This book explores the Christian Reconstructionist movement as an influence in American conservative Protestantism. Christian Reconstruction, which developed out of the work of R. J. Rushdoony in the mid-twentieth century, has broadly and subtly shaped conservative American Protestantism, especially its politicized versions, known as the religious right or the Christian right. Reconstructionists embrace a traditional Reformed notion of the Unity of Scripture to argue that all life should be brought under the authority of biblical law as contained in the Old and New Testaments. This “biblical w ... More

This book explores the Christian Reconstructionist movement as an influence in American conservative Protestantism. Christian Reconstruction, which developed out of the work of R. J. Rushdoony in the mid-twentieth century, has broadly and subtly shaped conservative American Protestantism, especially its politicized versions, known as the religious right or the Christian right. Reconstructionists embrace a traditional Reformed notion of the Unity of Scripture to argue that all life should be brought under the authority of biblical law as contained in the Old and New Testaments. This “biblical worldview” shapes their views on social issues like women’s roles, abortions, and LGBT rights, but also what they see as biblically dictated positions on private property, economic policy, and academic disciplines. More than a political philosophy, Christian Reconstruction seeks dominion over every aspect of culture. Early chapters explore the theological system put forth by Rushdoony, and its development and application in the work of several important figures. Subsequent chapters are fieldwork-based explorations of key sites of influence including Christian schooling, homeschooling, creationism, and the Tea Party as well as two key organizations: Vision Forum and American Vision. The final chapter examines the relationship between this worldview and violence, looking at internal disagreement over the use of violence to end abortion, their defense of “biblical slavery,” and gender-based violence that is both rhetorical and potentially literal, especially their advocacy of the death penalty for various biblical crimes.