How would you evaluate the movement calling itself Pronomian or Pronomian Christianity? Are you a part of it?
The following excerpt has been taken from J.K. McKee, The New Testament Validates Torah (McKinney, TX: Messianic Apologetics, 2024), pp 492-493.
Originally in the late 1990s to mid 2000s, when one employed the term “Hebrew Roots,” it was to emphasize matters such as study of the Hebrew Tanach, Hebrew language, and even various bodies of Second Temple Jewish literature. Sometimes it was used as a complement to “Jewish Roots,” but sometimes it was used to differentiate one from Judaism and Jewish tradition. By the early 2010s, though, the terms “Hebrew Roots” or “Hebraic Roots” quickly became the catch-all term for a wide scope of different non-Jewish Torah movements. While those who perhaps emphasized “Hebrew Roots,” did so with matters of Tanach study, Hebrew language study, and even ancient Jewish literature in mind—by the end of the 2010s, “Hebrew Roots” was widely associated with anything but this. Today in the mid-2020s, when one commonly thinks of the Hebrew Roots movement, non-Jewish people doing outward things of Torah can be quickly conflated with matters such as denial of the Divinity of Yeshua, denial of much of the Apostolic Scriptures as inspired, acceptance of Flat Earth, and even forms of anti-Zionism and Holocaust denial—and a host of other conspiracies and abominable issues. Messianic Judaism has been understandably concerned about what the Hebrew Roots movement has devolved into.[1]
A wide number of those, who were involved in the Hebrew Roots movement, have recognized that much of what had taken place via the label of “Hebraic”—was anything but good. This mainly involved how a wide majority of those identifying as “Hebrew Roots,” often unfairly deride and chastise any of the good contributions of evangelical Protestantism as being illegitimate and “pagan.” The early 2020s witnessed a new offshoot emerge, identifying as Pronomian Christianity. It mainly involved those formerly involved in Hebrew Roots, who had grown tired of a great deal of its anti-Christian rhetoric, and rightly sought change. It also involved, though, a number of those holding to a One Law/One Torah theology, some of whom had grown disenfranchised with the label “Messianic” and various Jewish traditions and customs. A new label, pronomian, was chosen, something which simply means pro-law—and certainly something which could sit in contrast to being anti-law or antinomian.
While many people across the Messianic community can legitimately identify as small “p” pronomian—what capital “P” Pronomian Christianity is going to become, remains to be seen in the mid-2020s. Those who identify as capital “P” Pronomian are to be commended, for not wanting to cast aside the legitimate contributions of Law-positive Christian traditions, and a great deal of good and wholesome Protestant theology. But there are likely to be ongoing questions surrounding Pronomian Christianity, regarding the place of Judaism, Jewish tradition, Zionism and the State of Israel, and standing against anti-Semitism. Will Pronomian Christianity be favorable or negative to the Messianic Jewish movement and its mission? Already when looking at some of the theology of those formally identifying as Pronomian, one does see strong leanings toward Reformed Calvinism, its predestinarian soteriology, and forms of cessationism. At present, it is useful to not make any detailed evaluations of Pronomian Christianity, as it probably needs to be given some more time (2024) to develop and figure out what it actually stands for.[2]
NOTES
[1] Review some of the main concerns presented by IAMCS Steering Committee. (2014). One Law, Two Sticks: A Critical Look at the Hebrew Roots Movement, A position paper of the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS). Available online via <http://iamcs.org>.
[2] For some further discussions, consult the author’s YouTube videos from 15 December 2021, “What is Pronomianism Going to Be? Will it be Messianic?”, and 05 November 2022 “Pronomian: A Short Observation – Today’s McKee Moment,” both accessible via <youtube.com/MessianicApologetics>.
