Democracy is the great love of the failures and cowards of life. — R.J. Rushdoony, Thy Kingdom Come (1978) Christian Dominionism is the belief that the United States should abandon secular democracy in favor of a Christian preferentialist government that enforces some form of biblical law, as a means of gaining and/or remaining in Gods favor. The most well-known flavor of Christian Dominionism is the Christian Reconstructionism of R.J. Rushdoony. Rushdoonys theological argument for Dominionism primarily hinges on his unusual interpretation of three Bible verses. Dominion Over Every Living Thing: Genesis 1:28 describes Gods commission to Adam and Eve, a divine command which Rushdoony takes as applicable to all of humanity: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. In Rushdoonys philosophy, every living thing includes, obviously, humanity. So from the very beginning, according to Dominionism, God has commanded the creation of totalitarian government. Psalm 40 and the Role of Jesus: Rushdoony interprets Psalm 40 as describing the proper earthly role of Jesus Christ: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Rushdoony incorporates this with a completely literal interpretation of the ancient Israelites attempts to establish Gods dominion in the ancient world, and has defended slavery and genocide as legitimate means of obtaining this objective (both in the Old Testament and in the present day). The Great Commission and the Second Coming: Someone reading Rushdoony might reasonably ask: didnt Jesus, who was inarguably a pacifist, pretty definitively condemn this kind of theology? Rushdoony has an answer for that, too, and it comes in Matthew 28, the portion of the Gospel narrative referred to as the Great Commission: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. In other words, Rushdoony supports what is, in effect, a global Manifest Destiny theology--in which Christians are commanded by God to dominate and subdue the world under a faithful and biblical government, using any means necessary. As Rushdoony writes in the Institutes of Biblical Law: It is forbidden to take the sword, as Christ says (Matt. 26:52): He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword, because he takes it without a command and because of his own lust. But it is a command and a divine service to bear the swcrd if this is assigned by God or through man; for then it is borne in the name of the Lord, for the good of the neighbor, as Paul says: He is the servant of God for your good (Rom. 13:4). Few Dominionists carry this idea to Rushdoonys violent extreme. Rick Perrys 2011 Response Rally, widely criticized for its Dominionist influences, does explicitly distance his beliefs from those of Rushdoony: [Gods] agenda is not a political agenda, his agenda is a salvation agenda ... He’s a wise, wise God, and he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any political party, or for that matter, he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any man-made institutions. He’s calling all Americans, of all walks of life, to seek him, to return to him, to experience his love and his grace and his acceptance, experience a fulfilled life regardless of the circumstances. Still, the Dominionist and Christian Reconstructionist influence on American politics remains both clear and troubling. Also Known As: Christian Reconstructionism (not an exact synonym), theocracy Common Misspellings: dominonism Church, State, and the Religious Right •Understanding the Religious Right •What is Theocracy? •The First Amendment: Text, Origins, and Meaning Related Articles •I Samuel Etext - KJV I Samuel Chapter 7 •The Second Book of Samuel - Chapter 7 •Nahum - Chapter 1 •Scripture Reading for December 24 - Reading for December 24 •Davids Prayer of Thanks Democracy is the great love of the failures and cowards of life. — R.J. Rushdoony, Thy Kingdom Come (1978) Christian Dominionism is the belief that the United States should abandon secular democracy in favor of a Christian preferentialist government that enforces some form of biblical law, as a means of gaining and/or remaining in Gods favor. The most well-known flavor of Christian Dominionism is the Christian Reconstructionism of R.J. Rushdoony. Rushdoonys theological argument for Dominionism primarily hinges on his unusual interpretation of three Bible verses. Dominion Over Every Living Thing: Genesis 1:28 describes Gods commission to Adam and Eve, a divine command which Rushdoony takes as applicable to all of humanity: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. In Rushdoonys philosophy, every living thing includes, obviously, humanity. So from the very beginning, according to Dominionism, God has commanded the creation of totalitarian government. Psalm 40 and the Role of Jesus: Rushdoony interprets Psalm 40 as describing the proper earthly role of Jesus Christ: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Rushdoony incorporates this with a completely literal interpretation of the ancient Israelites attempts to establish Gods dominion in the ancient world, and has defended slavery and genocide as legitimate means of obtaining this objective (both in the Old Testament and in the present day). The Great Commission and the Second Coming: Someone reading Rushdoony might reasonably ask: didnt Jesus, who was inarguably a pacifist, pretty definitively condemn this kind of theology? Rushdoony has an answer for that, too, and it comes in Matthew 28, the portion of the Gospel narrative referred to as the Great Commission: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. In other words, Rushdoony supports what is, in effect, a global Manifest Destiny theology--in which Christians are commanded by God to dominate and subdue the world under a faithful and biblical government, using any means necessary. As Rushdoony writes in the Institutes of Biblical Law: It is forbidden to take the sword, as Christ says (Matt. 26:52): He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword, because he takes it without a command and because of his own lust. But it is a command and a divine service to bear the swcrd if this is assigned by God or through man; for then it is borne in the name of the Lord, for the good of the neighbor, as Paul says: He is the servant of God for your good (Rom. 13:4). Few Dominionists carry this idea to Rushdoonys violent extreme. Rick Perrys 2011 Response Rally, widely criticized for its Dominionist influences, does explicitly distance his beliefs from those of Rushdoony: [Gods] agenda is not a political agenda, his agenda is a salvation agenda ... He’s a wise, wise God, and he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any political party, or for that matter, he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any man-made institutions. He’s calling all Americans, of all walks of life, to seek him, to return to him, to experience his love and his grace and his acceptance, experience a fulfilled life regardless of the circumstances. Still, the Dominionist and Christian Reconstructionist influence on American politics remains both clear and troubling. Also Known As: Christian Reconstructionism (not an exact synonym), theocracy Common Misspellings: dominonism Church, State, and the Religious Right •Understanding the Religious Right •What is Theocracy? •The First Amendment: Text, Origins, and Meaning Related Articles •I Samuel Etext - KJV I Samuel Chapter 7 •The Second Book of Samuel - Chapter 7 •Nahum - Chapter 1 •Scripture Reading for December 24 - Reading for December 24 •Davids Prayer of Thanks Democracy is the great love of the failures and cowards of life. — R.J. Rushdoony, Thy Kingdom Come (1978) Christian Dominionism is the belief that the United States should abandon secular democracy in favor of a Christian preferentialist government that enforces some form of biblical law, as a means of gaining and/or remaining in Gods favor. The most well-known flavor of Christian Dominionism is the Christian Reconstructionism of R.J. Rushdoony. Rushdoonys theological argument for Dominionism primarily hinges on his unusual interpretation of three Bible verses. Dominion Over Every Living Thing: Genesis 1:28 describes Gods commission to Adam and Eve, a divine command which Rushdoony takes as applicable to all of humanity: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. In Rushdoonys philosophy, every living thing includes, obviously, humanity. So from the very beginning, according to Dominionism, God has commanded the creation of totalitarian government. Psalm 40 and the Role of Jesus: Rushdoony interprets Psalm 40 as describing the proper earthly role of Jesus Christ: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. Rushdoony incorporates this with a completely literal interpretation of the ancient Israelites attempts to establish Gods dominion in the ancient world, and has defended slavery and genocide as legitimate means of obtaining this objective (both in the Old Testament and in the present day). The Great Commission and the Second Coming: Someone reading Rushdoony might reasonably ask: didnt Jesus, who was inarguably a pacifist, pretty definitively condemn this kind of theology? Rushdoony has an answer for that, too, and it comes in Matthew 28, the portion of the Gospel narrative referred to as the Great Commission: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. In other words, Rushdoony supports what is, in effect, a global Manifest Destiny theology--in which Christians are commanded by God to dominate and subdue the world under a faithful and biblical government, using any means necessary. As Rushdoony writes in the Institutes of Biblical Law: It is forbidden to take the sword, as Christ says (Matt. 26:52): He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword, because he takes it without a command and because of his own lust. But it is a command and a divine service to bear the swcrd if this is assigned by God or through man; for then it is borne in the name of the Lord, for the good of the neighbor, as Paul says: He is the servant of God for your good (Rom. 13:4). Few Dominionists carry this idea to Rushdoonys violent extreme. Rick Perrys 2011 Response Rally, widely criticized for its Dominionist influences, does explicitly distance his beliefs from those of Rushdoony: [Gods] agenda is not a political agenda, his agenda is a salvation agenda ... He’s a wise, wise God, and he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any political party, or for that matter, he’s wise enough to not be affiliated with any man-made institutions. He’s calling all Americans, of all walks of life, to seek him, to return to him, to experience his love and his grace and his acceptance, experience a fulfilled life regardless of the circumstances. Still, the Dominionist and Christian Reconstructionist influence on American politics remains both clear and troubling. Also Known As: Christian Reconstructionism (not an exact synonym), theocracy Common Misspellings: dominonism Church, State, and the Religious Right •Understanding the Religious Right •What is Theocracy? •The First Amendment: Text, Origins, and Meaning Related Articles •I Samuel Etext - KJV I Samuel Chapter 7 •The Second Book of Samuel - Chapter 7 •Nahum - Chapter 1 •Scripture Reading for December 24 - Reading for December 24 •Davids Prayer of Thanks
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 05:28:24 +0000