emphasis on the Great Commission as the divinely ordained mechanism for kingdom expansion. In his The Greatness of the Great Commission, he notes that Jesus’ declaration of “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18) is the theological foundation for the Church’s confidence in victory: “Because Christ reigns now, the Church can expect the success of its mission in history” (Gentry, 1993, p. 23).

Gary North, a prolific economist and theologian, carried this vision into the socio-economic realm. He asserted that society must be reconstructed according to biblical law. In the preface to Millennium and Social Theory, North made a striking demographic observation: the world had entered a new epoch in which more people were alive than had lived in the entire history of the world prior. He wrote, “For the first time in man's history, the living outnumber the dead. This generation represents the major turning point in the long-term expansion of the kingdom of God” (North, 1990, p. xii). This demographic shift, for North, was a providential setup for the gospel’s global conquest.

Summary Characteristics

Preterist framework: Key eschatological texts (e.g., Matt. 24, Revelation) were fulfilled in the first century.
Theonomic ethics: The Mosaic civil code (unless repealed) is binding for modern states.
Cultural dominion: All spheres—law, education, economy—must be discipled to Christ.
Historical optimism: Human history, especially in this era of vast populations, is fertile ground for comprehensive gospel victory.

III. Covenant Universalism and the Hope of a Fully Converted Generation

The theological implications of postmillennialism extend beyond societal transformation to the doctrine of salvation itself. Covenant universalism—the view that all humanity may eventually be saved—has often struggled to account for how this could be achieved within historical time, particularly if salvation is restricted to the terrestrial realm.

As William Brennan argues in Hope for the Lost, salvific conversion occurs exclusively in this life; post-mortem repentance is neither promised nor theologically guaranteed. Consequently, the only way for all people to be saved is if the final generation of humanity is entirely evangelized and converted before death (Brennan, 2021, p. 525). Only postmillennialism—with its vision of a fully Christianized earth—offers a theological structure where this is conceivable.

In this framework, the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) is not merely a call to evangelism but the means by which God will bring all nations into covenant obedience. The preface to that Commission—Christ’s assertion of universal authority—grounds the certainty of the mission’s success. Gentry notes, “The cultural mandate is now evangelistic, and it is to be carried out in light of Christ’s cosmic reign” (The Greatness of the Great Commission, 1993, p. 17).

Thus, covenant universalism depends not on sudden divine intervention or eschatological coercion, but on the faithful proclamation of the gospel by the Church. In this sense, postmillennialism offers a coherent eschatology in which God’s redemptive purpose for all humanity can be achieved historically, without violating human responsibility or bypassing the normal means of grace.

Conclusion

Postmillennialism remains a vibrant and evolving eschatological vision. The pietistic futurism of Edwards, Hodge, and Boettner emphasizes moral renewal through gospel preaching and global revival. In contrast, the preterist theonomic model of Gentry and North combines realized eschatology with cultural transformation, rooted in biblical law and covenant theology. Both perspectives affirm the victory of Christ in history, but only the latter offers a framework in which the total evangelization—and possible salvation—of the final generation can be envisioned. If, as Brennan argues, all must be saved within this life, then the postmillennial hope of a Christianized world becomes not only a theological dream but a redemptive necessity.

References

Boettner, L. (1957). The Millennium. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed.
Brennan, W. (2022). Hope for the Lost: Salvation, the Case for Evangelical Universalism, 2nd edition. Toms River: Evangelical Universalist Press.
Edwards, J. (1839). A History of the Work of Redemption. In E. Hickman (Ed.), The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Vol. 1). London: John Smith.
Gentry, K. L. (1993). The Greatness of the Great Commission. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics.
Gentry, K. L. (2009). He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology (3rd ed.). Draper, VA: Apologetics Group.
Hodge, C. (1872). Systematic Theology (Vol. 3). New York: Scribner.
North, G. (1990). Millennium and Social Theory. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics.
North, G. (1987). Dominion and Common Grace: The Biblical Basis of Progress. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics.