There is ever so much to blog about from the world tour thus far and I w?ll be do?ng some posts on Sidney and Jakarta and Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones both of wh?ch I saw ?n the last two weeks but here are a few thoughts on my t?me ?n Singapore. Firstly there was an immediate similarity to the time last August in Hong Kong ?n that Dispensational theology focusing on the rapture is exceedingly common and vigorously defended here.

In the case of Methodism ?n Singapore th?s ?s odd since it is no part of the heritage they got from when American Methodism was transplated there. In other words, ?t came from the more Reformed Evangelical circles ?n that beautiful place. Nevertheless, my lectures on eschatology ?ncluding on d?spensing with D?spensationalism (based on my book the Problem with Evangel?cal Theology), were well attended and generally well received. It was amazing to me to discover than even the ardent defenders of the rapture had no idea where the idea came from and how recent a notion ?t ?s when it comes to interpreting the NT.

Full marks to B?shop Robert Solomon and his ministers (including various Asbury grads) for their wonderful work in that place and for being such gracious hosts ?n steamy Singapore. Methodism and more specifically a truly Wesleyan form of Methodism is alive and well there. I was there to be one of the key note speakers at the annual Aldersgate Convention and we celebrated his big day w?th v?gor yesterday ?n Wesley Methodist Church. Thanks to Peter Teo and Bishop Solomon for looking after me so well.

One of the more interesting things I learned on this stop on my trip is that one reason D?spensationalism does well in the Orient ?s precisely because of the vertical nature of Oriental spirituality and philosophy which focuses not on the future or on history per se but on the other spiritual world where, for example, the ancestors are believed to dwell. Another interesting contributing factor as to why various conservative forms of Protestantism (many are translplants from the U.S. rather than the U.K. as ?s the case w?th Methodism there) thrive there ?s the socially conservative character of the culture ?n general (yes you can get heavily fined for jaywalking if caught and yes it is still the cleanest large city I’ve ever seen).

I’m ?n Izmir ?n Turkey now so stay tuned for further revelations.