How Reconstruction got squelched and how it will be revived again.
Building on the work of Cornelius VanTil, the world’s greatest modern philosopher, RJ Rushdoony developed Christian Reconstruction, a family oriented understanding of Biblical Law and authority. While it took him a life time to publish and explain it, it took only a few years for some of his early followers to repudiate his central thesis regarding the family and start to counter Rushdoony’s growing influence. After all, how could the family be the foundation for a revived Christendom when it was so small and weak in every way. Instead, they reasoned, we must build on the church as the only institution capable of standing up to the state.
So the Reconstructionist camp split in two as epitomized by Doug Philips (www.visionforum.com; www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/) continuing with Rushdoony’s family orientation and Doug Wilson (www.christkirk.com; www.dougwils.com) spearheading the idea of a renewed church as our best hope. Doug Wilson requirements for membership include a statement that the member will do whatever the elders tell him to do. It is missing the clause “within the bounds of Biblical Law”. So he gives the “King’s X” to the elders of the church.
Despite the family orientation of the Doug Philips camp, it is compromised by a lack of courage, conviction, and strength in the face of the demonic doctrine of monogamania and thus gives succor to a septic form self-righteous personal piety and the essence of feminism, the demand for exclusivity. Submission to husbands and fathers is predicated on the man’s obedience to the first commandment of feminism, “Thou shalt have no other wives before me for I am a jealous wife, visiting wrath upon anyone who dares suggest otherwise unto the third and fourth circle of his associates.”
With the claim of exclusivity, a wife thereby declares her independence from her husband’s authority.
The Christian Patriarchy movement (not to be mistaken with the New Covenant Patriarchy movement) has real problems with the doctrine of authority as taught by RJ Rushdoony. What they do not understand is that all authority is derived authority or it loses legitimacy. Jesus is the supreme authority (All authority in heaven and on earth is given unto me) and he delgates authority to whom he will. Governments (civil, church, familial, school, business, and most importantly, self) wield legitimate authority only insofar as they are within the bounds of Biblical Law. A husband’s authority stops where injustice starts. A wife has every right to appeal to Biblical Law against all who perpetrate an injustice in her marriage. Furthermore, divorce is a gift from God that enables a spouse to separate her self from an evil marriage partner. Furthermore, men are always soley responsible for their thoughts, words, and actions in regard to women’s appearance and cannot legitimately impute their guilt onto women. “Thou art the man!” as Nathan said in 2 Samuel 12:7.
When a man claims independence from YHWH’s authority he declares himself to be the exclusive authority, deciding for himself what is right and wrong. Judgment is then inevitable. The Holy Spirit refuses His presence and power and the rebellious man is left to the authority of Satan and dominion is kept from him.
So the Doug’s better get it straight: submit to God’s definition of marriage and justice or prepare to suffer the curses of Deuteronomy 28:15ff.
Tom Shipley and New Covenant Patriarchy point the way forward with a renewed doctrine of marriage, of man and woman in Biblical law. Without this doctrine, authority in the family is turned upside down and distorted. Since the family is the foundational institution of society getting this doctrine right is essential to the reconstruction of society in terms of Biblical Law.