By: Maureen O'Brien To: Maureen O'Brien Re: Xian Reconstructionism Grace Under Pressure Th

By: Maureen O'Brien
To: Maureen O'Brien
Re: Xian Reconstructionism

Grace Under Pressure
The World According To Rev. R.J. Rushdoony

By Marghe Covino
________________________

He hardly seems like the Ayatollah of Holy Rollers. Sitting in the 
depression of a well-worn living room sofa, wearing a blue and 
green plaid Pendleton shirt neatly tucked into navy polyester 
trousers, the Rev. Rousas John Rushdoony, 78, the father of 
contemporary Christian Reconstructionism, exudes the spirituality 
and the intelligence granted to those who've spent a lifetime 
consuming and writing religious books. This is the man who, in his 
writings, has seen fit to constantly remind the world that the Old 
Testament proscribed the death penalty for at least 17 separate 
offenses, including adultery, cursing your parents, and 
homosexuality? The man who researchers of the religious right say 
is the seminal influence on the theopolitical movement sweeping 
America today? Well, yes.

As R.J. Rushdoony lucidly expounds to the News & Review on his life 
and philosophy on a beautiful fall day at his nearby foothills home 
neighboring Angel's Camp, it's hard to perceive him as an 
extremist. Yet telltale signs manifest themselves as he speaks. His 
personal history and his philosophies appear to present endless 
extremes with which he appears to be entirely comfortable. It is 
also difficult to adjust to the growing realization that while 
Rushdoony philosophizes and intellectualizes the ideal 
church/state, he has virtually no idea of the grim reality created 
by his vision--by the people who have adopted that vision.

So who is this philosopher whose teachings have been adopted either 
in whole or in part by evangelicals across America and could have 
an incredible impact on the future of not only the United States 
but the world? To understand the man, you must understand the 
thought.

Simply put, Reconstructionist theology requires its adherents to 
work toward the goal of restructuring or reconstructing all spheres 
of life, including government, to conform to biblical law; 
specifically, the literal doctrines of the Old Testament. Law, 
business, media, art, etc., must all bow to the sovereignty of 
Jesus Christ. Rushdoony creates for his followers and, more 
importantly for most "born again" Christians who believe in the 
literal word of the Bible, the image of a small band of racially, 
morally and culturally embattled true believers. As he writes: 
"Living as we do in a humanistic age, where the TRUE CHURCH is a 
SMALL MINORITY, our religious institutions, schools, families and 
callings must see themselves as outposts of Christ's Kingdom, local 
gatherings of citizens of the new creation."

In building for worship, THE TRUE CHURCH in a local community 
gathers to hear the word of God whereby they are to go forth and 
exercise dominion.

Not coincidentally, this dominion coincides precisely with the 
tenets of neoconservatism: anti-homosexual, anti-environmental, 
anti-women, anti-public education, anti-anything-deemed-secular 
humanist. For years political and religious conservatives have laid 
the groundwork for such a political takeover. Many of their 
organizations, like the John Birch Society, fell into disrepute. 
But the tenets and the frameworks, and more importantly, the 
people, lived on. Joseph Coors' Heritage and Free Congress 
Foundations, the Eagle Forum, the Moral Majority, the World 
Anti-Communist League, led by the Phyllis Schlaflys and countless 
others, have existed for years. But now, with the tight economy and 
looming cultural change, with the approaching millennium and with 
Rushdoony giving the biblical mandate, the concept of creating a 
theocracy in America has caught fire. Groups like Pat Robertson's 
Christian Coalition have shown social outsiders how to become 
political insiders.

The notion that theocracy is achievable is encouraged by the belief 
of post-millennialist Reconstructionists that Christians must rule 
the earth for 1,000 years before Christ will come again.

Blinded By The Light

R.J. Rushdoony was born on April 25, 1916, in New York City, the 
child of Armenian immigrants who were part of a political and 
religious aristocracy whose members can be traced to A.D. 320. 
Since the time of Gregory the Illuminator, who converted the 
Armenian nobility, the family has been represented by priests 
"either father and son or uncle and nephew" in an unbroken line. 
During the Reformation, when Cyril Lukaris was the Patriarch of the 
Eastern Church, the Reformed faith of Calvinism swept through 
Armenia and whisked up a number of the family theologians with it. 
Rushdoony's father was a minister and a highly regarded 
intellectual, a professor. The young Rushdoony, who grew up in 
Detroit before the family moved West, was an office boy for General 
Motors, saving his pennies for the special kid's day dime admission 
to Tiger Stadium so he could see his heroes, like Babe Ruth and 
Harry Heilman. He becomes animated when he talks about baseball and 
is disappointed that it has become "big business" and that there is 
no longer any clowning or cutting up on the field. He supports the 
"no salary cap" stance of the striking players, and insists that 
Jackie Robinson did more for African-Americans than Martin Luther 
King Jr. ever dreamed of.

Yet Rushdoony has written that business owners should be able to 
make their own rules--even discriminate if they choose. Today, his 
ranch-style house nestled on a hilltop in the Sierra foothills is 
an oasis, a sanctuary. Piles of his beloved books are on chairs, 
couches, tables. True to the dichotomy of the man, among the 
weighty theological, political and sociological tomes there is a 
well-thumbed book titled A Guide To Practical Jokes. It is a 
comfortable and homey place, filled with ancient treasures, 
antiques and mementos. The house overlooks the home of the 
Rushdoony's son, Mark, who lives just a few yards downhill, and the 
K-8 Chalcedon Christian School which is on a part of the property. 
It's a quiet, self-sufficient site with a well, a garden, peacocks, 
guinea hens and a cat. A few head of cattle roam the land. The 
peace and isolation are perfect for a life of the mind. The 
generous donations of Howard Ahmanson Jr. and others to Rushdoony's 
Chalcedon Institute allow the time for reading, study and writing 
in this idyllic setting. Rushdoony is a prolific author and has 
written more than 30 books (in longhand, with a pen he regularly 
dips into an inkpot).

(Continued)

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(17)   Sat 25 Feb 95  1:03                             
By: Maureen O'Brien
To: Maureen O'Brien
Re: Xian Reconstructionism
----------------------------------------------------------------------
@EID:af97 1e590860
@REPLY: 1:267/153.0 f4ec7f91
@MSGID: 1:267/153.0 f4ec7f92
Continued from Previous Posting:

His best known work is probably the epic Institutes of Biblical Law 
published in the 1970s, a two-volume set that lays the theological 
foundation of Reconstructionist thought. The work is based upon the 
theopolitical state created by the French Protestant reformer, John 
Calvin, in Geneva in the 1500s. His wife, Dorothy, jokes that 
Rousas (pronounced Roo-sahss) won't show us the outbuildings where 
more books are kept, not because he's reorganizing but because he's 
ashamed of the clutter. Now legally blind, Dorothy, who for years 
edited and typed his manuscripts and helped with the work of 
Chalcedon, is finding it difficult to adjust to the sudden loss of 
her vision. However, it becomes apparent at the outset of the 
interview that Rushdoony suffers from another sort of 
sightlessness, one he has long grown accustomed to. His ideal "the 
undisputed fact of God's will" burns brightly, and is evoked 
regularly whenever any possible negative influence of his theology 
becomes the topic of discussion.

Reconstruction Zone

That his theology has been influential is beyond dispute. He has 
been disseminating the Reconstructionist doctrine since the late 
1950s and early 1960s, when he was friends with Robert Welch, 
founder of the John Birch Society, an organization whose structure 
Rushdoony found admirable. However, he laughs as he says he was 
never a member of the society because, although he and Welch were 
good friends, "Welch always saw things in terms of conspiracy and I 
always see things in terms of sin." "It's a free country for any 
group to involve itself [in politics]," he says of the religious 
right's current flirtation with power politics. "My interest in 
politics is not that great. I don't see it as that important. I'm 
not that great a fan of Pat Robertson--if he does well, that's 
fine. But I just wish we brought more humor to politics." Oddly 
enough, Rushdoony was one of the first members of Robertson's 
Council on National Policy, yet claims he's given the organization 
up (he is still listed as a member) because it wasn't serious 
enough. "I was one of the beginning members of the council but I 
haven't been to a meeting for at least eight years," he elaborates. 
"In the beginning, we conservatives came together from the 
political sphere and the world of faith to try to accomplish 
something in the world. It went down the tubes. It seems to me the 
socializing purposes were more important than the political. I quit 
going." In fact, there are few religious right groups that meet 
with Rushdoony's approval. He calls the Coalition On Revival, a 
profoundly Reconstructionist group headed by Rev. Ray Grimstead 
(the Capital Christian Center's Rev. Glen Cole was an original 
signer of the group's Christian Manifesto) "out of fashion. They're 
an ineffectual group that doesn't change things.  The fruits [of 
the work] are not there."

Rushdoony describes himself as a "Christian Libertarian" and 
indeed, espouses many Libertarian ideals. For instance, he claims 
that he has opposed the anti-abortion rights group Operation 
Rescue. "Some of the most venomous communications I've received 
have come from Operation Rescue," he says. "I wrote again and again 
against Operation Rescue. They are morally wrong--totally wrong. 
The polls show that over 60 percent of the people in this country 
support abortion. You can't stop it, it's moral and intellectual 
insanity to try. They hate me and they've never been supporters." 
Yet Randall Terry, former leader of Operation Rescue, has made 
statements that sound distinctly Reconstructionist in origin. "I 
want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you," Terry 
has said to supporters. "I want you to let a wave of hatred wash 
over you. Yes, hate is good. Our goal is a Christian nation. We 
have a biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this 
country." The remarks were similar to a recent article in 
Rushdoony's monthly Chalcedon Report which called for "hatred of 
God's enemies"--abortionists, pornographers and homosexuals--and 
urged that they be made the targets of "imprecatory prayer," which 
would involve asking God to kill or hurt them in some way. 
Rushdoony points out that he had not written that article--and that 
he took no responsibility for it. "I don't tell people what to do 
or what to write--they need to make those decisions for 
themselves," he says. As for Terry and others who clone 
Reconstructionism in their own image: "They're imitators. They're a 
headache to the movement and do everything to embarrass 
it--especially when it looks like something is about to 
succeed--but they do get on the bandwagon. For a time these groups 
are OK. But they depend on enthusiasm and it doesn't last. It needs 
to be a day-by-day intellectual application of the faith."

Leap Of Faith

"I believe in doing something positive," Rushdoony says. "Everyone 
is a super-critic of everybody else. I'm not interested in critics. 
That's all they do--they're just critics. They like just sitting 
back and criticizing. Some people live to be judges, they want to 
tell you how to run your life and your operation." He is at his 
best when discussing matters of faith, and despite the Old 
Testament-edge to much of his writing, it is the kinder, gentler 
philosophy of deeds from the New Testament that comes across in 
person. He's proud of the achievements of the Chalcedon Institute, 
in particular the coverage on ABC's 20/20 that highlighted the work 
of Chalcedon's John Upton in rescuing Romanian orphans. The report 
also cited a congressional commendation which was sponsored for 
Chalcedon by Congressmember Richard Pombo. "We [Chalcedon] have a 
farm in Central America where we are teaching the local Indians who 
have been displaced from their ancestral lands how to do market 
farming," he beams. "In South America we have a shelter for 
homeless girls. In Africa we have another project and a school and 
infirmary and trade school and businesses in Mexico."

Rushdoony also cites an impressive list of accomplishments by 
Chalcedon board member and financial benefactor Howard Ahmanson 
Jr., including the apparent emancipation of a village in Pakistan. 
But when asked about Ahmanson's heavy investments in political 
campaigns for right-minded candidates, he said, "That's not my 
business. Howard does much more charitable work than anyone will 
ever know."

Asked about another Chalcedon board member, actor John Quade, who 
recently spoke at a white supremacist meeting of a Christian 
Identity group in Bakersfield, Rushdoony once again denied 
responsibility for his followers. "John goes everywhere to speak, 
so I have nothing to say about what he does, I don't tell him what 
to do and not do."

Few chinks appeared in Rushdoony's armor, and to be honest, it 
wasn't completely clear if he was being sincere or putting on an 
act. If it is an act, it's a good one. Only once did he let his 
guard down, exhibiting a little hubris at the fact that newspapers 
overseas had called him a "silent menace" in their cover stories. 
And only once did he exhibit the Old Testament brutality of his 
writings, when the conversation turned to the rights of gays and 
lesbians. "Homosexuals are losers," he said. "They put their worst 
foot forward and are alienating people with their aggressive and 
bullying tactics. They are losers and [are] suicidal. Not 
important. It's an academic question. I have no personal interest 
in the subject--it's boring and not relevant to the realities of 
our world." Yet he reversed himself later, allowing that the New 
Testament does call for tolerance toward pagans. If his adherents 
don't get that, well, the will of God will ensure that only the 
right people get hurt. It's an interesting system, the world of 
R.J. Rushdoony, a Panglossian closed loop where everything's for 
the best. Asked about his influence on it, he once again made a 
leap of faith. "I have no interest in the question," he said. "I do 
what I feel called to do and leave the results to God."

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(18)   Sun 26 Feb 95  1:35                             
By: Maureen O'brien
To: All
Re: Chalcedon/Rushdoony
----------------------------------------------------------------------
@EID:9497 1e5a0c60
@MSGID: 1:267/153 9661bad8
@PID: SX4.02B03 RB10064
Copyright (c) 1995 the Institute for First Amendment Studies, PO Box
589, Great Barrington MA 02130. Uploaded with permission.

FREEDOM WRITER
A Hard Look at the Hard Right / January 1995

::::::::::::::::::
PROFILE: CHALCEDON
::::::::::::::::::

        Founded in 1964 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt
organization, Chalcedon (cal-SEE-don) is a leading think tank in the
Christian Right. Chalcedon is the origin and principal center of the
Christian Reconstruction movement, and their materials have had a
vast, immeasurable effect on the politics of the Christian Right.
        Named after the Council of Chalcedon of 451 A.D., in which 
the
Lordship of Christ was proclaimed, the organization's purpose is to
establish Old Testament Biblical law as the standard for society.
Chalcedon promotes Christian Reconstructionism--which mandates 
Christ's
dominion over all the world.
        According to the Ministry of Chalcedon statement, 
"Chalcedon's
emphasis on the cultural or dominion mandates and the necessity of a
return to Biblical law has been a crucial factor in the challenge to
humanism by Christians in this country and elsewhere."
        Chalcedon's president, Rousas John (R. J.) Rushdoony, is best
known as "the father of Christian Reconstructionism." As well as 
being
the author of more than 100 books, he is a former Orthodox 
Presbyterian
minister, John Birch Society operative, and missionary to Native
Americans. Rushdoony, 78, id s longtime conservative leader. He is a
member of the Council for National Policy and the Conservative 
Caucus,
and served on the steering committee of Coalition on Revival.
        Rushdoony's writings and the work of Chalcedon have had a 
major
impact on the Christian Right. For years, millions of Christians have
embraced what Reconstructionists derisively call "escapism theology."
That is, Jesus will return soon, in fact, at any moment, and *then*
everything will be all right. Christian Reconstruction simplified, 
says,
"No, the Church must first set up Christ's Kingdom on earth, the 
Christ
will return."
        While many evangelical Christians still believe the imminent
return theory, significant numbers have switched. Most of these
Christians would not label themselves Reconstructionist, but they
embrace the doctrine.
        The significance of the shift in doctrine is that most of
evangelical Christianity has been apolitical, believing that 
salvation
and the imminent return were the only answer in a world largely 
governed
by Satan. Reconstructionism argues instead that the kingdom of God on
earth is built not only by evangelism, but by the implementation of
Biblical law. The only way to get Biblical law is through politics. 
No
need to wait.
        Christian Reconstructionism teaches that every aspect of 
society
must come under Biblical law. This includes the death penalty for
"practicing homosexuals," abortionists, heretics, blasphemy, and even
disobedient sons.
        Rushdoony considers democracy to be "heresy" and he advocates
total Christian theocracy. "Supernatural Christianity and democracy 
are
inevitably enemies," he writes. "Democracy is the great love of the
failures and coward of life."
        Similarly, Rushdoony opposes pluralism because "in the name 
of
toleration, the believer is asked to associate on a common level of
total acceptance with the atheist, the pervert, the criminal, and the
adherents of other religions."
        Chalcedon was a leader in establishing the notion of special
Christian legal organizations. The Rutherford Institute was founded 
with
the help of Chalcedon to promote, through the courts, the Religious
Right's agenda.
        Chalcedon holds seminars, promotes speakers, publishes 
numerous
books and position papers, and distributes a series of 16 programs on
videotape. Publications include the *Chalcedon Report*, a monthly
32-page magazine, and the semiannual *Journal of Christian
Reconstructionism*. Some of Chalcedon's books are published by Ross
House Books, a separate, non-profit, tax-exempt affiliated 
organization.
        In 1991, Chalcedon received $634,264 in contributions, gifts,
and grants. The group also received $57,486 in tuition at their
Christian day school; $5,533 from journal sales; $3,571 in speaking 
and
writing fees; and $10,092 from sales of tapes and videos.
        Besides Rushdoony, the board of directors includes Mark
Rushdoony, Dorothy (Mrs. R.J.) Rushdoony, actor John Sanders III,
conservative philanthropist Howard Ahmanson, political consultant 
Wayne
Johnson, and Daniel Harris.
        Tens of thousands of dollars in fees and honoraria are paid 
each
year to a dozen associates, including Otto J. Scott, Samuel 
Blumenfield,
John Lofton, Joseph McAuliffe, and Gary Moes.
        Chalcedon enjoys the privilege of wealthy board members and
other contributors. Rushdoony's work is well established, and his
books and tapes will continue to sell. Chalcedon has had and will
continue to have a great effect on the Religious Right.

For Further Reading:
        "Democracy as Heresy" by Rodney Clapp, Christianity Today,
             February 20, 1987.
        "The Christian Reconstructionists" by Anson Shupe, The 
Christian
             Century, October 4, 1989.
        "Prophets of a Biblical America" by Anson Shupe, The Wall 
Street
             Journal, April 12, 1989.
        "Grace Under Pressure" by Marge Covino, Sacramento News and
             Review, October 20, 1994.
        "Heaven on Earth? The Social and Political Agendas of 
Dominion
             Theology" by Bruce Barron, Zondervan, 1992.
        "The Coors Connection" by Russ Bellant, South End Press, 
1991.