Brief Bibliography For Study Of Some Errors Of Theonomic Reconstructionism
Suitable For Study of Some of The Errors of Theonomic-Reconstructionists Prepared By James H. Dearmore, Missionary, Copyright March, 1995. OPPONENTS OF THEONOMIC TEACHINGS---
H. Wayne House and Thomas Ice
Dominion Theology: Blessing or Curse? An Analysis of Christian Reconstructionism.
Portland, Oregon: Multnomah, 1988. This is the only full-scale refutation in detail of
Theonomic Reconstructionism I have been able to find. I consider Thomas Ice "the" expert
on the subject. He has written a few articles in addition, one of which appeared in
"Bibliotheca Sacra" July-September, 1988, titled "An Evaluation of Theonomic
Neopostmillennialism." Ice and House have been connected with Dallas Theological
Seminary as students and teachers. This book is highly recommended for any study of the
subject.
Samuel E. Waldron
Theonomy: A Reformed Baptist Assessment. Pretoria, South Africa: Lynnwood Baptist
Church, 1991. This is a 91 page duplicated discussion and refutation of Theonomy, used in
a Conference on the subject at the Lynnwood Church, pastored by Wilhelm Odendaal, who
is a close personal friend of the present writer, (JHD). The book is well done, and the
conference at which it was presented and the subject discussed in great detail well run.
However, the author, Dr. Samuel Waldron of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is Postmillennial
with Amillennial overtones (as it seems to me that many are) or perhaps I should say he is
Amillennial with Postmillennial overtones. In my own opinion it is virtually impossible for
a Postmillennialist or Amillennialist to do a really good job of refuting the Theonomists-Reconstructionists-Dominionists because he has to be so careful not to "gore his own ox" or refute some of his own beliefs. Only a committed Premillennialist can really expose the
heresy involved in the large scale false teachings of the Dominionist-Reconstructionist
proponents.
This book is, in spite of the somewhat negative statements above, well worth obtaining for any study of Theonomy. Brother Waldron is a very personable man, and a good speaker. He is pastor of a "Reformed" Baptist Church, really what I would classify as a much better than average "protestant" rather than a proper Baptist, by MY definition of Baptist.
William S. Barker and W. Robert Godfrey, Editors
Theonomy: A Reformed Critique. Grand Rapids: Zondervan-Academie, 1990. This is a
collection of 16 essays by faculty members of Westminster Theological Seminary, and the
focus is primarily on the effect of Theonomy on churches and on Christian people.
While they do make some interesting points on the continuities and discontinuities between the Old Testament and our time, these writers cannot properly refute Reconstructionism-Dominionism because of their own eschatological predisposition and their need to "protect" their own ideas favoring postmillennialism.
The book is at present available in some stores, and is a worthwhile addition for one
desiring to learn more about Theonomy.
Leading Writers and Proponents of Dominionist-Reconstructionist-Theonomist Teachings
Kenneth Gentry
The Beast of Revelation. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989. The author tries in this volume to "prove" the book of Revelation was written well before A. D. 70 and that Nero was the "beast" of Revelation. His "proofs" are largely imaginary, and certainly
not convincing at all to me.
God's Law in the Modern World: The Continuing Relevance of Old Testament Law.
Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1993. Promotes the idea that
the Old Testament moral and civil laws remain normative for life today, and includes his
views of the roles of the law in gospel preaching, Christian conduct, and national policy.
Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1989. Uses 400 pages in this Doctoral Thesis reprint attempting to refute the
generally accepted date for the writing of Revelation (95-96 A. D.). This is an urgent
problem for the Theonomists, for it solves many other problems for them if they can re-set
the date of Revelation and thus eleminate Revelation from consideration as telling of future
events yet to come. Not at all convincing to me. Too much of this seems to be "too clever by
far" just like a lot of the Theonomic writers efforts to prove their points.
He Shall Have Dominion. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992. This is almost 600 pages trying to sustain the idea that Christ's Kingdom will (literally and
physically) triumph in history, REPRESENTATIVELY, through His people. He apparently does not read the same Bible I do. He makes preposterous attempts to remove his problem of Christ's clear statement when He said, "My Kingdom is not of this world."
Gary North
The Sinai Strategy: Economics and the Ten Commandments. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1986. One of the most radical of all the Reconstructionist writers, a very prolific writer and avid promoter of the movement.
An Introduction to Christian Economics. Nutley, N. J.: Craig Press, 1973. A collection of essays on economic themes from his perspective. North holds a degree in economics. He
includes here an essay on inflation in Isaiah 1.
Unconditional Surrender: God's Program for Victory. Rev. ed. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1981, 1987. A popular but systematic treatment of the whole Christian Reconstruction-Dominion Theology approach. North wrote it in a couple of weeks as a simple statement of their movement's views.
Backward Christian Soldiers? An Action Manual for Christian Reconstruction. Tyler,
Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1984. A collection of essays on proper motives for
Christian Reconstruction.
Moses and Pharaoh: Dominion Religion Versus Power Religion. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985. This is his first of 3 volumes of his economic commentary on Exodus. Volume 2 is 'The Sinai Strategy' mentioned above. The 3rd volume is yet to come.
Conspiracy: A Biblical View. Fort Worth: Dominion Press, 1986. He believes in attempts at conspiracy, but since he says God is sovereign, we should get on with his kingdom building without letting the leaders of this world bother us.
Dominion and Common Grace: The Biblical Basis of Progress. Tyler, Texas: Institute for Christian Economics, 1987. An attempt to show that common grace is how God restrains
evil, while special grace converts sinners.
His proposition is that since (he says) special grace is the conduit of common grace, special grace converts more to Christ, thereby multiplying common grace. Thus, he says, Christianization of the world is possible. A too clever explanation of how things are really getting better even though they are getting worse.
David Chilton
Paradise Restored: A Biblical Theology of Dominion. Fort Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987. Strong supporter of the Theonomic movement, now incapacitated by poor health, but
has written several books on various facets of their teachings. A Presbyterian pastor, as are
many of the movement's leaders. In this book Chilton argues for an A. D. 70 fulfillment of
the Olivet discourse and all of the book of Revelation.
The Great Tribulation. Fort Worth: Dominion Press, 1987. An attempt to deal with some loose ends relative to the great tribulation, which, according to him, ended in A. D. 70.
Much of the material in this one seems to be taken from his earlier books, 'Paradise
Restored' and his 'Days of Vengeance.'
Rousas J. Rushdoony
Institutes of Biblical Law. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, nd. This volume and the volume "Law and Society" which is really vol. 2 of the Institutes of Biblical Law, published in 1986 by Ross House, Vallecito California are an attempt to bring the Old Testament laws forward and apply them to modern society. Rushdoony is a prolific writer of Theonomic or Reconstructionist books, and is one of the "founding fathers" of the modern movement along with Greg Bahnsen, and a few others.
By What Standard? An Analysis of the Philosophy of Cornelius Van Til. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1958. His first book. It is a favorable look at the philosophy and apologetics of Van Til, who is not a Reconstructionist.
Salvation and Godly Rule. Vallecito, Calif.: Ross House Books, 1983. Essays similar to the materials of Volume 2 of the 'Institutes of Biblical Law,' which he preferred to call 'Law and Society.'
Christianity and the State. Vallecito, Calif.: Ross House Books, 1986. Here Rushdoony lays out in some detail his view of what a Christian civil government should be.
The Roots of Reconstruction. Vallecito, Calif.: Ross House Books, 1991. Consists primarily of articles from his 'Calcedon Report' publication.
Rushdoony has written many other volumes dealing with education, history, revolution,
evolution, philosophy of history, the problems of over population, agriculture, and the
irrational, socialistic do-good-ism so prevalent among liberals and some others today.
Others deal with pornography and the family, psychology, and some volumes on the
defense of Postmillennialism.
Greg Bahnsen
Theonomy In Christian Ethics. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1977, 1984. This is THE major effort to defend the Reconstructionist view of the use of OT law today. He believes that all OT law carries over into the Church Age unless specifically abrogated, (for example, certain ceremonial laws fulfilled by Christ in his death and resurrection). He also propounds the idea that the new covenant should govern how OT law is applied today, and stresses that the regenerated NT believer is now empowered to implement the OT law in conjunction with NT law.
Miscellaneous Other Theonomic Writers or Leaders To Read Listed Below---
Gary DeMar
Peter Leithart
George Grant
James Jordan
Herbert Schlossberg
Ray Sutton
Robert L. Thoburn
John Graham Child (Th.M. thesis submitted to University of South Africa). |
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