What is Christian Reconstructionism? – forsaking domination for service

Last updated on: July 11, 2012 at 5:30 am by Kurt Willems

What is Christian Reconstructionism? – forsaking domination for service 2012-07-10T15:14:04-07:00 Kurt Willems

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What is Christian Reconstructionism?

by Paul McGlasson

You may not be familiar with the terminology, but you know the ideas.

Christian Reconstructionism is a powerful mix of religious and political ideas gaining enormous strength in the American church and society. Ideas like:

Christians have a unique “worldview” with unique access to universal truth
“Christian laws” should be put in place at local, state, and federal levels
Christianity and American culture are two sides of the same coin
The proper, God-given role of Christians is to dominate the earth

Ok, let me explain.

As a pastor in a local congregation I began to notice the growing buzz surrounding these ideas, along with serious confusion about what it all means. As a theologian, I began to consider the possibility that the time had come for serious theological testing of these main ideas.

I was still thinking about the possibility when Governor Rick Perry of Texas launched his candidacy for the presidency of the United States with a prayer rally in Houston, Texas, in August 2011. It was called “The Response.” It was designed as a Christians-only effort to call on divine support for the candidacy, and to “claim” the United States for Christianity. What is not so well known is that it was organized by a group associated with Christian Reconstructionism: The New Apostolic Reformation.

So, here are some—brief—responses to the above ideas (for a more in-depth theological critique, see my new book No! A Theological Response to Christian Reconstructionism).

Do Christians really have a “worldview” that includes everything? The friends of Job certainly thought so. According to their “worldview,” if Job suffered, it must be because he did something wrong. Why else would God punish him? But when God comes onto the scene at the end of the book, he doesn’t merely correct their false worldview, he condemns the very notion that faithful people have a worldview to begin with. God exclaims: Why, they can’t even explain the exotic grandeur of a hippopotamus (Job 40: 15 ff.); how are they going to claim to know every fact in the universe? The fact is, according to the Bible, faithful people don’t know everything.

Do Christians really have a biblical mandate to turn the judicial code of the Old Testament into the civil law of society? This would mean the death-penalty for homosexuals and adulterers; this would mean only Christian judges and congressional representatives. In fact, only Christians could vote. Christians could get reduced loan rates, while non-Christians must pay full price, and so forth and so on. Now, the issue is not the authority of the Old Testament for Christians, which I affirm along with the mainstream church. The issue is the twofold rule of love for God and neighbor, which Jesus himself, the true Interpreter of the Old Testament, gives to guide us in applying it to daily life.

Is Christianity American, and America Christian? I am not convinced. First of all, the early puritans did not leave a secular country to found a Christian nation; they left a Christian nation to found a free nation. And what about the miraculous growth of global Christianity, perhaps the miracle of our time? Christianity is not American; it is Ghanaian, Nigerian, Chinese, South Korean, Chilean, Mexican, Polish, etc. It is all of these, and none of these; because it is centered in the risen Christ alone, not in any geographical center. Try telling a faithful servant of the risen Christ in Botswana that Christianity belongs to America!

Are we as Christians really here to dominate? This one was the easiest question to answer of all, because the entire earthly life of Christ cries out differently. We are here to serve, only to serve, until we have nothing left.

Paul McGlasson is the author of No! A Theological Response to Christian Reconstructionism (https://wipfandstock.com/store/No_A_Theological_Response_to_Christian_Reconstructionism) and pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Sullivan, Indiana. He received his MDiv from Yale Divinity School, and his PhD from Yale University in Systematic Theology. Before entering the parish ministry, McGlasson taught theology for several years in college and seminary.

Nationalism

Previous Post

July 10, 2012

Becoming Great in the Social Sector (church)

Next Post

July 12, 2012 Moneyball Christians

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category (Series) All Out War-Spiritual Warfare (Series) Church Plant Journal (Series) Dear Reader... (Series) Earthquakes...Signs of the Times? (Series) Entering the... Conversation (Series) Evangelical Culture Myths (Series) Everything is Meaningless [Pete Enns] (Series) Evolving Evangelicalism (Series) Hell Yes. Hell No! Who Cares? (Series) Hidden Worldviews (Series) If Evolution is Right, what about Adam? (Series) in less than 300 words (Series) Jesus and Nationalism (Series) Liberating Women for Ministry? (Series) Life-Changing Books (Series) Markers of Church Plant Movement (Series) Nonviolence 101 (Series) Philemon - Reconciliation (Series) Quote to Ponder (Series) Red Letter Dialogues (Series) Resource of the Week (SERIES) Revelation Sermons (Series) Share Something Sundays (Series) Simplicity in the Burbs: $2 a day (Series) The Binding of God [Open Theism] (Series) The Creed: Anabaptist Reflections (Series) Values for Church Leadership (Series) Video to Ponder Anabaptism Animal Advocacy Books Church Ministry Church Planting Community Culture Eschatology Eucharist Evangelical Reject Evolution Fundamentalism Greek Greg Boyd Guest Contributors Hell Holy Spirit Israel/Palestine Kingdom of God Lent Missional N. T. Wright Nationalism New Creation Nonviolence Open Mic Open Theism Parenting Passover Paul Philemon Podcast Politics Restorative Justice Revelation (the book of) Rob Bell Ron Martoia Sermon Shane Claiborne Social Justice Speaking Engagement Spiritual Warfare Spirituality Temple Theology Tim Geddert Tribulation Uncategorized universalism Video Blog Women in Ministry Worship Music Youth Ministry

Select a Month August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 December 2016 October 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the main theme of the Ten Commandments?

Select your answer to see how you score.

How to live in Jewish society How to earn your way to Heaven How to live and treat others How to be successful

Support this
Column