Introduction
We live in a political age. As such, people look to politics and politicians to solve all the problems we face in life. It should come as no surprise that due to the results of that mindset the State has grown in power over the decades, in a country that once touted freedom as its primary virtue. The State presents itself as the savior of the people. Hence, the State must take on an authoritarian role whereby it can allow no disagreement or dissent. Note the crack down on free speech, now deigned as hate speech, especially when it counters political correctness or political policies that those in power want to press forward.
I have mentioned on this blog the notion of Christian Reconstruction. The idea of Christian Reconstruction has been caricatured in many ways, one way in particular that it represents coerciveness on the part of Christians to establish a theocracy on earth. Christian Reconstruction is not about violent revolution or some form of coercive take over of the government. Indeed, it does not look to any form of government at all to solve people’s problems, other than a government that allows people the freedom to live their faith out in day-to-day life. Regeneration rather than revolution is the aim of Christian Reconstruction. Within the framework of Christian Reconstruction, as Christians we are called to self-government. What does that mean exactly? And how is that carried out in day-to-day life?
What Is Government?
As stated, we live in a political age, and people look to politics and politicians to solve all their struggles and problems. This mindset emerges from equating government with one form of rule, civil government. From the viewpoint of Christian Reconstruction, however, government can mean several things. First, government primarily means self-government, which the blog article will explore. The second sphere of government entails the family, a sphere of government that Scripture strongly emphasizes. Third, the church is a sphere of government, and fourth, the school is a sphere of government. Fifth, our vocation is a sphere of government. And sixth, our various activities in private organizations, family and personal networks, and community relationships form another sphere of what can be called government.
What Is Self-Government?
Like it or not, we are entering an election year, which means we will be inundated with political ads from every media source conceivable. Candidates will be appealing to us for our votes, telling us why it’s imperative that we should vote for them. Many, if not most, candidates will tell us if elected what they will do for us. I don’t mean to sound cynical. Candidates should run for whatever office they believe they can best serve, and they have the right to get their message out. But note the primary emphasis of their message: I will cut your taxes; I will raise taxes on the rich; I will end this or that war; I will win this or that war; I will fix education; I will cure environmental ailments, etc. We hear this ploy because we listen to it. People have come to believe that they must look to those in power who will secure the good life for them. Again, we live in a political age, one in which people look to those in power for happiness, security, and wealth. We no longer believe that we should govern our own lives.
The theologian, R. J. Rushdoony, (1916-2001) proffered the notion of self-government. Whether one agrees or not with his position on theonomy, I believe that his position on self-government is Biblical, and therefore wise. There are probably several pathways to ridding the overreach of government into our lives. Note the growth these days of the nullification movement, Convention of States (COS), tax reform, foreign policy debates, fiscal and monetary policy reforms that call on politicians to truly work at balancing the budget, etc. Rushdoony poses a straightforward question: This is the heart of the issue: is authority derived from man, from history, from the state, or from tradition, or is it derived from God? For the Christian, there is only one ultimate answer to that question. Rushdoony does not deny the rightful place of government. He does deny its overreach into every nook and cranny of our lives. For the believer in Christ, self-government is not a radical individualist and anarchist approach. Under a constitutional republic, it is the right of the Christian in the face of the State to live freely in alignment with his or her religious and spiritual convictions. Rushdoony stated: Government is, first of all, the self-government of the Christian man. This is basic to government. Self-government extends to the church, then the family, then to education, then to one’s vocation, and finally to society. This view of government is one that is radically decentralized. From a Christian worldview, we can establish self-government and all its extensions if there is a thorough decentralization of the State, allowing individuals to govern their own sphere. As a believer in Christ, Rushdoony held that self-government will eventually fail, as any other form of government, when it fails to build on the foundation of the sovereignty of God. Hence, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Col. 3:17).
Conclusion
This short blog article doesn’t come close to explicating all of Rushdoony’s thought. The important takeaway from his position on self-government is that people must ask themselves who or what has ultimate authority in their lives. For the Christian, that must be God and His word. As we survey our culture today, we see a State that continues to reach into every area of our lives, not by raw power it has taken on, but by raw power that people have given it as they look to the State for a life. [For more exploration on this topic see The Need for a Christian Manifesto.]
[Quotes from Rushdoony are taken from various Chaldean reports collected in An Informed Faith, kindle edition.]
John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./May 14th, 2024
ANALYSIS OF POWER/CHRISTIAN THOUGHT