PRETERIST ESCHATOLOGY, also known as "preterism" or "realized eschatology" is that echatological viewpoint which regards the majority of Biblical prophecy as having been fulfilled before the conclusion of the first century of the Christian era.
This view is contrasted with two others, commonly called "the futurist" and "the historicist" viewpoints. As the names imply, futurism sees the bulk of biblical prophecy as remaining unfulfilled until a future time, while historicism sees the fulfillment of biblical prophecy as occuring through the history of this present church eon.
Preterism has had many proponents especially from the period of the Reformation forward. Among them may be included such notable theologians as the puritan divine John Owen, and Canon F. W Farrar. The list of contemporary theologians holding this view includes James Stuart Russell, Marcellus Kik, Greg Bahnsen, Ken Gentry and Jay Addams to name a few.
Within the preterist camp there are differences of opinion as to just how much of Biblical prophecy is to be considered "preterate" or past. Those who feel that there are still some prophecies yet to be fulfilled are called "partial preterists" or sometimes "historic preterists" while those who feel that 100% of biblical prophecy is past are known as " full preterists" or by the pajoritive term "hyper-preterists" as their "partial preterist" opponents call them.
http://biblicaluniversalism.org/articles_preterist.html
