Episode 11: The Father of Christian Reconstructionism

If you’ve ever discussed “school choice,” wondered why some Christians , or puzzled over a “Taxation Is Theft” sign, you’ve encountered the legacy of Rousas John Rushdoony — one of the most influential but least-known fundamentalists of the 20th century. Rushdoony founded and shaped the Christian Reconstructionism movement for decades, articulating its principles and goals in innumerable sermons, essays, and a 900 page magnum opus he titled The Institutes of Biblical Law. In this episode, Kristin kicks off our series on Reconstructionism and its influence on American culture with a look at Rushdoony’s early history, the ideas he baked into Reconstructionism, and the breadth of its influence on other movements like education and tax policy.

Sources and Reference Material

• Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction, by Julie Ingersoll

• Christian Reconstruction: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism, by Michael Joseph McVicar

• Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest, by Crawford Gribben

• Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism, by Molly Worthen

• Protestants and American Conservatism: A Short History, by Gillis J. Harp

• The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, by Frances Fitzgerald

• Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, by Kathryn Joyce

• “The Libertarian Theocrats: The Long, Strange History of R.J. Rushdoony and Christian Reconstructionism,” by Michael J. McVicar in The Public Eye, Fall 2017.

• “Angry White Man: The bigoted past of Ron Paul,” by James Kirchick in The New Republic, 2008.

• “There’s Something About Gary,” by Declan McCullagh in Wired Magazine, 1999.

• “As a plague sweeps the land, zealots see a gift from heaven,” by Leah Sottile in High Country News, 2020.