Faith for All of Life May/June 2015

Publisher & Chalcedon President Editorials Rev. Mark R. Rushdoony 2 From the President Summer Sale Chalcedon Vice-President Historical Perspective Martin Selbrede Save 15% 13 From the Founder on all orders plus FREE Editor standard shipping (US) Martin Selbrede Publisher’s Foreword: Chalcedon May 1-July 31, 2015 Features Managing Editor Susan Burns 4 First Major Book About R. J. Rushdoony: Michael J. McVicar’s Contributing Editor Christian Reconstruction: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Lee Duigon Conservatism Reviewed by Martin G. Selbrede Chalcedon Founder Rev. R. J. Rushdoony 14 The Bible’s High Estimation of Women (1916-2001) Andrea Schwartz was the founder of Chalcedon and a leading theologian, church/ 18 Massachusetts Completes Its Takedown of Addiction Pioneer state expert, and author of Dr. Punyamurtula S. Kishore numerous works on the applica- Martin G. Selbrede tion of Biblical Law to society. Columns

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Chalcedon may want to contact its readers quickly by means of e-mail. Faith for All of Life, published bi-monthly by Chalcedon, a tax-exempt Christian foundation, is sent to all who If you have an e-mail address, please request it. All editorial correspondence should be sent to the managing editor, P.O. Box 569, Cedar Bluff, VA send an e-mail message including 24609-0569. Laser-print hard copy and electronic disk submissions firmly encouraged. All submissions subject to editorial revision. Email: [email protected]. The editors are not responsible for the return of unsolicited manu- your full postal address to our office: scripts which become the property of Chalcedon unless other arrangements are made. Opinions expressed in this [email protected]. magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Chalcedon. It provides a forum for views in accord with a relevant, active, historic Christianity, though those views may on occasion differ somewhat from Chalcedon’s and from each For circulation and data other. Chalcedon depends on the contributions of its readers, and all gifts to Chalcedon are tax-deductible. ©2015 Chalcedon. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint granted on written request only. Editorial Board: Rev. Mark management contact Rebecca R. Rushdoony, President/Editor-in-Chief; Martin Selbrede, Editor; Susan Burns, Managing Editor and Executive Rouse at (209) 736-4365 ext. 10 Assistant. Chalcedon, P.O. Box 158, Vallecito, CA 95251, Telephone Circulation (9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m., Pacific): (209) or [email protected] 736-4365 or Fax (209) 736-0536; email: [email protected]; www.chalcedon.edu; Circulation: Rebecca Rouse. From the President

“Historical Perspective” By Mark R. Rushdoony

he failure of man’s to emphasize that a minority opinion and Iraqis, but not the death of the un- Trepeated attempts is being proposed, the term “revisionist known tens of thousands killed by the to control the future history” stresses the change to prevailing U.S. military campaign against him. should come as no thought being attempted. Assessing the meaning of history surprise to us when we Why are very divergent views of his- presupposes a standard of moral judg- see they are rarely able tory possible and now so very prevalent? ment. We must not forget the first revi- to agree on the past. So many people People have a widespread distrust of sionist history was by Satan, who gave today start with a distrust of establish- “official explanations” and press releases. a falsified view of God’s decree and the ment power that conspiracy thinking Facts go through a filter before they consequences for rebellion, not to men- is not limited to major events, but now reach us. One of the complicating fac- tion God’s motives. Man acts in terms includes relatively routine ones. Often tors in the death of John F. Kennedy is of both his faith (and hence ethics) and such ideas gain a foothold before anyone that the government concealed informa- understanding. Lies subvert both. really knows any facts. If an airliner tion it considered sensitive and, in some Reason is regulated by ethics. When is lost over the ocean, then a grand cases, gave out falsified data as factual we read the Bible in faith, we naturally conspiracy is thought to be underway to divert attention away from these assume God’s perspective because this to supply terrorists with a plane. If the areas. False witness is a sin because lies is given to us in the context. It is easy price of crude oil drops we soon lose are such a powerful tool of evil. When for us to read the Bible’s account of the track of the theories on who manipu- evidence is falsified, lost, concealed, or foolishness of ancient sinners and say, lated it and for what purpose. The destroyed, we have a hard time knowing “They were certainly foolish,” and as- restructuring of our thoughts about the what is true. Criminal convictions are sume we would not have been. more distant past is also prevalent. It is frequently based, not on hard evidence, When we read the Bible in faith, we called revisionism. but on expert witnesses, many of whom are thinking God’s thoughts after Him, One can take either a positive or are paid or who, like the police, have an and His perspectives becomes ours. negative approach to revisionism. The interest in their actions being sanctioned When the sinner hears God’s Word, positive spin is that our historical nar- by conviction. he wants to reject the lesson because rative must be reviewed for accuracy, he will not admit to the moral order it rethought with a fresh perspective to Ethics and Revisionism presupposes. discern significance previously missed Much history is lost to us. Whole or intentionally avoided. On the other cultures are forgotten, entire ruined cit- Revisionist History in the hand, revisionism can be seen in a very ies a mystery without any human con- Sixth Century B.C. negative sense by those who adhere to scious effort for that to happen, so it’s An example of revisionism occurs the conventional narrative. They see any no wonder we can miss the importance late in the life of the prophet Jeremiah. new perspective as a rewriting of what of facts readily available to us. Then, His was one of the longest ministries of really happened, as a propaganda tool too, much of our historical knowledge any prophet and may have seen the least used by those who have ulterior motives. is written by victors whose purpose is success. He helped Josiah rid Jerusalem Even one’s terminology tends to vindication, and whose moral outrage is of its idols only to see them return after convey either a positive or negative often selective. We condemn Hitler for that king’s death in battle. Jeremiah connotation to revisionism. The term the bombing of London, but seldom the spent years warning the people of Judah “historical revisionism” emphasizes Allies for the far more devastating and that their apostasy was leading to the fall history and can connote a change in unnecessary bombing of Dresden, Ger- of Jerusalem, all to no avail. Jerusalem our understanding of that which did, many. We still note the evil of Saddam fell in 586 B.C. Not long thereafter in fact, occur in history. If one wishes Hussein’s murder of hundreds of Kurds the murder of the governor appointed

2 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life by the conquering Babylonians caused decades, they saw, not God’s judgment purpose of this small mercy was so the the people to fear a bloody reprisal. on their sin, but God’s failure to prosper last survivors would “know whose words Though warned by Jeremiah that God them: shall stand, mine or theirs” (v. 28). would only protect them if they stayed But we will certainly do whatso- in Judah, the people decided in favor Understanding History ever thing goeth forth out of our It is not easy to understand history of migrating to Egypt where there were mouth, to burn incense unto the already many Jews who had fled from without such words by God’s inspired queen of heaven, and pour out prophet. Our own historical, political, the deteriorating situation in Palestine. drink offerings unto her … for The last recorded historical narrative and cultural views are often little more then we had plenty of victuals, and of Jeremiah is in chapter 44. There we than “whatsoever thing goeth forth were well, and saw no evil. have an account of Jeremiah speaking out of our own mouth.” We frequently to Jews from many parts of Egypt and But since we left off to burn in- write history in order to impose on it once again relating the history of God’s cense to the queen of heaven, and our own perverse moral judgments. His- judgment on Judah. to pour out drink offerings unto tory writing is often little more than the The fall of Judah and Jerusalem her, we have wanted all things, and construction of memes: political history was for a reason: the idolatry that Josiah have been consumed by the sword almost always falls into this trap of self- had tried, some twenty-five years earlier, and by the famine. (vv.17–18) justification. to eliminate. It quickly returned after Jeremiah had given them the Prosperity Cults his death in battle and the people and historical facts and their moral inter- Baalism was the worship of various the last kings of Judah had treated pretation—that they had failed God. lords or powers in some way connected Jeremiah badly. He was in prison when The people’s response was that their with fertility. You could say baalism Jerusalem fell and was only freed by the prosperity was a better gauge of success. (there were many different baals, or Babylonians. They had, under Josiah, formally ended powers, worshipped) was the prosperity Now Jeremiah reminded them of idolatry. Though they quickly returned cult of the ancient world. You appeased their sin and asked the people how they to it, they saw this as a true reform, could continue their idolatry after all the powers in the expectation that they one which obligated Jehovah to reward would allow you to have descendants, God’s judgments. The people were of- them. fering incense to the Queen of Heaven, crops, rain, fair winds, and freedom Much paganism and particularly from disease and plague. In their fertil- whom the Hebrews had previously idolatry is geared, not to worship and worshiped in Palestine under the name ity cult mindset, the people who lived submission, but to the satiation of the through the last reformation under Astarte. This was a female deity, various- gods. Make them happy and they will ly worshipped throughout the region, Josiah expected God to do His part and leave you alone. These Jews felt they give them prosperity. When He did not, but generally considered the consort of a had given a great deal to make Jehovah male deity. Sometimes the Hebrews had they reckoned Him a failure unworthy happy and that He had not reciprocated of their efforts. connected her to a baal, at other times, with good things. Their assessment was unbelievably, to Jehovah. The horrific that it was time again to please their old Historical Evaluation history was in Jeremiah’s mind when he idols. Jeremiah had given his evaluation History is evaluation. Names, dates, asked, in effect, “How can you continue of recent history and the Jews in Egypt battles, and places are only a chronology to do this, and only bring God’s judg- had given an alternative historical nar- of events. Real history is the meaning of ment on you here in Egypt?” rative. Both were ethical and religious. these things, their cause and direction. The response of the people to Jer- Jeremiah repeated his historical synopsis History thus is a succeeding generation’s emiah was collective. It was blunt—“As (vv. 20–23) before he pronounced God’s morality tale and is always, at heart, for the word of the Lord, we will not judgment. religious and ethical. hearken unto thee” (v.16). Twice Jeremiah pronounced a uni- When men see themselves as gods, Seeing Judah’s History versal judgment of death on that genera- they see no reason not to be lords over as the Failure of God tion (vv. 14a; 27) only to then add a history. As a nation changes religiously, Their reasoning used an historical qualification that a “small number” (v. its historical narrative, its evaluation of argument. In looking back on recent 28, compare 14b) would survive. The Continued on page 26

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 3 Special Feature

First Major Book About R. J. Rushdoony Michael J. McVicar’s Christian Reconstruction: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism Reviewed by Martin G. Selbrede

r. Michael J. of them emanate from the personal DMcVicar has journals and correspondence of only written the first major one man. Reconstructing events that scholarly work on the occurred decades earlier may require oc- history of Christian Re- casional use of conjecture and extrapola- construction, unraveling tion to connect the dots. Determining the complexities of the impact made the relative weight and reliability of vari- upon our culture by the work of R. J. ous witnesses who are unavailable for Rushdoony. While the work’s 1,017 cross-examination is challenging, and endnotes1 underscore the academic no scholar wants to give questionable workmanship of the author, the value sources equal standing to good sources. of the underlying research is in its reli- In most cases, Dr. McVicar navigates ance on original sources (rare in a field around the evidentiary holes well, of study where second- and third-hand providing due warning when drawing sourcing and hearsay are the general provisional conclusions. His conjectures rule). The quality and relevance of Dr. are never anything less than defensible, McVicar’s sources are as important as and many of them provide remarkable the comprehensive range they cover. insights into matters hitherto shrouded From one standpoint, such a study in obscurity. is overdue. As the author points out, “In Second, Dr. McVicar is writing for the 1980s, after nearly two decades of a constituency that is largely hostile to of R. J Rushdoony’s contributions to the studiously ignoring Rushdoony, many Christian Reconstruction. It is doubtful world of ideas. That such a book would influential church leaders and evangeli- that the University of North Carolina go further and attempt to clarify the cal intellectuals suddenly realized that Press was looking to mass-print a puff Rushdoony’s ideas were everywhere. man’s impact, to determine what should piece extolling R. J. Rushdoony’s work. And this required explanation.”2 Part and should not be laid to his blame or Dr. McVicar is not himself a Recon- of the explanation is unflattering: credit, and to attempt to rightly estimate structionist, a point we reiterated each Rushdoony was the object of academic his stature among movers and shak- time Chalcedon published one of his es- blackouts, such as “Christianity Today’s ers visible and invisible, is even more says (which were early drafts of specific unwritten policy of ignoring Rushdoony remarkable. sections of this book) in Faith for All of whenever possible … however, this Life. His “outsider” status allowed him Twists and Turns blackout had a significant unintended to wear the robe of objectivity. consequence…”3 This book provides This is not a perfect book, but it is His new book appears to make nods the first major counterpoise to decades an excellent one. The weaknesses of Dr. towards its non- and anti-Reconstruc- of blackouts and self-inflicted ignorance. McVicar’s work (which are relatively tionist constituency, being marketed How many individuals warrant a few, to be noted in more detail later) as a tool to warn the unwary about a book-length treatment from a major arise from several factors. First, there is shadowy figure (the terms “rogue’s gal- university press? The mere existence of a limit to what can be gleaned from pri- lery”4 and “shadowy and amorphous this book is indicative of the significance mary sources, especially when so many network”5 appear twice; Rushdoony is a

4 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life “crafty bootstrapper” seeking to “insu- so far as to provide Chalcedon with (Oddly, though, the author doesn’t pur- late his activities from taxation”6; the draft materials for comment. He went sue the posthumous extension of that perversity of the modern state is essen- the extra mile. The fact that Chalcedon intellectual cause conducted by the very tially in the imagination of Rushdoony7 could not allocate time to provide the institution Rushdoony founded for that and other conservatives; the “notoriety” feedback requested is no reflection on purpose: the Chalcedon Foundation. of Rushdoony and/or his writings8 is the author and his proactive search The author may not recognize that the front-and-center, etc.). That the book’s for counsel. While true that the errors exact same under-the-surface influence18 actual content tends to reposition are his, they are errors he sought to he traces in the twentieth century is still Rushdoony against prevailing miscon- eradicate in good faith—but deadlines at work on an even broader decentral- ceptions isn’t immediately obvious. Like necessarily took precedence. In addition, ized scale.) the Trojan horse, its payload isn’t evident the typographic errors will doubtless be “If Rushdoony could persuade from its external trappings. corrected in the next edition.11 Christians to reject any form of educa- Third, the author didn’t have the ad- As Dr. McVicar admits, Chalcedon tion that emphasized state sovereignty vantage of a final feedback review from president Mark R. Rushdoony “took over God’s sovereignty, then he could Chalcedon, although he sought it by a certain risk in allowing an unknown start a reform movement that would providing drafts for that purpose. Some graduate student totally unfettered ac- fundamentally reorganize all human charity, then, must be extended to a cess to his father’s personal papers and relationships.”19 This would be good if 12 scholar who tried to do right. From pre- unpublished manuscripts.” The risk current human relationships are cor- vious review cycles with Dr. McVicar, he factor boiled down to the researcher’s rupted, but bad if they’re considered evinced every intention to get the story moral character. While some have the gold standard. While Dr. McVicar straight, and accepted the vast bulk of thought Chalcedon’s openness was leaves this matter open for now, the our recommendations for correcting the tantamount to Hezekiah giving some implicit assumption is that a backlash facts and the presentation of complex Babylonians a cook’s tour of Jerusalem will be forthcoming. ideas. (Isaiah 39), the actual takeaway was “Rushdoony believed that the lack We therefore extrapolate that this something different: the foundation that of critical journalism within all major author would have done the same R.J. Rushdoony founded fifty years ago Protestant denominations imperiled the had we been in a position to provide was not the secretive, shadowy splinter church.”20 If such journalism doesn’t feedback on the schedule required by cell of pop legend. As Dr. McVicar exist, you’ll get your ideas from a default the publisher, and that many errors in noted, Christian Reconstruction was secular source. The church and its lead- 13 14 the text would not have appeared had “poorly understood,” a deficiency he ership then declines away from the faith we been able to fulfill his request to purposed to correct. and becomes a shell of its former self, an review his final draft. By pointing them The author admits that partisan institutional whited sepulcher. out later, we’re essentially providing Dr. ideologues will find things to love and The internal rot of the church was McVicar with the review he requested, hate in the book. Critics will see things something Rushdoony regularly had retroactively. that reinforce their negative impressions to confront. When a former PCUSA of Rushdoony15 while advocates will general assembly moderator condemned From Responsible Student find reinforcement of their views. “More him as “devil-possessed,” Rushdoony to Published Historian temperate readers,” he says, “will likely “took the admonishment as a compli- Dr. McVicar has come a long way find Rushdoony to be something of an ment, sardonically noting that the state- in his analysis when compared to his enigma—at once intellectually deep and ment ‘indicates a return to conservative earlier excursions into Rushdoony stud- emotionally distant, a complex mix of 9 theology … Perhaps having recognized ies. Some misstatements creeping into hubris and humility.”16 his earlier research were pointed out to the devil’s existence, he may even admit him, and those errors were, by and large, Major Insights Intuited God’s!’”21 corrected.10 As Dr. McVicar concedes by Dr. McVicar Dr. McVicar notes that “It is in this at the outset of the present work, “The Concerning Rushdoony, Dr. distinction between liberty as truth and interpretations contained herein—and McVicar wrote, “The dedication he liberty as a fruit of the truth of Christ any factual errors—are mine alone.” engendered was for adherence to an in- that Rushdoony located the uniqueness As stated above, Dr. McVicar went tellectual cause, not loyalty to a man.”17 of his own social and political mis-

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 5 Faith for All of Life sion.”22 The author clearly grasps the and churches provide a check against laundry is dirty, it comes in for exami- importance of this distinction, one usu- the totalitarian claims of the state on the nation. Dr. McVicar strives to remain ally lost upon those habituated to merge lives of humans.”26 objective, but it is possible to sense that these ideas or treat them as synonyms. his sympathies are closer to Rushdoony Rushdoony’s Concept When R. J. Rushdoony taught that than to the next generation of Recon- of Governance the family was the basic unit of society, structionists. This section of the work Dovetailing with these concepts is he meant it. And that fact directed him falters only once,31 which is remarkable Dr. McVicar’s excellent exposition of to the proper avenue for confronting given the incendiary materials that had Rushdoony’s concept of governance, societal issues. “For Rushdoony, political to be collated into a coherent whole. where civil government is but one form activism and social change could hap- among many: “Rushdoony understood Rushdoony the Heretic? pen in all spheres of life, but the farther that historically, governance has not Dr. McVicar provides an accurate these changes were removed from the been the sole domain of the territorial picture of the 1987 dust-up between family, the less effective they became. As nation-state.”27 Christianity Today and the Reconstruc- a result, he worked to convince Chris- On the question of civil disobedi- tionists when Rodney Clapp came out tians … that they needed to rethink ence (in both moderate and extreme with all guns blazing. Clapp portrayed their political activism and refocus it on 23 forms), Dr. McVicar is careful to dis- “a dystopian society built on Rush- creating a proper Christian family.” tinguish between the views of different doony’s ideas… In a single article, Clapp Rushdoony’s view of law and order Reconstructionists (which is remarkable had distilled the spirit of a decades-long “pushed against the central assumptions for the simple reason that such care is theological fight into a fundamental of reformers on the left and right rarely taken by critics). As Dr. McVicar accusation: Rushdoony was a heretic.” … The answers to [the crisis] could documents, “Rushdoony had long con- More pointedly, the Reconstructionists not be found in more police officers, demned any form of antiabortion civil were “political heretics out of touch with more-conservative politicians, a more- disobedience as antinomian sin,” going contemporary evangelicalism and, worse aggressive foreign policy, or a slick so far as voting with his feet when push still, contemporary American political evangelical outreach to the souls of a came to shove.28 sensibilities.”32 The result of this shift in broken nation. Civic salvation would But it was in America’s courtrooms strategy by the critics of reconstruction? not come through public protest and that Rushdoony changed the na- “Secular concepts of force, violence, 24 civil disobedience.” The political tion’s landscape most profoundly. Dr. domination, and political legitimation right and left weren’t the only impotent McVicar’s account is galvanizing and … [became] the new metrics for mea- forces on the stage, as Dr. McVicar well-structured, resonating with the suring Rushdoony’s theology.”33 points out later: “Neoevangelicals heat of battle and the acknowledgment Back on the evangelical ranch, could revive, presuppositionalists could of the centrality of Rushdoony’s contri- three books were penned34 that became destroy, but neither could reconstruct. bution in safeguarding alternatives to (by default) the de facto standards for This perception of the twin failures of state education. “Rushdoony used the dismissing Christian Reconstruction. neoevangelicalism and neo-Calvinism public space of America’s courtrooms to “Other authors in the evangelical and prompted Rushdoony to develop a carve out the private, domestic spaces secular presses have repeatedly cited systemic Protestant casuistry to respond necessary for the familializing process of them, thereby solidifying their central to the ‘law-and-order’ problem of the Christian Reconstruction to thrive.”29 role in forming popular conceptions35” 1960s.”25 “If Whitehead and Shaeffer helped of this theology. “Ultimately, each Dr. McVicar’s attempt to parse the pioneer Christian legal activism in the text warned that dominion theology One and the Many concept in regard to 1980s, they did so by following paths was incompatible with mainstream the matter of sphere sovereignty is to the blazed by Rushdoony in his effort to evangelicalism.”36 point. “Faith in and dedication to God’s legalize Christian homeschooling.”30 Was Rushdoony treated any better final sovereignty dictated that no sphere The divisions between Reconstruc- by those who embraced his ideas com- can be made subservient to another. tionists are handled in a reasonably pared to those who rejected them? Not Therefore, every sphere provides a check even-handed way by the author, and he in Dr. McVicar’s telling of the continual to the potential tyranny of the others sets out the contrasts clearly in respect uncredited plagiarizing of Rushdoony’s … at every turn, true Christian families to conflicting emphases. Where the work. The theologian stated the case

6 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life succinctly: “I find my materials, illustra- cites in this volume). All such “negative documented at length in Rushdoony’s tions, and footnotes used, sometimes reference points” embody “a normative massive study, Sovereignty. verbatim, with no credit, because I am understanding of the proper limits of Dr. McVicar states that the ‘controversial.’ So is the Lord.” In Dr. religion and citizenship in the United “philosophical foundations of Van Til’s McVicar’s words, Rushdoony “interpret- States.”43 At this point the author ap- apologetic method sound like abstract ed a failure to directly cite his influence peals to the work of Robert A. Orsi and theological sophistry”50 yet Rushdoony as a manifestation of Christian coward- Sean McCloud to undergird the conclu- nonetheless embraced it. Dr. McVicar ice and cultural retreat in order to avoid sion that “the business of religion and found his encounter with Van Til uncon- controversy.”37 its study is the creation of marginalized vincing, being skeptical of the Dutch- Into this conflicted maelstrom, con- others.”44 man’s account of the fall: “one might fusion spread as distinctions were erased, The marginalizing of Christian wonder exactly how Van Til grasped generating imaginary associations Reconstruction through “obsessive, Adam’s thought process in all its logical where none existed. “While evangelicals ritualized exposure and condemna- rigor…”51 Van Til is tough sledding and 45 used ‘dominion’ labels to facilitate the tion” of the concept conforms to these Dr. McVicar’s didn’t know which sources critique and expulsion of what they pigeon-holing strategies. Dr. McVicar to look to, although one was available.52 perceived as theological and eschatologi- summarizes this with clear vision: “By Rushdoony’s perspective, writes cal aberrations, many secular pundits using Reconstructionism to embody Dr. McVicar, “found its niche with a and journalists abandoned nuance and ‘bad’ religion, such narratives [give birth dedicated minority of Christian con- instead identified ‘dominionism’ as the to] the normative and naïve assump- servatives who longed to fundamen- unifying ideology behind all politically tion that ‘good’ American evangelical- tally redraw the boundaries between engaged conservative Protestants.”38 ism simply seeks to bring the light of individuals, families, the church, and 46 Broad brushes are so much more Christ’s Gospel to a fallen world.” the state.”53 The implication is that the convenient even if they get paint on the Missed Connections status quo is normative, when it was wrong things—or people. and Opportunities itself the result of relentless boundary Dr. McVicar identifies a “ready- When Van Til reconstructed schol- redrawing as secularism advanced across 39 made set of tropes” used to vilify arship as a religious activity, Dr. McVic- the world. Mitigating that implication Rushdoony: he was compared to Islamic ar conceives this to mean “that such is Dr. McVicar’s acknowledgment of extremists, then to fascists (the list seems knowledge is essentially political because “a century-long trend of ceding family 54 to omit Islamo-fascism but does include it recognizes God’s absolute sovereignty governance to other institutions.” 40 “Christo-fascism” ) and he was derided over His creation.”47 This assessment is Dr. McVicar criticizes John Birch 41 as “the Ayatollah of holy rollers.” backwards and reflects the “fish unaware Society founder Robert Welch because The book reexamines this antipathy of the water” problem for those who “his appeal to autodidacticism en- more closely in its concluding pages in regard modern statism as normative. couraged Birchers to decontextualize the section titled “Good Religion, Bad Because the modern state has usurped everything that they knew and recode it 42 Religion.” Here Dr. McVicar unpacks divine sovereignty, any claims to the in terms of the guiding metanarrative of the concept of a “negative reference contrary by God or His people are an insidious communist plot.”55 Appar- group” operating in an environment characterized as “essentially political” ently self-learning is unsafe, and nobody where “good” and “bad” forms of because statism abhors any challenge else recodes facts in terms of a guid- religious expression are being culturally to its stolen prerogatives. “You’re trying ing metanarrative – except, of course, entrenched through the exchange of to kidnap what I’ve rightfully stolen.”48 that everybody does exactly this. As Van ideas. University professors would find this Tillians would say, it’s not a matter of Such a polarization was already particular epistemology “essentially having a metanarrative or not having evident in Mel White’s 2006 book, intellectual,” while economists would one: it’s a matter of which metanarra- Religion Gone Bad: Hidden Dangers of find it “essentially economic,” because tive will govern your thinking. Merely the Christian Right, which was reviewed it is a totalistic epistemology that gores because there weren’t Bolsheviks under by this reviewer for Faith for All of Life all oxen equally. A slightly better as- every bed, that doesn’t mean the prevail- (in addition to key essays by Jeff Sharlet sessment occupies an endnote.49 This ing status quo metanarrative should be and Molly Worthen that Dr. McVicar shift of sovereignty from God to state is affirmed against other contending per-

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 7 Faith for All of Life spectives: that is a non sequitur as well the gratitude of many of those aided by vehicle for widening and deepening as a false dichotomy. As far as recoding Dr. Rushdoony’s expert witness testi- his influence? The posting of his works to arrive at a credible synthesis, Dr. mony in court, it doesn’t mention the on the Internet, and translation into McVicar does this in his book, and I’m sad parallels to Luke 17:12–18 (where foreign languages, continues apace. doing that with this book review. This, ten lepers were healed but only one Consequently, the notion of disintegra- held Van Til and Rushdoony, is inescap- expressed gratitude). There were trials tion, to use Dr. McVicar’s own phrase, is ably true. The question becomes, which where the Christians that received criti- difficult to parse. presuppositions, which metanarrative, is cal help from R. J. Rushdoony in court But the author quickly takes up the the true one? would turn their backs on him after- slack in the work’s concluding pages, ward, treating him like a leper (no pun noting that “Christian Reconstruction Love and War intended). The basis for such antipathy was never a centralized movement,” all Dr. McVicar opens his fourth to Rushdoony is continually expressed but rendering conventional measures chapter by juxtaposing two quotes, one elsewhere by Dr. McVicar: the man’s of influence useless. This decentralized from Rushdoony’s Institutes and the theology simply made him a pariah in aspect of Rushdoony’s views informs other from Romans 13:10. On the face many circles. his definition of theocracy as the most of it, this looks like an attempt to pit libertarian system possible, and Dr. the two writers against each other (as if The harshest assessment Dr. McVic- McVicar to his credit provides the full Rushdoony had somehow argued that ar brings forward is Franky Shaeffer V’s quotation59 to illustrate that the critics “war is the fulfilling of the law” while assertion that his father, noted Swiss and Rushdoony mean radically different Paul states that “love is the fulfilling of theologian Francis A. Schaeffer IV, had things. the law”). But the preceding verses in asserted that Rushdoony was “clinically Romans 13 do speak of swords being insane.” Had this claim gone unquali- Errors in the Book wielded against the wicked by mag- fied, the resulting impression would Rushdoony did not want to “break istrates defending the law-order. The have been journalistically irresponsible, down the boundaries between church context, then, suggests that Dr. McVicar but Dr. McVicar’s lengthy endnote takes and state,”60 although he did believe 57 is really pitting St. Paul against St. Paul. pains to mitigate this claim. in the separation of school and state. It might have been wiser to consult In respect to the current state of Dr. McVicar asserts that Rushdoony Rushdoony’s commentary on Romans Christian Reconstruction, Dr. McVicar called for applying the death penalty to than to stage what amounts to a proof falls victim to the provincial nature of “incorrigible children,” but the reference text hit-and-run (and a decontextualized his research stint. Says he, “the disinte- he provides actually reads “incorrigible one at that). gration of the organizational structures delinquents.”61 The charge of misogyny Dr. McVicar does not appear to be of Christian Reconstruction seemed to appears throughout the text,62 in appar- amenable to Rushdoony’s view that state have little impact on its influence on ent disregard of published expositions education of children is tantamount an assemblage of interlocking religious of Rushdoony’s work to the contrary63 58 to Moloch worship56 (perhaps having and political issues.” If by “disintegra- and/or ignorance of important qualify- considered it only in the extreme form tion” he means the aging buildings in ing nuances in the theologian’s views. it sometimes took in the Old Testa- Vallecito, then why should that have The claim that Gen. 1:26–28 (the ment). But Rushdoony was nothing if such an impact on the influence of dominion mandate) refers to “governing not rigorous in making the connection Christian Reconstruction? Chalcedon other human beings”64 is suitably omi- between state worship and Moloch wor- was never about the facility, it was about nous but never taught by Rushdoony. ship. Anyone confronted with the total- the ideas. Does he mean that Chalcedon The author misuses important ity of his argument would have a major is disintegrating as an institution? If so, theological terms when he writes that task in countering Rushdoony’s view. on what basis does he make this claim? “Only the millennial Kingdom, ruled by From the courtroom accounts of As a historian, he should have metrics at the all-sovereign god-man Jesus Christ, homeschooling trials that Dr. McVicar hand to undergird such a conclusion. could both save and rule humanity.”65 brings forward, it can easily be seen Rushdoony’s published output One subhead is emblematic of a that the Christians were never dealing has never ceased to grow (and would host of related misstatements: “Sancti- with some presumed “kinder, gentler continue growing for years after his fied by Grace, Regenerated by Law.”66 Moloch.” And while the book details passing). Might that not be a credible These are terms that have narrowly

8 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life defined meanings in orthodox theology, McVicar asserts that Rushdoony’s orien- Mark Rushdoony contradicts Dr. but here they’re assembled in a way nei- tation must posit an “imagined continu- McVicar’s assertion that R. J. Rush- ther Rushdoony nor any other conserva- ity” between Old and New Testaments, doony chose to relocate Chalcedon to tive Christian would countenance. Law effectively dismissing all contrary (and Vallecito “to reduce the threat of fallout has no power, cannot regenerate, cannot formidable) scholarship with a wave of in the event of a nuclear attack.”75 The sanctify. It is a pattern for sanctifica- the hand. lesson here is simple: vet your sources tion, for holiness, being a transcript of When Dr. McVicar says he is “sim- carefully. Chris Smith never met R.J. God’s character, and it is what Christ plifying greatly” in trying to describe Rushdoony but felt free to make easily conforms His people to, but no magic what postmillennialists believe, this is disproven claims about the prevailing properties adhere to it. That there are an understatement. The explanation is winds (they would actually blow fallout consequences for our response to the law seriously defective, for postmillennialists from San Francisco or Sacramento into is a very different thing. don’t hold that “Christ will return to Vallecito). Says Mark, “My father was so Later, Dr. McVicar argues that, rule the earth after Christians have first concerned with a nuclear holocaust that “Law sanctifies by separating and established His Kingdom.”73 Another he moved downwind of an expected purifying. It mediates between man critic of Christian Reconstruction, Chip blast zone into an all-electric home! This and God by granting life and by taking Berlet, understood better the differ- is nonsense tailored to further dis- it.”67 The separation the law “creates” is ence between premillennialism and credit my father by tying him to fringe a passive one: it distinguishes between postmillennialism. Dr. McVicar also groups.” the lawkeeper and the lawbreaker, the falls into the error of equating the social Other factual errors about Rush- just and the unjust, denoting an ethical gospel with postmillennialism, a parallel doony family history mar Dr. McVicar’s separation. The second sentence is just that has been repeatedly and soundly account of the escape from Armenia. as problematic, as there is only one Me- debunked for decades. Perhaps Dr. The claim that Ronald Rushdoony was diator between God and man. However, McVicar didn’t have sources at hand to an orphan is in error, and the source Rushdoony did hold that the law medi- get these ideas straight. cited actually states that R. J. Rush- ates between man and man by provid- But a more serious lapse on the au- doony “wasn’t much for hunting.” Fish- ing the framework for justice in human thor’s part occurs in his use of William ing, however… relations—again, a very different thing. Hendriksen’s book, More Than Conquer- No small controversy surrounds By the same token, the continual ors. This commentary does not “offer Dr. McVicar’s discussion of Dr. Greg use of “reconstructed” as an adjec- a preterist interpretation of the book Bahnsen’s termination from Reformed tive applied to people (“reconstructed of Revelation”74 in the accepted sense Theological Seminary.76 A counter- Christian self,”68 “reconstructed men,”69 of the term in eschatological discourse narrative, comprised of documentary “reconstructed father,”70 “reconstructed (unless one wrongly assumes that the evidence that’s been privately archived families”71) cannot be found in Rush- alternative to futurism must be preter- for decades, has been posted at Ameri- doony, and is (as expressed and used) ism). Hendriksen’s work is amillennial can Vision’s website to counter the inaccurate. One can have regenerate (despite the book’s optimistic title) and claims floated about Bahnsen’s character persons, and regenerate persons can re- sets forth an idealist (not preterist) expo- (versus the character of his interlocutors construct a field or discipline or sphere, sition of Revelation. Had Dr. McVicar and opponents). While Dr. McVicar but reconstruction as such doesn’t apply glanced at the page right across from the was careful to say that the historical to persons. People are agents of recon- one he cites, he could have avoided this details were “difficult to parse” and struction, not objects of it. mistake: Hendriksen explicitly says the that Bahnsen’s views were polarizing in When Dr. McVicar refers to scope of John’s prophecies extends from themselves, Bahnsen’s defenders were Rushdoony’s “emphasis on the Old the last decade of the 1st century to the quick to rise up to clear his reputa- Testament over the New Testament,”72 present day and beyond, up until the tion. Perhaps the newly posted material he fails to understand that Christian Second Coming. Preterists position the would never have seen the light of day Reconstruction is restoring the Old book’s primary focus in the years run- had Dr. McVicar not proceeded as he Testament to parity with the New rather ning up to 70 A.D., but Hendriksen’s had. Now that it has been made avail- than retiring it as the Word of God timeframe starts at 95 A.D. and has yet able, the other side of the coin is finally Emeritus. In the very next sentence, Dr. to expire. open to scrutiny.

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 9 Faith for All of Life Restoring The Missing Quotation compounds that factor. as the new starting point for subsequent “First Owyhee and Then the A book like this must be absorbed studies. World,” beginning on page 24 of Dr. as a whole. To strain out gnats would No, the book is not perfect, but the McVicar’s book, was published as a be entirely misplaced, and does not author has made the next researcher’s stand-alone essay by Chalcedon. As constitute a sign of holiness or spiritual job ten thousand times easier. The such, we had access to early and later superiority. “I would never have writ- stables can now be cleaned out with a drafts of Dr. McVicar’s detailed descrip- ten that sentence in that way,” the critic swish broom. If this volume isn’t the tion of Rushdoony’s work with the Pai- sniffs, but the critic would never have cause for appreciation on that ground ute and Shoshone peoples. During the spent the years needed to research and alone, we have proven how dull of evolution of the manuscript, a quotation compile the data upon which to write understanding we are. In the shadow of was dropped, prompting me to write such a detailed book. After all, nitpick- Dr. McVicar’s book, the world will no the author on November 12, 2008, ing is easy; lifting the elephant into the longer have a beam in its eye when it concerning the missing text (which un- eighteen-wheeler is hard. comes to R. J. Rushdoony and Chris- derscored Rushdoony’s determination to The strengths of the book put its tian Reconstruction. To then whine be a “moral force” on the reservation). weaknesses well into the shadow. This and complain about any motes in Dr. The text, written by Rushdoony, was is now the ultimate reference on the McVicar’s eye is to quibble. evidently omitted from the book as well topics it covers: first, a very complex Buy it. Read it. Critique it. Learn (which I read cover-to-cover including individual; second, an equally complex from it. If you can do better, prove it. every endnote). movement that addresses all spheres 1. Since the numbers reset back to 1 for Dr. McVicar removed the original and disciplines; and third, the world’s each chapter, the book designer provided quotation due to space considerations response to the man and his all-embrac- helpful footers specifying which main page and to tighten his argument, but after ing vision concerning the applicable numbers the end notes belong to. considering my point he conceded the extent of the Holy Scriptures. To grasp 2. Michael J. McVicar, Christian Reconstruc- relevance of the quotation and invited all of these factors and synthesize them tion: R. J. Rushdoony and American Religious Chalcedon to reinsert it in the online into a coherent whole involves a multi- Conservatism (Chapel Hill, NC: University 77 version of his article. He conveyed a disciplinary awareness that is difficult to of North Carolina Press, 2015), 196. There moving assessment of Dr. Rushdoony’s cultivate. remained some confusion about what those ideas actually meant: “… a network of early correspondence to us that is worth Negatively, the book undercuts the reading in its own right.78 activists, missionaries, and national church bulk of the popular myths about R. J. leaders were calling for Christians to ‘take Here, then, is what Rushdoony had Rushdoony and his impact. In its posi- to say about his work at the reservation dominion,’ although exactly what ‘domin- tive exposition of his ideas, the author ion’ meant was inchoate at best.” (202) as a microcosm of the church at large: by and large succeeds in navigating 3. McVicar, 197. He later supplies some Both Church and State are located at between Scylla and Charybdis: Rush- basis for the antipathy to Rushdoony: “… the base of an extinct volcano, a true doony’s advocates and detractors. many American evangelicals knew what symbol of their condition. Ichabod, Prior to publication of Dr. McVic- ‘true’ Christianity was, and Christian Recon- the glory is departed. Both Church and ar’s work, the pile of myths and errors struction was not it.” (201) State live on the dead embers of their 4. McVicar, 44, 54. So-called “rogue minis- true sovereignty and power while striv- about R. J. Rushdoony reeked to the heavens, filling the Augean stables of the tries” appear on page 141 but in a somewhat ing hungrily to gain visibility through different context. bastard sources. So it is, but this outpost popular mind. Sure, Rushdoony parti- 5. McVicar, 45, 57. of the Church shall not do so.79 sans could publish rearguard actions in a piecemeal way, with narrow circulation 6. McVicar, 98. The rescript of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7:23–24 is the foundation of the Conclusion and unknown traction. But when Dr. tax exemption for institutions doing God’s There are those who, encounter- McVicar took the task upon himself, work, but Dr. McVicar seems to assume ing but a single word in the wrong and made the project palatable to a the modern tax system is intrinsically good, place, will condemn an entire book on secular publishing house, he was able to making unwillingness to pay the pound of the spot. They will close the book and divert the river to clean out the stables flesh inherently bad. Thus are Rushdoony’s never reopen it. But knowledge is always and to set a new reference point for motives impugned. provisional, and the historian’s task accurate journalism. This will now serve 7. McVicar, 89. “In Rushdoony’s imagina-

10 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life tion—and in the imaginations of many missing indent on first line. 166: correct 25. McVicar, 128. There may be some American conservatives—the modern state the publication date of Philosophy of the confusion over the author’s use of the term represented the most perverse manifestation Christian Curriculum from 1967 to 1981. “neo-Calvinism.” In context, it parallels the of humanity’s desire for autosalvation.” 181: “asserted themselves into” should read “presuppositionalists” and should be under- 8. McVicar, 129. Rushdoony’s Institutes “inserted themselves into.” The word “predi- stood here as such. are “notorious” for a host of reasons as Dr. cations” occurs three times (186) and in 26. McVicar, 126. McVicar sees it. See also 274, n. 44 each case would make more sense if changed 27. McVicar, 132. Such non-statist forms 9. Compare his new book with his 2007 to “predictions.” 196: “Dan Barton” should of government are seen as “shaping human probably read “David Barton.” 224: the essay for Public Eye: Michael J. McVicar’s subjects in ways that a state-centered per- book by Bruce Shortt was not published by assessment in “The Libertarian Theocrats: spective either ignores or obscures.” (133) Ross House Books but by the Chalcedon The Long, Strange History of R.J. Rush- 28. McVicar, 161. Foundation (the former had merged into doony and Christian Reconstructionism.” the latter by 2004). 29. McVicar, 167. The Public Eye Magazine 22/3. Available at 30. McVicar, 175. http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v22n3/ 12. McVicar, xi. 31. McVicar 189. The author adopts (or libertarian.html 13. McVicar, 4. borrows) an analogy that has no place in 14. Dr. McVicar explains how divisions 10. For one example, when citing from Biblical postmillennialism: “Here, Gilstrap among Reconstructionists produced Mark Crispin Miller’s Cruel and Unusual, and others at Tyler pushed Rushdoony’s “profound ignorance about the goals Dr. McVicar’s 2007 essay “Dominion De- postmillennial vision toward its nightmarish and mission” of the scholars nurtured by ferred?” states that “Rushdoony’s theology logical end.” There is nothing logical about Rushdoony (McVicar, 181). To those new calls for Christians to ‘take dominion’ over connecting postmillennialism with this ill- to Rushdoony’s views who were “largely all aspects of the federal government and begotten strategy, but it is entirely nightmar- unaware of the complex history of the replace it with a theocracy.” My embedded ish to unite such opposites. movement, Reconstructionism appeared to comment in the Word file returned to Dr. 32. McVicar, 203. McVicar (6/19/2007) warned, “It would be be a sui generis antidemocratic, tyrannical, 33. McVicar, 203–204. safer to add, ‘Miller holds that Rushdoony’s and personally invasive theocratic crusade. theology…’ As stated, it’s a misrepresenta- To these worried observers, Reconstruction- 34. McVicar, 204. The books are Dave tion, coming across as a definition rather ism was an unprecedented movement intent Hunt’s Whatever Happened to Heaven?, H. than Miller’s position.” Later, he states, “As on fusing church and state into a dangerous Wayne House and Thomas D. Ice’s Do- a theologian, Rushdoony did something totalitarian union. In short, Reconstruction minion Theology: Blessing or Curse? and Hal no other Christian theology has managed seemed like the ultimate American heresy.” Lindsey’s The Road to Holocaust. to do—he politicized epistemology.” My (Ibid.) 35. McVicar, 204. correction to his assessment of Rushdoony’s 15. McVicar, 225. As Dr. McVicar draws his 36. McVicar, 205. Fear of “a more severe achievement concerning epistemology book to a close, he throws some significant reaction to Christianity than would have was that “He made it relevant, which was bones to Rushdoony’s critics on this page, normally occurred” is cited by Dr. McVicar tantamount to politicizing it in a world that touching on [presumably racial] discrimi- as an exacerbating factor to this reception thinks in statist categories.” For every over- nation, reconstruction’s “dehumanizing (ibid). “While Rushdoonian Christian statement or misstatement to be corrected theology of homosexuality,” and noting that Reconstruction motivated thousands of (e.g., “In theory, men will submit to God’s “the American right … will likely hang onto Americans, it terrified many others.” (206) law voluntarily, leaving place for a ruling his ideas out of aesthetic temperament and 37. McVicar, 210. body of theocratic clerics,” an idea which sheer malice for years to come.” 38. McVicar, 215. I pointed out can be found nowhere in 16. McVicar, 13. 39. McVicar, 215. Rushdoony’s writings or lectures), there were 17. McVicar, 12. 40. McVicar, 216. three times as many accurate, even insight- 18. McVicar, 8. ful, analyses that I pointed out for commen- 41. McVicar, 215. This “Ayatollah” label was 19. McVicar, 43. dation. Dr. McVicar was clearly a scholar later to be used in private jest by Chalcedon 20. McVicar, 53. writer Otto Scott when referring to Dr. in transition who made optimal use of the Rushdoony. This artifice defused the power sources available to him to further hone his 21. McVicar, 56. of the word. message and tighten up his research results. 22. McVicar, 61. 42. McVicar, 228–230. 11. McVicar, 115, “Genesis 1:11” should 23. McVicar, 92–93. The omitted ellipsis read “Genesis 1–11.” xi: “compliment” reads thus: “—especially conservative, fun- 43. McVicar, 229. should read “complement.” xii: “into damentalist, and evangelical Protestants—” 44. McVicar, 229. viable” should read “into a viable.” 160: 24. McVicar, 109. 45. McVicar, 229.

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 11 Faith for All of Life 46. McVicar, 230. The original text used the doony’s systematic position with accuracy, term “reify” rather than “give birth to,” but and in this incomplete form it readily serves we didn’t want to have to drive the reader to solidify the charge of misogyny. back to the dictionary yet another time. 63. Martin G. Selbrede, “Patriarchy or “Reify,” however, is the better term, mean- Feminism,” Faith for All of Life March-April ing to change an abstraction into a concrete 2010, 7–12. This article is structured as a reality. critical review of Kathryn Joyce’s Quiver- 47. McVicar, 35. full, cited authoritatively on page 223 of 48. Vizzini to the Man in Black, The Princess Dr. McVicar’s work where we read that Bride (1987), Battle of Wits. “Kathryn Joyce has documented [that] 49. McVicar, 239, n.98 attempts to sum- Rushdoony’s theology had a direct influence marize a key point of Rushdoony’s One and on the [quiverfull] movement.” Knowledge of this critical assessment of Joyce would the Many. have been useful in counterbalancing this 50. McVicar, 40. overstated claim. 51. McVicar, 42. 64. McVicar, 4. 52. Greg L. Bahnsen, Van Til’s Apologetic 65. McVicar, 89. A First-Hand Account (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 66. McVicar, 122. Also “the sanctifying 1998), 152–153, inclusive of footnotes 12 power of biblical law…” (132) and “the of America’s First and 13, provide the basis for Van Til’s view regenerative power of biblical law” (138). of the intellectual dynamics informing the Experiment in the fall. 67. McVicar, 131. Dr. McVicar is discuss- ing the death penalty in this context, which 53. McVicar, 78. may explain the peculiar conceptual focus Welfare System 54. McVicar, 165. See also McVicar 263, (that executing lawbreakers sanctifies those n.93 for documentary expansion of this ong before state health care or who remain). This terminology is also not food stamps, before the creation point. found in Rushdoony, who always speaks in L of welfare ghettoes in our major cit- 55. McVicar, 95. this context of a restraint upon wickedness. 56. McVicar, 168. To “purge the evil out of your midst” does ies, America’s first experiment with 57. McVicar, 272, n174. not lead to personal sanctification of those socialism and government dependen- 58. McVicar, 219. not executed. Rushdoony was not lobbying cy practically destroyed the American for “ethical cleansing” as if it were the valid 59. McVicar, 227, quoting the key defini- Indian. flipside to ethnic cleansing. tion from Rushdoony’s 1980 position paper, Today, as America’s leaders ex- “The Meaning of Theocracy.” 68. McVicar, 126. pand the welfare state and radically 60. McVicar, 2. 69. McVicar, 135. transform the entire nation, we’d do 61. McVicar, 4 and 234, note 15 citing 70. McVicar, 137. well to reconsider this first experi- Institutes of Biblical Law 1:235, 1:245. The 71. McVicar, 138. ment in government dependency Biblical text (Deut. 21:10) describes these 72. McVicar, 139. and a Christianity stripped of God’s delinquents as male drunkards (“sons”) who 73. McVicar, 135. The missteps continue law—before all of the United States are incorrigible. Substituting “children” falsi- well into the next page is transformed into a massive reser- fies the text and Rushdoony’s meaning. 74. McVicar, 136. vation on a continental scale. Rush- 62. McVicar 234, n. 14. The issue of male 75. McVicar, 144. doony’s description of our past is also patriarchy is continually pressed as well 76. McVicar, 157–160. (125). See also 132: “… godly governance is an indictment of our statist future. 77. Email from Michael J. McVicar to this located in the created minds and gendered reviewer dated November 13, 2008. The $18.00 Paperback, 139 pages bodies of Christian men.” Dr. McVicar later shortened versions, says he, “lost some attempts a sustained tendentious exposition Also available on Kindle! of the poetry and emotional punch of Rush- of Rushdoony’s thought (133–134) that doony’s letter.” Visit our web site for more details. goes off the rails (the family is an “ethical hierarchy”?) before happily getting back on 78. Ibid. Dr. McVicar concludes thus: “As a Ordering is easy! Just use the track. This is one of the weakest sections of side note, having now read a large portion of attached order form or visit us online the work in terms of setting forth Rush- Continued on page 26 at ChalcedonStore.com.

12 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu From the Founder

Publisher’s Foreword: Chalcedon October 1995 ~ by R. J. Rushdoony

he story of Chalcedon is really my I was somehow in a dying world, or a Dorothy, that very substantially made Tlife’s story. Being an Armenian, burning building. Chalcedon possible. many of whose family members died As a university student about a Chalcedon has a very simple prem- for the faith, and coming from a long decade later, I was increasingly aware of ise: If God is indeed the God revealed in line of clergymen, the faith was identi- the cultural love of death, and I began Scripture, then His law-word is relevant cal to life for me. Before my birth, I had to realize that I, as a Christian, had a to and governs every area of life and been dedicated to Christ’s service by my responsibility to build the culture of thought. In polytheism, there are many parents. life, the world order of the triune God. gods, each governing a limited sphere, America was for us almost a I spent much time in the library stacks some the weather, others farming, others paradise, a land of freedom and joy. We reading extensively in history, anthro- childbirth, still others spiritual con- reveled in its richness. None could have pology, and more, and in studying cerns, and so on and on. Antinomians been more patriotic than we were. There the answers given in literature. I knew and “spiritual Christians” have reduced was so much to appreciate and be grate- something had to be done to make Christianity to a polytheistic faith, with ful for in America’s history. There were, Christianity and His law-word relevant a limited sphere of relevance for Christ. however, disturbing things also. to every area of life and thought or else I regard this as blasphemous. Christ is An incident occurred when Christianity would wither into a mean- King over all kings, and Lord over all I was perhaps ten or eleven years ingless “spiritual” religion unrelated to lords, the only Potentate (1 Tim. 6:15). To limit the scope of His government, old which until now I have never the Bible. and the governing application of His mentioned or discussed with anyone. Long before I had given a name law-word, is to deny Him. A neighborhood boy, a superior mind, to what I wanted to do, i.e., Christian a happy, redheaded, and sparkling Reconstruction and Chalcedon, I was person, asked if I might be permitted thinking constantly about the Bible to attend an afternoon film showing. and its answers. I was always reading This was in the day of silent films. and rereading the Bible. Before I was The picture was of no importance, ten, a fine old man, an old line New essentially trifling entertainment, but Englander, had warned me once that I it suddenly overwhelmed me with was “too young” to be reading much of a shocking realization. For all those the Old Testament, but I found it too in the film, there was no God, no intensely interesting even to think of Christ. They lived in a meaningless stopping. and empty world. This filled me with And so we started Chalcedon, a great horror. Is this how most people Dorothy and I. I had many ambitious live? Are they dead to God? Are they ideas as to what it should be, but people going through life as sleepwalkers? The were uninterested in all of them, and film was an awakening to an empty thus we began with a mimeographed world. I did not sleep well that night. letter which in its first issue was I read the newspaper the next day with optimistically run off to the tune recognition that men were blotting of sixty copies, one sheet only. Mrs. God out of their world, and it made me Grayce Flanagan ran it off; and for fear for the future. I did not know the some years, together with the tape answer to what I saw, but I sensed that ministry, it was her work, aided by

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 13 Feature Article

The Bible’s High Estimation of Women by Andrea Schwartz

hose who embrace Setting the Record Straight a negative regarding the dowry system Tthe law of God as Contrary to revisionist history, it itself. Rushdoony explains, binding on their lives was never the Biblical practice to require In what follows, Laban is commonly see God’s laws as bless- that a bride’s family pay a dowry to the abused by commentators. It is true ings; those who do not, intended husband in order to get her that Laban deceived Jacob, but this is see them as hindrances married. The Biblical position is the not the whole story. Rebekah had been to their autonomy. God’s law acts as a opposite. The Bible, having its emphasis given a very generous dowry by Eliezer boundary that we move at our peril. By on creating strong families, requires that for Isaac; obviously, wealth was in the obeying it we are performing our duty a prospective husband demonstrate to family. Whatever story Jacob could tell before the Lord, (Eccles. 12:13) and we a young woman’s father (or uncle or could not erase the fact that he had come with nothing. There was no as- are living a life that is lived according to brother in the absence of a father) that surance that, when Jacob returned, his God’s instruction manual. he has more than a superficial interest parents might not be dead and Esau in There are many laws in Scripture in the daughter. A dowry was among possession of everything. It would have that are intended to preserve and en- the evidences used to convince a father been unwise for any father to entrust hance the primary institution ordained to release his daughter to the authority his daughter to a man in such a plight. by God—the family. One is the dowry and protection of another man. It also Laban clearly wanted to keep Jacob and system. Although greatly maligned and showed that the man was a person of his daughters in Haran. His actions often portrayed as the purchasing of integrity and faith. were those of a good father. It was his a wife as property, when understood The book of Genesis presents this hope that after fourteen years, Jacob properly, the dowry is evidence of God’s practice in numerous places. When would prefer to remain. intent to build strong families and to Abraham sought a godly woman for It was Jacob who offered to serve Laban protect and cover women. his son, Isaac, his servant was sent with seven years as a dowry for Rachel (vv. R. J. Rushdoony notes, a dowry to procure a wife. Her father 19–20). He perhaps reasoned that, after 2 Bethuel and her brother Laban received seven years, Esau might be less hostile. God’s law requires a dowry for wives Eliezer who plainly stated his mission. (undowered wives are legally concu- Marriage Is a Covenantal bines). This gives stability to marriage The transmission of expensive gifts was Agreement as an institution. The dowry was nor- a demonstration that Rebekah would mally equal to about three years’ wages. be cared for as she left her homeland to Marriage is the picture the Bible A young man did not lightly enter marry Isaac. uses to show us the relationship of into marriage, nor did he easily abuse When Jacob left hurriedly after Christ and His bride (the church). The his wife; if she then divorced him, he receiving his birthright, he left without Scriptures tell us that it is Jesus who lost the dowry as an inheritance for his any capital or resources, although his pursues His bride, arranges the marriage children. The abuse of wives was thus father was wealthy. When he was eager feast, and covers and protects her. When costly. Likewise, the wife knew that she to marry Rachel, he offered seven years we are justified through His blood, we could lose the dowry for misconduct of labor to serve as his dowry. Despite are given a dowry, the down payment of and face the anger of her father and the deception of Laban in secretly mar- the Holy Spirit: brothers. The dowry system thus was a major check on the conduct of both rying his older daughter to Jacob, he was 2 Cor. 1:21: And it is God who es- men and women. In a culture given to acting as a responsible father in making tablishes us with you in Christ, and romantic ideas of marriage, there is no sure his daughters would be cared for. has anointed us, and who has also brake on the behavior of husbands and His cheating of the daughters out of put his seal on us and given us his wives, or very little.1 their dowries should not be viewed as Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

14 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life In a like manner, the dowry acts as Parents are to play a significant role the marriage covenant. Additionally, the down payment on the earnestness in the formation of a new family. Their God’s law commands that not only a of the husband in his promise to remain input and direction are another aspect married woman, but also a betrothed faithful until one of them dies. Why of God’s protection of both men and woman, is not to be violated either would a woman need such a promise in women. Rushdoony states, by seduction or rape, and both carry God’s eyes? Because she is the instru- [T]he Hebrew word for bridegroom the penalty of death. But the law goes ment God ordained to carry children means “the circumcised,” the Hebrew further in that it cites the case of the into this world and nourish and rear word for father-in-law means he who seduction of an unbetrothed virgin. them. Pregnancy and childbearing are performed the operation of circumcision, Rushdoony notes, and the Hebrew word for mother-in- vulnerable times for a woman. The In Deuteronomy 22:25–29, we have law is similar. This obviously had no husband’s prenuptial demonstration of the law of rape, but in this instance the reference to the actual physical rite, commitment goes a long way in keeping word used is “entice.” Although the girl since Hebrew males were circumcised the marriage together because he has participates in the act, the responsibil- on the eighth day. What it meant was shown a willingness to make a signifi- ity still rests primarily on the male. In that the father-in-law ensured the fact cant investment in his new family. Biblical law, the greater the responsibil- of spiritual circumcision, as did the ity the greater the culpability. Some argue that this takes the “ro- mother-in-law, by making sure of the mance” out of marriage. In actuality, it covenantal status of the groom. It was Without any qualification whatsoever, is quite the contrary. A woman will have their duty to prevent a mixed marriage. the guilty man must pay the virgin “the a greater sense of her future husband’s A man could marry their daughter, dowry of virgins.” The amount is not appreciation of her as a person when and become a bridegroom, only when specified here, but in Deuteronomy he is willing to demonstrate it with clearly a man under God. 22:29 we are given the amount, fifty 3 shekels of silver, a very large amount the fruits of his labor. What’s more, Thus, the parents of the bridegroom in those days. This dowry is to be paid it demonstrates to her family that this had an obligation to prepare their son whether or not he marries the girl. addition to their family brings with him for a life of work and growing knowl- Seduction was thus too costly to be edge and wisdom, and the parents of a capability to support her and future commonplace in times when the law 4 the bride had a duty, under Biblical children. was kept. standards, to examine the faith and The Benefits of an Endowered Wife character of the prospective bride- Whether or not a marriage followed The Scripture states that “He who groom.5 depended on the girl’s father. If he “ut- finds a wife finds a good thing, And -ob terly refuse” the man as a son-in-law, Rather than have to provide for tains favor from the Lord (Prov. 18:22).” the dowry still went to the girl. Since a herself, the dowry acts as the down Finding a wife of good character is an subsequent suitor also paid some kind payment on the continuous provisions advantage to a man and the Bible tells of dowry, the girl went into her mar- that a husband will provide for a woman riage well endowered. a man to actively pursue one. Proverbs as she assumes the role of household 31 also describes a worthy woman’s This law stresses the priority of the manager and mother of the children. It price as being “far above rubies.” Thus, father over both his daughter and her should be noted that the dowry is given a prospective husband demonstrates his possible husband. It was his duty to to the woman’s father who holds it in recognition that he has found a pearl of protect his daughter and to ensure a trust for her use and it is not meant to good marriage for her.7 great price. pay for the day to day expenses of the When a woman enters a marriage While the modern mind rebels family. The husband is not intended to with the resources of a dowry, it gives against this power given to the father, have access to those resources.6 her the liberty to carry out her calling it should be noted that a godly father as wife according to Proverbs 31. She A Father’s Role in Protecting has as his primary interest procuring a knows that her husband has invested in His Daughters godly marriage for his daughters. Much this marriage before it ever took place The Bible puts a high premium on more is at stake than the man’s personal and that she is protected against his moral purity and this is tied in to the financial position. The father’s goal is acting unlawfully towards her, since her preservation of the family. That is why to find someone equally trustworthy to family played an integral part of the adultery is a capital crime. It attacks himself in the care and protection of his contractual agreement. God’s primary institution by breaking daughter, and one who will be a true

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 15 Faith for All of Life covenant head over the new family and spread the cloth before the elders of self-enforcing law. The penalty was children who may follow. the city. And the elders of that city such that no man dared question his By requiring a dowry from the man shall take that man and chastise wife’s premarital virtue unless there was who wants his daughter, the father is him; And they shall amerce him in certain proof of it. The evidence was weeding out those who are not stable an hundred shekels of silver, and not limited to the cloth used when the hymen was broken.9 and have superficial and temporary give them unto the father of the designs on the woman. damsel, because he hath brought The family is in God’s order the basic institution in society. It has priority over This dowry was [the woman’s] protec- up an evil name upon a virgin of church and state. It is man’s first and tion money against abuse or desertion Israel: and she shall be his wife; he basic government and the primary area and an inheritance for her children. may not put her away all his days. This dowry system ensured the wife’s But if this thing be true, and the of worship and the practice of religion. To undermine the family is to under- security and the stability of the family. tokens of virginity be not found for A man did not readily wrong a wife mine society, a fact well known to our the damsel: Then they shall bring immoralists of today. who held so much family capital, three out the damsel to the door of her 8 years’ wages normally, in gold or silver. father’s house, and the men of her There is an important fact about this city shall stone her with stones that fine; it is twice as severe as the fine Guarding a Woman’s Reputation she die: because she hath wrought for seduction in vv. 28–29, which is fifty shekels of silver. Deuteronomy The Bible puts a high premium on folly in Israel, to play the whore in 22:28–29 and Exodus 22:16–17 are being chaste before marriage. This is her father’s house: so shalt thou put evidenced in that the dowry amount for cognate texts. The payment in Exodus evil away from among you. a virgin was higher than for a woman 22:17 is called “the dowry of virgins.” who was not. Moreover, the father plays Rushdoony has extensive comments From this we can assume that in such cases, as a penalty, the dowry was set an important role in guaranteeing his on this passage, somewhat higher than was normally daughter’s virtue and upholding her This is not a popular text with feminists the case. Thus, fifty shekels of silver honor. A woman’s reputation is not because it so clearly gives priority to the was a large sum, one equivalent to a family and to the parents. The father in only her concern but the concern of her total income of perhaps three years, the particular is seen as centrally important, entire family. traditional reckoning of the dowry. This and the matter of honor is stressed. Deuteronomy 22:13–21 cites a case helps us to appreciate the significance of law: The seriousness of the matter is seen the fine. To defame one’s wife deliber- If any man take a wife, and go in by the fine cited in v. 19, 100 shekels ately and wrongfully was a very serious 10 unto her, and hate her, And give or weights in silver. In 1 Samuel 9:8 we offense. occasions of speech against her, and see that a quarter of a silver shekel was a good gift. A half a shekel was the extent Such is the high value that God’s bring up an evil name upon her, of the poll tax to maintain a civil order Word places on a woman of the cove- and say, I took this woman, and (Ex. 30:15; cf. Neh. 10:32). The fine nant who has remained pure in keeping when I came to her, I found her of 100 shekels of silver was virtual con- with the Lord’s commandments. The not a maid: Then shall the father fiscation of an estate. (A shekel was a fact that defaming a wife is so costly of the damsel, and her mother, take weight of silver, not a coin.) Obviously, with both a severe financial penalty and and bring forth the tokens of the the honor of a family and its daughter a loss of options for a guilty husband, damsel’s virginity unto the elders of could not be lightly impugned. This should debunk the assertion that the was not the only penalty. The husband the city in the gate: And the dam- Bible subjugates and debases women. sel’s father shall say unto the elders, making a false accusation was also to be chastised or beaten (v. 18). To question By placing such a high regard on the I gave my daughter unto this man family and its preservation, the law- to wife, and he hateth her; the honor of a family and its daughter was not something done casually or word of God stands as a condemnation And, lo, he hath given occasions frequently. The man making the false of gender equality and an androgynous of speech against her, saying, I accusation was not killed because he culture. found not thy daughter a maid; had to support the wife whose honor he In a like manner, in the penalty if and yet these are the tokens of my had questioned. the husband’s charge is true, vv. 20–21 daughter’s virginity. And they shall This was to an extensive degree a state,

16 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life The wife is executed near the door of ents and future husband.13 many cultures of the plain old maid who her father’s house. This is death for the To the modern mind, this case everyone expected would never marry, but wife and dishonor for her parents. The law reeks of a double standard. Not if she did would only be worthy of one or husband who is guilty of slander lives only does the woman lose her life two cows as the bride-price or dowry. These accounts tell of a rich man who instead of as the virtual slave of his father-in-law, and the man doesn’t, but God has who now commands his wealth. He offering the normal number of cows (2–3) placed physical evidences in a woman’s remains alive to support his wife and instead offered ten cows for this woman. children. The wife who is guilty dies body of her infidelity before marriage Not only did this alter the view the woman because her duties can be assumed by (broken hymen and/or pregnancy). had of herself and caused her beauty to others.11 Some argue that this proves the Bible is shine forth, but others in her village sudden- misogynistic. ly had a new found estimation of her. Such Rather than a private arrangement On the contrary, God has protected is the transformation in a woman when a between two people that involves none women in such a way that a woman has man truly appreciates her and demonstrates but themselves, the Bible posits the join- it in practical ways. the ability not only to prove her virgin- ing of godly covenantal families as the ity (as opposed to a man), but is given 4. Whenever a sizable loan is made in key to dominion in Jesus’ name. It is not procuring land, a house, or a vehicle, the tremendous recourse should she be hard to see that we have seen a systemat- lending institution requires information that maligned and slandered by her husband. ic removal of all things Biblical from our shows the person requesting the loan has This is God’s way of strengthening the schools to our courts to our media. Both the means to pay it back. Why should we family and keeping it intact. expect that something of much more value the Christian family and the church are This examination of laws of the than these should just be entered into with a seen as the great roadblocks to their new Bible that protect women is by no smile and a promise to be faithful? world order, and, means exhaustive.14 The people of God 5. R.J. Rushdoony, The Institutes of Biblical As a result, the legal aspects of family need to understand the full counsel of Law, vol. 1 (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian life are trivialized. Since World War II, God regarding the basic institution of & Reformed Publishing, Co., 1973), p. 344. it has increasingly been the practice to society—the family—in order to pro- 6. Contrary to the negative connotations reject substantial reasons for divorce ceed in the building of future covenant given to prenuptial agreements, the Bible unless a wealth of assets is at stake. actually prescribes it. And, unlike the com- families on Biblical terms rather than Only then will such matters as adultery munity property laws that exist today, the be considered, and, of late, even in modern, humanistic ones. When the husband was not to maintain control over such cases it is waning. If marriage is role of women is viewed in the elevated the dowry given. essentially a private arrangement, this is standards of Scripture, we will see 7. R. J. Rushdoony, Exodus (Vallecito, CA: logical. If it is basic to social order, the greater evidences of the Kingdom of Ross House Books, 2004), p. 316. 12 present trend is suicidal. God in our day. 8. R. J. Rushdoony, Numbers (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 2006), p. 294. Andrea Schwartz is the Chalcedon Women Need to Recognize Foundation’s active proponent of Christian 9. Commonly referred to as the tokens Their Value education and matters relating to the family. of virginity, the cloth that was placed on Rather than succumbing to the She’s the author of five books dealing the marriage bed during the first time of culture that surrounds us, young girls with homeschooling and the family. Her intimacy was then given to and safely stored need to embrace their high calling as latest book is Woman of the House. She by the woman’s father as proof that she was women. According to Deuteronomy oversees the Chalcedon Teacher Training a virgin before marriage. 22:21, a woman who enters into mar- Institute (www.ctti.org) and continues 10. R. J. Rushdoony, Deuteronomy (Val- lecito, CA: Ross House Books, 2008), riage unchaste is said to have “wrought to mentor, lecture, and teach. Visit her 331–332. folly in Israel.” Rushdoony notes that website www.thekingdomdrivenfamily.com. 11. ibid. it amounts to an assault on the social She lives in San Jose with her husband of 39 years. She can be reached by email at 12. ibid. order and is thus treasonous. This bears [email protected]. evidence to the integral part covenant- 13. ibid. (I encourage this section to be read in its entirety to get a full appreciation for 1. R. J. Rushdoony, Genesis (Vallecito, CA: ally faithful women play in producing the deep implications of this law.) a godly culture. In the case noted, her Ross House Books, 2002), p. 63. 14. This essay has skimmed the surface offense amounts to premarital adultery 2. ibid., p. 203. and shows contempt for both her par- 3. There are many stories that abound in Continued on page 26

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 17 Feature Article

Massachusetts Completes Its Takedown of Addiction Pioneer Dr. Punyamurtula S. Kishore by Martin G. Selbrede

his is the eighth his clinics in September, 2011, if you no contest in the state’s tightly-engi- Tin the ongoing stacked Dr. Kishore’s lowest clinically- neered deal, the doctor offered himself series of articles about documented success rate (which had up to the state and was jailed fifteen Dr. Punyamurtula S. risen to 50% from the 37% he had hours later. The media vultures slurped Kishore, the Christian reached in 1994) against the highest up the Attorney General’s gloating one- doctor who pioneered a success rate claimed by conventional sided press releases without a scintilla of non-narcotic, sobriety-centric approach programs, his Massachusetts Model was critical inspection, reaffirming their role to addiction that proved to be clini- still ten times more successful in treating as handmaidens of half-truths. Not sur- cally superior to conventional treatment addiction. For every one person deliv- prisingly, they remain oblivious of the protocols. ered from addiction by conventional fact that the fight is not, in fact, over. While governments and phar- treatments, Dr. Kishore was delivering Vultures Seen and Unseen maceutical companies continue to at least ten people. A dollar spent in Dr. The office of the attorney general promote methadone and Suboxone® Kishore’s clinics was worth ten dollars repeated the talking points that they (substitute narcotics labeled as “medical spent elsewhere. We will return to this used in 2011 to depict Dr. Kishore as a treatment”), the Massachusetts Model crucial point later in this article. monster who preyed upon the unsus- developed by Dr. Kishore rejected all But it was Dr. Kishore’s expand- pecting drug addicts of Massachusetts, such “hair of the dog, one size fits all” ing base of clinics that was destroyed, deemed the “most vulnerable residents” solutions to the complexity of drug neutralizing the existential threat to Big of the state.1 Attorney General Maura and alcohol addiction (see the first two Pharma and state medical doctrine. This Healey explicitly positioned her office articles in this series). After a year of the left the inferior conventional treatment as protecting “the integrity of our health conventional treatments, only 1% to programs to work their magic on a pop- care system”2 by overseeing the ultimate 5% of patients have not relapsed, while ulace doomed to wallow in a snowball- incarceration of Dr. Kishore. George 37% to 60% of Dr. Kishore’s patients ing addiction crisis that remains one of Orwell’s Newspeak was alive and well in have not relapsed after the same period the worst in the nation. By all measures, the aftermath of the toxic plea deal (the of time. Dr. Kishore’s results are sup- this crisis was a manufactured one. cup of hemlock the doctor was offered ported by hard data (actual urine tests), Accordingly, the state had a pressing to drink or else). The factual errors rid- while the “best” statistics for conven- interest in preemptively covering up its dling the story rushed out by The Patriot tional methods (that miserable 5%) actions in favor of Big Pharma (see the Ledger are legion, but they got what they involve unreliable self-reporting by the fifth, sixth, and seventh articles in this wanted: a juicy headline that made for addicts. series). Shameless pressure (e.g., driv- great click-bait.3 In short, Dr. Kishore’s success rate ing Dr. Kishore’s wife and daughter to The media story exposes the state’s in treating addicts and returning them tear-filled hysteria in front of him) was willful cover-up of the pivotal role to society as productive, healthy indi- designed to strong-arm a guilty plea out that urine drug testing played in Dr. viduals is at least 750% better than the of the innocent doctor (a plea needed Kishore’s record-shattering success rates success rate of the big name treatment to justify the state’s malicious actions (see the second article in this series). programs, and may actually run as high against the most successful addiction By suppressing the truth of the ad- as 6,000% higher than the entrenched treatment developed). diction revolution that Dr. Kishore methods. At the time the Common- The breaking point was reached on had wrought, the state brought him wealth of Massachusetts destroyed April 6, 2015. Blocked from pleading down to the same level as the massively

18 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life failed substitute narcotic programs still for its “most vulnerable residents.” But proactively asserting his innocence, to destroying lives in Massachusetts. The the symbiotic relationship of state to Big finally accept the plea deal. When “the media, reinforcing its codependency Pharma prevents the commonwealth wicked frame mischief using the law” with the office of the Attorney Gen- from admitting error or malfeasance or (Psalm 94:20), it is natural to despair eral, also adopted the same mantra. See backing off from its deadly course. of acquiring justice at the hands of the no medical miracle, hear no medical The “vultures we see,” then, are court (and in this case, of a jury). Fol- miracle, speak no medical miracle. Once the media outlets crowded around the lowing tactics described in Harvey Sil- Dr. Kishore’s hard-won achievement corpse of a man brought to ruin in his verglate’s must-read book, Three Felonies is buried in obscurity and kept off the bid to deliver as many citizens of his a Day, the state (with essentially unlim- public’s radar screen, the state could act state from the grip of addictive sub- ited resources and time) simply put up with impunity. stance as he possibly could. Through- 80+ charges against Dr. Kishore and his Whereas the state’s original actions out the course of this case, the visible practices. The charges would be thrown against Dr. Kishore were mindlessly vultures have adopted the state’s talking against the wall to see what sticks. The engineered by Nancy Maroney and points and emulated the state’s blind eye state had merely to prevail on one of the then-Attorney General Martha Coakley to Dr. Kishore’s singular achievements charges (sixteen to be heard on April 6, another twenty to be heard in July, etc.). for apparent political advantage (see the in addiction medicine. Even if Dr. Kishore prevailed on every previous articles in the series), recent But the invisible vultures are the other charge, a guilty verdict on just one prosecution was handled by a different bigger concern. These are the vultures would be enough to imprison him for team that inherited the case from the no one will see, but they will be all too five years and then deport him. departing figures. Independent legal busy as a result of the disastrous plea In short, the state would get many observers close to the case were careful deal forced upon the embattled doctor. chances to convince a jury to throw Dr. to distinguish the motives of the earlier We are speaking of the rising mortality Kishore under the bus. Dr. Kishore and prosecutors (described with pejoratives) rates in Massachusetts that Dr. Kishore’s his defense team would have to score a with those of the current prosecutors Sobriety Maintenance treatment perfect 100% on all the charges: failure (“people just doing their job”). There program would have reined in had the state not continued its mindless actions on even one would spell personal disas- is no reason to reject this charitable ter for the doctor. assessment, but that concession cannot against him. Neither state nor media choose to debunk the falsehood that all With a robust, committed defense change the heinous outcome arising firing on all cylinders, the case was win- from the continued failure to put the addiction doctors are the same. They ap- pear to have an interest in fostering this nable. Even advisors looking at the case facts back into their medical context. with a justifiable pessimism (and aware- The current prosecutors surely deadly mistake (there being no evidence of any interest in reversing the mount- ness of some pesky elements in the pros- inherited a mess from their predecessors ecution evidence) asserted that the case but didn’t know to clean it up. They ing death toll). Business as usual: death as usual. There are no better solutions if was winnable. But that rosy outlook were given a hammer and readily saw evaporated. Dr. Kishore’s faith in his every problem as a nail. Successor AG the state and media refuse to publicize such an inconvenient truth. Nonethe- attorneys (who were being forced by the Maura Healey’s parroting of the state’s court to continue to defend Dr. Kishore misbegotten case against Dr. Kishore re- less, what the citizens don’t know can indeed hurt them. It is, in fact, killing when his money ran out in 2013) con- veals the total absence of introspection, them. tinued to weaken. If his attorneys were the continued refusal to admit the exis- After his first week of incarceration, only doing the legal minimum not to tence of the blatantly obvious. When you Dr. Kishore contacted me by phone. be sued in a malpractice complaint, that compare actual outcomes in human lives, You will want to know what he had to would not be sufficient to win the case. one fact quickly rises to the surface: if say. One of my legal observers (an inde- there’s truly fraud being committed with pendent attorney involved in the most the money Massachusetts keeps sink- The Defense Bolts recent developments) was of the opinion ing into addiction treatment, it would There are many factors that con- that the doctor’s attorneys had denigrat- rest on the shoulders of the mainstream spired to drive Dr. Kishore, who was ed him to the judge. A couple of weeks treatment programs which deliver a heading into the April 6 trial with every before trial they presented a heavily miserable 95% to 99% recidivism rate intention of pleading not guilty and redacted letter of Dr. Kishore’s to Judge

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 19 Faith for All of Life Janet Sanders and argued that a lone witnesses. They then pointed out that “a Dr. Kishore so that they could have out-of-context sentence could be read as lot of these witnesses don’t seem to have a more effective case against him, in some kind of threat against them. Judge specific knowledge of the facts of the return for which they got much lighter Sanders evidently saw this as a ploy to case that’s being tried.” At this point, the sentences than they would have had withdraw from the case rather than to defense should have challenged that as- had they gone to trial. spend four to six unpaid weeks defend- sertion, countering that they knew those Those defendants said one thing to the ing Dr. Kishore. Such defense attempts witnesses had “relevant knowledge,” but grand jury and another thing when to be rid of the case after having burned instead said nothing. A legal observer they pled. Are they lying now, or were through $1.6 million dollars had come characterized this silence as “tacit ac- they lying back then? They testified to two different things under oath at two up repeatedly. Dr. Kishore had valid knowledgment that the defense had not different times. Having them present interviewed the witnesses.” If true, that reasons to question what kind of defense in the courtroom would neutralize he would get. would be very troubling, especially that the effectiveness of such prosecution My legal observer attempted to late in the game. “witnesses” by proving they were liars. mediate the relationship between Dr. Otherwise, you’re facing a disembodied Witnesses That Can’t Be Kishore and his attorneys. Skeptical transcript. It hurts Dr. Kishore badly if Cross-Examined before that point, he came to believe he can’t cross-examine his accusers. All My legal observer explained one that the attorneys were prepared for his attorneys had to do was subpoena of the more disturbing aspects of what trial and familiar with all the exhibits those witnesses. The state certainly “witnesses” were being admitted into and witnesses. Some outstanding issues wants to deprive him of his rights, but Dr. Kishore’s trial: his attorneys need to step up to the remained, however, beginning with the plate and act in his best interest.5 absence of expert witnesses in the trial. Some of the recorded testimony was For reasons that remain baffling, done at a grand jury hearing (with only My legal observer came to believe neither the prosecution nor the defense prosecutors present). Several of these that taking the plea deal made the most offered to present any expert witnesses defendants testified under oath to the sense given what he learned from Dr. grand jury. The Commonwealth wants in the trial. Dr. Kishore could easily Kishore’s attorneys and the contours of to take that sworn testimony and insert the prosecution’s case. have been accredited by the court as an it into the case without calling the wit- expert witness in his own case; a profes- ness. There is a rule against hearsay, but When both sides recognize the possibil- sor at Harvard Medical School was also hearsay is defined as an out-of-court ity of winning or losing in a close case, willing to testify on Dr. Kishore’s behalf statement structured to prove the truth of and the defendant’s downside is huge if as an expert witness; the different gov- a proposition. But the Commonwealth he loses (whereas the state has no huge ernment auditors who had scrutinized is saying, “We’re not using it to prove downside), that is generally when both Dr. Kishore’s practices and found noth- the truth of the matter asserted. We sides try to settle. think they lied. We’re trying to prove ing amiss could have been called as ex- Because the Commonwealth agreed to a that these people lied and tried to cover pert witnesses. (N.b. A court-approved plea, they also realized that their case was up for Dr. Kishore.” This allows other- expert witness is someone entitled to en- not a slam-dunk either. wise disallowed hearsay testimony into ter his opinion into testimony. Without evidence using this artifice. We note here that, while the state expert status, a witness can only testify has no downside in losing the case, the to carefully delimited facts and noth- Such testimony amounts to disembodied witnesses—mere pieces of paper.4 citizens of the state are suffering a huge ing more. A factual witness can only downside as a result of the prosecution’s say, “We took three urine samples.” An My legal observer pointed out how successful bid to take Dr. Kishore out of expert witness can say, “Those samples the Commonwealth used the same the picture. were medically necessary.”) Most criti- techniques disclosed in Silverglate’s cally, only an expert witness could rule on landmark expose, to striking effect: An Ugly Shift in Tactics the value of Dr. Kishore’s protocols. The What the prosecutors do is that they get When Dr. Kishore contacted me opportunity to have that happen was a small fish so that they can bargain to on Easter Sunday, the situation had squandered. get the bigger fish. They indicted them, worsened considerably. He had been The prosecutors informed the judge leaned on them very heavily, and tried planning to proactively assert his in- that they had interviewed the defense to get them to give information about nocence and go through the trial, but

20 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life the mounting deficiencies and stepped of very recent treatment (I have the Dr. Kishore’s account doesn’t even up pressures were reaching a breaking receipts to prove it). Bone loss in his mention the expert witness issue. point. Since the original indictment, his lower jaw resulted in the loss of multiple Should he testify “this was the right family life has been on hold. With the teeth. In the wake of these extensive oral amount of urine testing,” the prosecu- imminent prospect of a failed defense, surgeries, it became even more difficult tors would object that he’s not an expert he would be imprisoned during the for him to be understood when speak- witness and have the claim struck from wedding of his daughter. Then the state ing. His already strong accent became evidence, despite the fact that the doctor sent audit notices to his wife, who runs exacerbated. I’ve been speaking to has treated 250,000 patients for drug a very simple, uncomplicated medical him regularly for nearly two years and addiction more successfully than anyone practice. In the doctor’s own words, eventually caught on to the rhythms of in the entire state. As my legal observer the intent of that audit of his wife was his British Indian speech patterns, but noted, “it is simply mind-boggling” that crystal clear: “They want to put more now I had to strain to understand him. the prosecution would be empowered pressure on Kishore.” To make your case before a jury that to block Dr. Kishore’s testimony in this This became even more evident at couldn’t understand you added another way. the courtroom, when the emotional layer of liability. The chronology ends with a listing manipulation and threats of long jail Dr. Kishore provided me an exten- of fifteen factors he had to consider sentences and deportation were mixed sive daily chronology covering the weeks when evaluating his prospects at this in with the urgency of this being the before his current imprisonment. Of critical juncture in the case. The cumu- doctor’s last chance to avoid that pos- particular interest are the heartbreak- lative weight of these factors (pressures sibility. As one of his advisors told him, ing final three days when the brutally- from without, pressures from within “the train is leaving the station.” It was inserted straws broke the camel’s back, his own family, pressures from poverty, do or die. especially as regards his wife Sheela: pressure from his own attorneys) comes Financial resources to underwrite to a head. Certainly the prosecution 4.4.2015: Bishop Hogan and the Faith never expected him to last this long. The a more robust defense simply did not Community votes against Plea Deal. exist. The man who had helped so many process of grinding him down has been thousands was reduced to having those 4.5.2015: Sheela caves in. Feels 6 week fully documented beginning with the trial and subsequent uncertainty if who believe in his work cover the costs first article in this series. His chronology there is negative verdict too traumatic. of his gasoline for a prolonged period. terminates abruptly with a clipped but I disagree. Hal Shurtleff from JBS calls poignant conclusion: “I needed to offer One Christian minister recently paid to me and refers me to Attorney David have Dr. Kishore’s transmission repaired, myself to stem the tide. Resulted in the Grossack—a courageous attorney—to decision.” while another provided him with a demolish the case. Call placed. $1,000 honorarium for speaking to his 4.6.2015: I send email to [attorney] The Devil That You Know congregation. During the time these not to bring up the Plea Deal anymore The perennial problem with “choos- articles were being published, some and go for trial. I arrive at court. [Three ing the devil you know rather than the incoming queries were directed through defense attorneys] corner me in a room devil you don’t know” is that you’re still me to him, and he freely responded outside the court room and ask me to choosing a devil. Dr. Kishore was re- with valuable counsel and referrals in call in Sheela. They called it the “train is quired to assert something on the record a spirit of genuine concern. He can- leaving the station.” Sheela arrives from that he knows is not true. Some might not help speaking and thinking as the her work. They work on her. I resist. even argue that he was following a com- physician, the healer, that he is. But the They keep bringing up 2nd trial and mand in the Sermon on the Mount, communities he helps are not rich. No further drain and strain. Sheela wants it in a passage some scholars believe was all to end. I reach out to you [and two war chests for his own defense could be written to a captive, oppressive people others] to see if we can develop a plan rapidly assembled from those whom he for appeal as the way this case was going unable to secure justice from Roman oc- has touched. a negative outcome was predictable. cupying forces: “Agree with thine adver- As a concomitant of his recently Nothing concrete develops. Mounting sary quickly, whiles thou art in the way treated kidney condition, he had pressure. With no further resources and with him; lest at any time the adversary become the victim of serious dental to avoid 6 weeks of news TV barrage, a deliver you to the judge, and the judge conditions requiring over $30,000 decision has to be made.6 deliver thee to the officer, and thou be

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 21 Faith for All of Life cast into prison” (Matt 5:25). The New when he is released and continues a visits with Dr. Kishore, his strongest Testament surely has its share of men ten-year-long probation. He was also (of credentials are the former addicts who cast unjustly into prison, whether or course) stripped of his medical license, got their lives back thanks to his selfless not this passage applies to Dr. Kishore. and his clinics charged with $9.3 mil- work on their behalf (see the first three But was justice done for either side with lion of restitution (!) to MassHealth (see articles in this series for further detail). a plea deal, one secured under duress article seven in this series about why They apparently are rallying to his aid, and threat as the state insisted that no the state was desperate not to pay $4 notwithstanding the state’s temporary plea but “guilty” would avert its forward million in restitution to Dr. Kishore for success in sidelining him. The state’s march against Dr. Kishore? wrongfully-withheld Medicaid pay- actions have only served to galvanize his My legal observer explains why Dr. ments). The prosecution’s actions have supporters even further. As he told me, Kishore was not permitted to plead guaranteed the unchallenged hegemony “the light is not snuffed out.” “no contest” (which doesn’t involve an of methadone and Suboxone® treat- “We could not win in a frontal as- admission of guilt yet still results in the ments as the primary means of treating sault,” he pointed out, “but we can win same punishment upon the accused): drug addiction in Massachusetts. The with a rearguard action.” The idea of liv- resulting preventable deaths statewide7 He can’t plead “no contest” because the ing to fight another day was embraced “deal” required that he accept a specific due to the destruction of Dr. Kishore’s by his supporters. “But,” he added, list of facts and conditions, in return for clinics were essentially paid for with “help must come from outside”—out- dismissing all eighty charges, and plead- thirty pieces of silver. side of jail. “All I have to read is a Bible ing to one reduced charge. It had to be Long ago, a literal bag of thirty given me by a visiting pastor. It’s the done in the structured manner offered pieces of silver also purchased a result only reading material I’m allowed to by the state. that appeared to be absolutely final, have. Here we have a minimal life. A In other words, the state needs to closing the door on another Life in an bare life.” keep its desired narrative intact. This has ignominious way. But in both cases, A “Free Kishore” movement de- nothing to do with justice and every- the story was far from over. The unex- signed to restore the doctor’s freedom thing to do with political perception. pected transition from Easter Sunday to and bring his clinical successes back a Monday courtroom where “judgment How this differs from the brainwashing to the people who so desperately need is turned away backward, and justice of prisoners of war is not evident. The access to his care is in process of be- standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in “structured manner offered by the state” ing launched. The more airplay the the street, and equity cannot enter” (Isa. is the narrative, and the state wants movement gets, the more obvious will 59:14) was no meaningless accident, for the dissident to repent, apologize, and become the state’s folly in destroying the a renewed fight is brewing, and a new support the state’s attack against him. best addiction treatment program in the hope looks to be rising. Having secured such capitulation to its nation. The funds the movement plans own narrative, the state can hold the From Frontal Assault to to collect will be used to bring back Dr. damning documents in reserve should Rearguard Action Kishore’s Sobriety Maintenance treat- the upstart revive a counter-narrative On April 13, 2015, on the seventh ment program, permitting Dr. Kishore upon release. day of his incarceration, I received to continue to push his already industry- The irony should not escape the a phone call from Dr. Kishore.8 We defying success rates past the 60% mark. reader that if the accused later repudi- couldn’t talk very long. The plea deal His former patients understand ates the “facts” the state made him went into effect, he said, “because all exactly how far ahead of his time Dr. “accept,” the state’s recourse would be the roads were blocked.” He had been Kishore is. No surprise that last month of accusing the defendant of perjury for willing to fight to the end a week earlier, the prestigious Yale School of Medicine having originally said he was guilty. But if so I expected this conversation to be a extolled a new pilot program9 they were he’s guilty of perjury for having pleaded postmortem of sorts. I was very wrong. developing that in virtually all respects guilty to the original charges, that means “Help is coming,” he informed is a stunning carbon-copy of what Dr. he was innocent all along. How can you me. “It’s coming from those that Dr. Kishore had put in place more than have your cake and eat it? Kishore has helped.” (Yes, he really did twenty years ago in Massachusetts (since That is a bridge that Dr. Kishore refer to himself in the third-person.) As dismantled thanks to your friendly will cross in five-and-a-half months, I discovered much earlier in my personal neighborhood attorney general). The

22 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life Yale researchers should be in dialogue This is all the more remarkable Article Seven: “Keeping Big Pharma in with Dr. Kishore about the next steps when you consider how long this medi- Seventh Heaven is Keeping Addicts in Hell” they need to take. Unfortunately, there’s cal pioneer’s clinics have been shuttered Read it online at http://bit.ly/Kishore7 no way to make a phone call to the in- (nearly four years). How profound an 1. http://www.patriotledger.com/ar- novator locked in his bare cell. impact would you have to make to see ticle/20150407/NEWS/150407147/12662/ “For the Lord heareth the poor, a tangible outpouring of gratitude that NEWS and despiseth not his prisoners” (Psalm many years later? 2. Ibid. 69:33). Comforts in jail are few and The state is protecting its contrived 3. Ibid. No distinction is made between the far between for Dr. Kishore. Not every false narrative with casual brutality, charges made against Dr. Kishore and those reader of these articles is in a position leveraging what amounts to forced leveled at his defunct clinics. Other media to apply Matthew 25:36 and visit Dr. confessions to distract from its deadly outlets fared slightly better in respect to Kishore in person (and the limitations policies. On the other side are those these facts, acknowledging that the state is on such visitation are fairly severe). with humble means, men and women not requiring Dr. Kishore to pay back $9.3 However, he is able to receive mail at and young people that all were at the re- million, contra this story. Those reading these articles know that only two of the nine the facility. He vibrantly affirmed to me ceiving end of Dr. Kishore’s work for the postponements mentioned in this media that letters of support, encouragement, Commonwealth and her people. They outlet were Dr. Kishore’s doing (based on his counsel, and comfort to him would be are the ones who openly reject the state’s recent kidney surgery, etc.) while the other as uplifting as a physical visit. Please narrative, work to expose the state’s seven were the prosecution’s doing. Expect write him at the following address and complicity in widening its drug crisis, no errata to be published by the Ledger: they include the doctor’s ID number as and are fighting to restore what the state already got what they wanted from the story. shown: has brazenly stolen from its citizenry: 4. Phone conversation with my legal ob- South Bay Correctional Center Hope. Deliverance. Life. Truth. server, March 29, 2015. 5. Ibid. Attn: Punyamurtula Kishore, ID The First Seven Articles 6. Email to the author. 51500925 in This Series: 20 Bradston Street 7. http://boston.cbslocal. Article One: “Massachusetts Protects Med- Boston, MA 02118-2705 com/2015/04/01/217-suspected-massachu- ical-Industrial Complex, Derails Pioneering setts-heroin-overdose-deaths-this-year/ Most people have cordial relation- Revolution in Addiction Medicine.” Read it 8. I did not at first recognize the incoming ships with their physicians, but there is online at http://bit.ly/Kishore1 phone number, and so I checked to see if it a visceral component in those former Article Two: “Massachusetts Derails Revo- was known to be one used for scamming or patients of Dr. Kishore who have started lution In Addiction Medicine While Drug phishing. About 95% of those responding to take up his cause anew (given the Abuse Soars.” Read it online at http://bit. advised that I was dealing with a scammer, legal train wreck he was funneled into). ly/Kishore2 but 5% claimed the number was a real number for a company (SECURUS TECH) Their gratitude to him is grounded in Article Three: “The Pioneer Who Cut New that provided phone service from inside the circumstance that their lives had Paths in Addiction Medicine Before Being jails. I asked an associate in Massachusetts formerly been forfeited, but he brought Cut Down.” Read it online at http://bit.ly/ to confirm if Dr. Kishore had been trying to Kishore3 them back from the edge of despair. He reach me through this service and learned gave them their lives back. Article Four: “The Addiction Crisis Wors- that he had. Some of these former patients no ens after Massachusetts Pulls Plug on Dr. 9. http://www.theday.com/arti- doubt sense the irony in the fact that Kishore’s Sobriety-Based Solution.” Read it cle/20150329/NWS01/150329563 had Dr. Kishore not come into their online at http://bit.ly/Kishore4 lives, they may well have ended up in Article Five: “Why Did They Do It? Chris- prison themselves. Now that their lives tian Physician with a 37% Success Rate for were put back on track with the doctor’s Recovering Addicts Gets Shut Down by revolutionary treatment programs, they the State.” Read it online at http://bit.ly/ discover that the man to whom they Kishore5 owe their own freedom has himself been Article Six: “Martha Coakley and Her Tree deprived of freedom for having helped of Hate” Read it online at http://bit.ly/ them. Kishore6

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 23 Review

Scholastic’s Continuous Abuse of Fantasy Wings of Fire (Book I): The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland (Scholastic Inc., New York: 2012) Wings of Fire (Book II): The Lost Heir by Tui T. Sutherland (Scholastic Inc., New York: 2012)

Reviewed by Lee Duigon

ou may wonder America enjoys a culture founded than they get from their families or their Ywhy I’ve been re- on God’s laws as given in the Bible. churches, to say nothing of the Bible. viewing so many fantasy Even after generations of secularism, Because these novels are written for novels, most of them Christian morality provides most of young people, they’re relatively easy for marketed as Young us with an internal policeman who an adult (like me) to analyze. They allow Readers fiction. restrains us from violence. us to see just what the culture is teach- I do it because it’s important. But if our culture goes, everything ing our children. Imagine an America inhabited by goes. As the culture changes, everything And a large part of it is not good. some 300 million individuals whose else also changes—the laws, the econ- The Role of Scholastic Books only thought is to commit crimes omy, the degree to which we accept or Which brings us, by the long way against others. How many policemen reject certain kinds of behavior, and the around, to yet another series of Young would it take to keep order? More, character of the individuals whom we Readers fantasy published by Scholastic obviously, than could ever be hired. If choose, or at least allow, to hold public Books. Tui Sutherland has written seven all of the people were intent on violence, office and exercise authority. books so far in this ongoing series, but I no number of policemen could prevent Who would be so obtuse to deny have only read the first two. Enough is anarchy. that all of this has changed visible over enough. It’s not the police who keep us the last two generations or so? from indulging in a bloodbath. Police Scholastic is an important publisher, protect us from the few who really are Fantasy in the Culture not only because of its size and the great determined criminals. The vast majority What has this to do with fantasy number of titles it publishes every year, of us never get arrested. Most of us are novels pitched to young readers? but because it has an “in” with the pub- habitually law abiding. Why? These books are part of the culture lic schools. I remember the grammar Because that is our culture. We live that is pumped into our heads from a school book fairs sponsored by Scholas- in a culture in which Christianity is very early age. Because we have so much tic: the tie-in with the schools goes back still the mainstream religion: in which more leisure time than people had, say, a long way. And now, for some of its families teach each new generation how a century ago, we’re able to consume books, Scholastic also publishes teach- to behave as decent human beings; be- huge quantities of “entertainment”— ers’ lesson plans and student workbooks cause our community, our workplaces, not just novels, but movies, television, so that the books can be studied in the our volunteer associations, expect it and video games, etc. It’s cultural input on a classroom. reject troublemakers. grand scale: for some, much more input We ought to pay attention to the

24 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Faith for All of Life lessons being presented in books like me to spell out ‘DRAGONETS WUZ you never see a character in a novel, a Wings of Fire. Our culture is being HERE’ in giant rocks?” (p. 16) WUZ? comic book, a movie, or a TV show do changed, and not for the better, with As a dragonet of destiny would say (and a way-out thing like that—not unless mass entertainment and public educa- inevitably does), “Oh, yuk!” the character is one of those standard tion as leading agents of this change. Why this dumbed-down, cliché- fictional “Christians” who is invariably a belabored dialogue? Are the writer and villain or a fool. A World of Dragons the editors simply assuming that the Some of the Customer Reviews of The fantasy world of Wings of Fire reader is too backward to understand Wings of Fire on amazon.com express is dominated by dragons, organized anything else? uneasiness over the many scenes of vio- into seven dragon nations according to But I think what’s going on here is lence in these books. If we could accept their seven different species. A civil war an affirmation of that timeless public the premise that dragons are dragons, in one of the nations has drawn all the school commandment, “Thou shalt in and very different from human beings nations into a perpetual world war. This all things conform to thine age-group in their psychology, we might be able war, many believe, can only be stopped peers.” The popular culture imbibed to live with dragon-on-dragon violence: by the fulfillment of an obscure prophe- by the reader’s fellow children reigns they’re dragons, and that’s the way they cy involving a group of juvenile drag- supreme—you can’t escape it even if are. But by making the dragons talk like ons—the five “dragonets of destiny.” you flee to an imaginary world in which Valley girls, and sing bar songs (even How the dragonets are to do this is dragons are the dominant form of life. though there aren’t any bars!), Ms. not explained in either of the first two This is how you ought to speak. Sutherland has not permitted us that books. The dragonets themselves have If our public schooling and our option. no idea. Although the fulfillment of the dumbed-down “entertainment” teach The most disturbing aspect of it prophecy by the dragonets is supposedly children nothing else, they teach con- all is what we might call intergenera- the plot-line that unifies the series, I formity. tional violence: dragonets vs. adults. can’t bring myself to read any more of it. The only way for a dragon tribe to get But really the story itself is not all A Godless, Violent World a new queen is for a daughter to kill her that important. What are the characters in the mother, which doesn’t make for a lot of books—and, by extension, the young Why the Goofy Dialogue? family harmony. Even outside the royal readers—conforming to? families, dragon mothers don’t seem One of the features common to Like the vast majority of contem- to care much for their children. And all these fantasies that I’ve reviewed so porary novels—all genres, not just we have many examples of the most far, including those written for adults fantasy—and movies, TV shows, and adventurous of the dragonets of destiny, instead of children, is inane dialogue. the rest of the entertainment kaleido- Tsunami, fighting, overcoming, and It’s so prevalent in all these books that I scope, Wings of Fire presents a world even killing an adult dragon. must conclude that it’s either some kind from which God is absent. In these two Maybe I’m old fashioned, but con- of new, addlepated literary convention, books, the dragons have no god, not formity to that kind of cultural norm or else, for some inscrutable reason, the even pagan idols—no religious beliefs, doesn’t strike me as a good idea. various publishers demand it. no religious practice. Not even false You may not be able, in the dragons’ In Wings of Fire, all the juvenile religion. Given the great amount of time world, to trust any adult, not even your dragons talk like eleven-year-old girls which people today spend wrapped up mother. But of course you can always who watch too many cartoons, and all in God-free entertainment, can they trust your age-group peers. the adults talk like cartoon villains. Plain help getting the idea that a God-free Just like you learn to do in public English is clearly out of bounds. world is the norm and religion the ex- school. The dragonets are constantly say- ception, if not a downright eccentricity? ing things that make you wince. “Ew, Oh, it’s still socially acceptable to go Reclaiming Fantasy how gross!” “Awwwwww, how cute!” to church on Sunday, if you must. But Fantasy has been with us for as long Or “Hey, you guys!” For emphasis, Ms. watch what happens if you do some- as human beings have told stories. To Sutherland drops into text message thing really “religious,” like say grace laugh it off as something that doesn’t mode: all caps. As in this monstrosity over your meal at the school cafeteria, matter is to misunderstand both fantasy from The Lost Heir: “Would you like or get caught praying at work. Certainly and human nature.

www.chalcedon.edu May/June 2015 | Faith for All of Life 25 Faith for All of Life Children are more impressionable ment.” They won’t work for anything act as if they themselves are above such than adults, and it matters what kind of better because they can’t imagine some- behavior. We must remember they can impressions are made on them. thing better. write all they want about history, but It may be that some children aren’t The culture makers don’t have to they do not control it, or it the future. so sure that there’s no such thing as a preach to you. The material is absorbed History is an ethical view of human dragon. They haven’t lived long enough passively, as in osmosis, without the events, a religious perspective about to have it pounded into their heads that consumer being consciously aware of it. what they mean, and an eschatological there are no dragons, giants, talking Our culture makes our country faith about where they are going. dogs, or elves. Then again, there are what it is today. It trains up morally Selbrede … McVicar cont. from page 12 adults who believe in UFOs, socialized deficient individuals to govern us, to run our businesses, to educate our chil- Rushdoony’s personal correspondence, I be- medicine, gender choice, and Global lieve these early letters of his are an absolute dren, to manage our churches and our Warming. The difference between fan- gold-mine. Some are beautifully written, tasy novels and utopian politics is that seminaries—and, of course, to provide and all are much more emotionally open the novels are clearly labeled fantasy. us with still more “entertainment.” It’s than his later letters. Some are even quite More so than other types of lit- an ongoing process of decay. moving (like this “Ichabod” note). And all erature, fantasy, like poetry, can get Fantasy, like most things, can be put provide illuminating glimpses into Rush- under your skin. It can find its way into to the service of the Lord. doony’s temperament. His later material is regions of the heart and mind not so I think we ought to try to do that. very guarded when compared to this early material. I think it’s telling that Rushdoony easily accessible via a detective story or Because if it will not go away, it must be kept most of these early letters in large a soap opera about college professors taken captive, tamed, and put to work for our good. cloth-covered binders in his library. He committing adultery. didn’t do that for his later correspondence By speaking of things that are not, Lee Duigon is a Christian free-lance writer (he just stacked it up in piles or shoved it fantasy may move the reader to think of and contributing editor for Faith for All haphazardly into boxes and files). I think things that ought to be. This is powerful of Life. He has been a newspaper editor they held a very special place in his heart.” stuff, especially when brought to bear and reporter and is the author of the Bell 79. From the originally submitted draft on an audience of children, and must be Mountain series of novels. of the essay sent to Chalcedon. Emphasis added. handled carefully. Too much of fan- Rushdoony … Historical cont. from page 3 tasy—Wings of Fire, in my opinion—is itself, will be altered. This necessitates, Schwartz … Women cont. from page 17 carelessly cobbled together out of easily- at times, inverting the moral order of regarding the provisions within the law of obtainable fragments of pop culture. God to preserve and strengthen the family. the old narrative. This is what the Jews The goofy dialogue suggests not so An extensive study of Rushdoony’s com- in Egypt did with Jeremiah’s histori- much a conscious intention to keep the mentaries on the Pentateuch and his Insti- cal perspective. They were revisionist reader locked into an eleven-year-old’s tutes will do much to enable us to recon- mental landscape, but rather a sheer historians because they could not accept struct this area with greater understanding and authority. inability to imagine anyone emerging what Jeremiah had “spoken unto us from that landscape. It also suggests the in the name of the Lord” (v.16). They writer’s inclination to just go with the countered with “whatsoever thing goeth flow, to do what everybody else is doing forth out of our own mouth” (v.17). and getting paid for doing, and write History is important because it is what she thinks her audience wants to our “big picture” view of life. Chris- read. Or expects to read. tians think in such terms, so they are It all goes into the cultural mix, and more likely to self-consciously speak of the mixture grows increasingly toxic. a “worldview,” but most nonbelievers People brought up on this cultural diet refuse to believe they have religious or are hardly likely to be interested in a philosophical prejudices that dictate Christian reconstruction of the culture. their understanding of truth and real- They’ll be too busy conforming to the ity. They readily reject the religious or norms they’ve absorbed from “entertain- philosophical assumptions of others, but

26 Faith for All of Life | May/June 2015 www.chalcedon.edu Chalcedon Catalog

Faith and Obedience: An Introduction to Biblical Law Biblical Law R. J. Rushdoony reveals that to be born again means that where you were once governed by your own word and The Institute of Biblical Law (In three volumes, by R. J. Rushdoony) Volume I spirit, you are now totally governed by God’s Word and Biblical Law is a plan for dominion under God, whereas its rejection is to Spirit. This is because every word of God is a binding claim dominion on man’s terms. The general principles (commandments) word. Our money, our calling, our family, our sexuality, of the law are discussed as well as their specific applications (case law) in our political life, our economics, our sciences, our art, Scripture. Many consider this to be the author’s most important work. and all things else must be subject to God’s Word and requirements. Taken from the introduction in The Institutes of Biblical Law Hardback, 890 pages, indices, $50.00 (foreword by Mark Rushdoony). Great for sharing with others. Or, buy Vol’s 1 and 2 and receive Vol. 3 FREE! Paperback, 31 pages, index, $3.00 All 3 for only $80.00 (A huge savings off the $110.00 *Buy Pack of 50 “Faith and Obedience” for only $45.00 (Retails $150.00) retail price) Volume II, Law and Society The relationship of Biblical Law to communion and community, the Education sociology of the Sabbath, the family and inheritance, and much more are covered in the second volume. Contains an appendix by Herbert Titus. The Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum Hardback, 752 pages, indices, $35.00 By R. J. Rushdoony. The Christian School represents a break with humanistic education, but, too often, the Christian educator carries the state’s humanism with him. Volume III, The Intent of the Law A curriculum is not neutral: it’s either a course in After summarizing the case laws, the author illustrates how the law is for our humanism or training in a God-centered faith and life. good, and makes clear the difference between the sacrificial laws and those that apply today. Paperback, 190 pages, index, $16.00 Hardback, 252 pages, indices, $25.00 The Harsh Truth about Public Schools By Bruce Shortt. This book combines a sound Biblical The Institutes of Biblical Law Vol. 1 (La Institución de la Ley Bíblica, Tomo 1) basis, rigorous research, straightforward, easily read Spanish version. Great for reaching the Spanish-speaking community. language, and eminently sound reasoning. It is a Hardback, 912 pages, indices, $40.00 thoroughly documented description of the inescapably anti-Christian thrust of any governmental school system and the inevitable results: moral relativism (no fixed Ten Commandments for Today (DVD) standards), academic dumbing down, far-left programs, This 12-part DVD collection contains an in-depth near absence of discipline, and the persistent but pitiable rationalizations interview with the late Dr. R. J. Rushdoony on the offered by government education professionals. application of God’s law to our modern world. Each commandment is covered in detail as Dr. Rushdoony Paperback, 464 pages, $22.00 challenges the humanistic remedies that have obviously failed. Only through God’s revealed will, as laid down in Intellectual Schizophrenia the Bible, can the standard for righteous living be found. Rushdoony silences By R. J. Rushdoony. Dr. Rushdoony predicted that the the critics of Christianity by outlining the rewards of obedience as well as humanist system, based on anti-Christian premises of the consequences of disobedience to God’s Word. Includes 12 segments: an the Enlightenment, could only get worse. He knew that introduction, one segment on each commandment, and a conclusion. education divorced from God and from all transcendental 2 DVDs, $30.00 standards would produce the educational disaster and moral barbarism we have today. Law and Liberty Paperback, 150 pages, index, $17.00 By R. J. Rushdoony. This work examines various areas of life from a Biblical perspective. Every area of life must be brought under the dominion of Christ and the government of God’s The Messianic Character of American Education Word. By R. J. Rushdoony. From Mann to the present, the state has used education to socialize the child. The school’s basic Paperback, 212 pages, $9.00 purpose, according to its own philosophers, is not education in the traditional sense of the 3 R’s. Instead, it is to promote In Your Justice “democracy” and “equality,” not in their legal or civic sense, By Edward J. Murphy. The implications of God’s law over the but in terms of the engineering of a socialized citizenry. Such life of man and society. men saw themselves and the school in messianic terms. This Booklet, 36 pages, $2.00 book was instrumental in launching the Christian school and homeschool movements. Hardback, 410 pages, index, $20.00

Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com 27 Mathematics: Is God Silent? Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers By James Nickel. This book revolutionizes the prevailing By Sam Blumenfeld. Provides parents, teachers and tutors understanding and teaching of math. It will serve as a with a sensible, logical, easy-to-use system for teaching solid refutation for the claim, often made in court, that reading. The Workbook teaches our alphabetic system mathematics is one subject which cannot be taught from a - with its 26 letters and 44 sounds - in the following distinctively Biblical perspective. sequence: First, the alphabet, then the short vowels and consonants, the consonant digraphs, followed by the Revised and enlarged 2001 edition, Paperback, 408 pages, $24.00 consonant blends, and finally the long vowels in their variety of spellings and our other vowels. It can also be used as a supplement to any other reading The Foundations of Christian Scholarship program being used in the classroom. Its systematic approach to teaching Edited by Gary North. These are essays developing the basic phonetic skills makes it particularly valuable to programs that lack such implications and meaning of the philosophy of Dr. instruction. Cornelius Van Til for every area of life. The chapters explore the implications of Biblical faith for a variety of disciplines. Spiralbound, 180 pages, $25.00

Paperback, 355 pages, indices, $24.00 The Alpha-Phonics Readers accompany the text of Sam Blumenfeld’s Alpha-Phonics, providing opportunities The Victims of Dick and Jane for students to read at a level that matches their progress By Samuel L. Blumenfeld. America’s most effective critic through the text. These eleven readers move from simple of public education shows us how America’s public schools sentences to paragraphs to stories, ending with poetry. were remade by educators who used curriculum to create By the time a student completes this simple program, the citizens suitable for their own vision of a utopian socialist phonetic reflex is well-established. This program has also society. This collection of essays will show you how and been successfully used with functionally illiterate adults. why America’s public education declined. This set consists of eleven 12-page readers, totaling 132 pages, $22.00 Paperback, 266 pages, index, $22.00 How to Tutor by Samuel Blumenfeld demystifies primary education! You’ll learn that you can teach subjects you Revolution via Education already know without requiring specialized academic By Samuel L. Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld gets to the root of training or degrees. Here’s what you’ll discover: our crisis: our spiritual state and the need for an explicitly READING: In 117 lessons, teach any student to read Christian form of education. Blumenfeld leaves nothing virtually any word in a comprehensive phonics program uncovered. He examines the men, methods, and means to HANDWRITING: In 73 lessons, train any student to the socialist project to transform America into an outright develop the lost art of cursive handwriting tyranny by scientific controllers. ARITHMETIC: In 67 lessons, enable any student to master the essential Paperback, 189 pages, index, $20.00 calculation skills, from simple addition to long division

Lessons Learned From Years of Homeschooling Paperback, 271 pages, indices, $24.00 By Andrea Schwartz. After nearly a quarter century of homeschooling her children, Andrea experienced both the accomplishments and challenges that come with being a American History & the Constitution homeschooling mom. Discover the potential rewards of making the world your classroom and God’s Word the This Independent Republic foundation of everything you teach. By R. J. Rushdoony. Important insight into American Paperback, 107 pages, index, $14.00 history by one who could trace American development in terms of the Christian ideas which gave it direction. The Homeschool Life: Discovering God’s Way These essays will greatly alter your understanding of, and to Family-Based Education appreciation for, American history. By Andrea Schwartz. This book offers sage advice Paperback, 163 pages, index, $17.00 concerning key aspects of homeschooling and gives practical insights for parents as they seek to provide a Christian education for their children. The Nature of the American System By R. J. Rushdoony. Originally published in 1965, these Paperback, 143 pages, index, $17.00 essays were a continuation of the author’s previous work, This Independent Republic, and examine the interpretations Teach Me While My Heart Is Tender: Read Aloud Stories of and concepts which have attempted to remake and rewrite Repentance and Forgiveness America’s past and present. Andrea Schwartz compiled three stories drawn from her family-life experiences to help parents teach children how Paperback, 180 pages, index, $18.00 the faith applies to every area of life. They confront the ugly reality of sin, the beauty of godly repentance, and the The Influence of Historic Christianity on Early America necessity of forgiveness. The stories are meant to be read By Archie P. Jones. Early America was founded upon the by parents and children together. The interactions and deep, extensive influence of Christianity inherited from discussions that will follow serve to draw families closer together. the medieval period and the Protestant Reformation. That Paperback, 61 pages, index, $10.00 priceless heritage was not limited to the narrow confines of the personal life of the individual, nor to ecclesiastical structure. Christianity positively and predominately (though

28 Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com not perfectly) shaped culture, education, science, literature, legal thought, Disc 22 The Monroe & Polk Doctrines legal education, political thought, law, politics, charity, and missions. Disc 23 Voluntarism & Social Reform Disc 24 Voluntarism & Politics Booklet, 88 pages, $6.00 Disc 25 Chief Justice John Marshall: Problems of Political Voluntarism Biblical Faith and American History Disc 26 Andrew Jackson: His Monetary Policy By R. J. Rushdoony. America was a break with the Disc 27 The Mexican War of 1846 / Calhoun’s Disquisition neoplatonic view of religion that dominated the medieval Disc 28 De Toqueville on Democratic Culture church. The Puritans and other groups saw Scripture as Disc 29 De Toqueville on Individualism guidance for every area of life because they viewed its author Disc 30 Manifest Destiny as the infallible Sovereign over every area. Disc 31 The Coming of the Civil War Disc 32 De Toqueville on the Family/ Pamplet, 12 pages, $1.00 Aristocratic vs. Individualistic Cultures Disc 33 De Toqueville on Democracy & Power The United States: A Christian Republic Disc 34 The Interpretation of History, I By R. J. Rushdoony. The author demolishes the modern Disc 35 The Interpretation of History, II myth that the United States was founded by deists or Disc 36 The American Indian (Bonus Disc) humanists bent on creating a secular republic. Disc 37 Documents: Teacher/Student Guides, Transcripts Pamplet, 7 pages, $1.00 37 discs in album, Set of “American History to 1865”, $140.00

The Future of the Conservative Movement The American Indian: Edited by Andrew Sandlin. The Future of the Conservative A Standing Indictment of Christianity & Statism in America Movement explores the history, accomplishments By R. J. Rushdoony. America’s first experiment with and decline of the conservative movement, and socialism practically destroyed the American Indian. lays the foundation for a viable substitute to today’s In 1944 young R. J. Rushdoony arrived at the Duck compromising, floundering conservatism. Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada as a missionary to Booklet, 67 pages, $6.00 the Shoshone and the Paiute Indians. For eight years he lived with them, worked with them, ministered to them and listened to their stories. He came to know them intimately, both as The Late Great GOP and the Coming Realignment individuals and as a people. This is his story, and theirs. By Colonel V. Doner. For more than three decades, most Christian conservatives in the United States have hitched Paperback, 139 pages, $18.00 their political wagon to the plodding elephant of the Our Threatened Freedom: Republican Party. This work is a call to arms for those weary of political vacillation and committed more firmly A Christian View of the Menace of American Statism than ever to the necessity of a truly Christian social order. R. J. Rushdoony reports on a mind-boggling collection of absurdities by our legislators, bureaucrats, and judges— Booklet, 75 pages, $6.00 from making it against the law for a company to go out of business, to assigning five full-time undercover American History to 1865 - NOW ON CD! agents to bust a little boy who was selling fishing worms By R. J. Rushdoony. The most theologically complete without a license. Written some thirty years ago as radio assessment of early American history available—ideal commentaries, Rushdoony’s essays seem even more timely for students. Rushdoony describes not just the facts today as we are witnessing a staggering display of state intrusion into every of history, but the leading motives and movements in area of life. terms of the thinking of the day. Set includes 36 audio CDs, teacher’s guide, student’s guide, plus a bonus CD Paperback, 349 pages, indices, $18.00 featuring PDF copies of each guide for further use. Disc 1 Motives of Discovery & Exploration I World History Disc 2 Motives of Discovery & Exploration II Disc 3 Mercantilism A Christian Survey of World History Disc 4 Feudalism, Monarchy & Colonies/ The Fairfax Resolves 1-8 Includes 12 audio CDs, full text supporting the Disc 5 The Fairfax Resolves 9-24 lectures, review questions, discussion questions, Disc 6 The Declaration of Independence & Articles of Confederation and an answer key. Disc 7 George Washington: A Biographical Sketch Disc 8 The U. S. Constitution, I The purpose of a study of history is to shape the Disc 9 The U. S. Constitution, II future. Too much of history teaching centers upon Disc 10 De Toqueville on Inheritance & Society events, persons, or ideas as facts but does not recognize God’s providential Disc 11 Voluntary Associations & the Tithe hand in judging humanistic man in order to build His Kingdom. History is Disc 12 Eschatology & History God-ordained and presents the great battle between the Kingdom of God Disc 13 Postmillennialism & the War of Independence and the Kingdom of Man. History is full of purpose—each Kingdom has its Disc 14 The Tyranny of the Majority own goal for the end of history, and those goals are in constant conflict. A Disc 15 De Toqueville on Race Relations in America Christian Survey of World History can be used as a stand-alone curriculum, Disc 16 The Federalist Administrations or as a supplement to a study of world history. Disc 17 The Voluntary Church, I Disc 1 Time and History: Why History is Important Disc 18 The Voluntary Church, II Disc 2 Israel, Egypt, and the Ancient Near East Disc 19 The Jefferson Administration, the Tripolitan War & the War of 1812 Disc 3 Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Jesus Christ Disc 20 The Voluntary Church on the Frontier, I Disc 4 The Roman Republic Disc 21 Religious Voluntarism & the Voluntary Church on the Frontier, II

Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com 29 Disc 5 The Early Church & Byzantium Disc 6 Islam & The Frontier Age Philosophy Disc 7 New Humanism or Medieval Period Disc 8 The Reformation The Death of Meaning Disc 9 Wars of Religion – So Called & The Thirty Years War By R. J. Rushdoony. Modern philosophy has sought Disc 10 France: Louis XIV through Napoleon to explain man and his thought process without Disc 11 England: The Puritans through Queen Victoria acknowledging God, His revelation, or man’s sin. Disc 12 20th Century: The Intellectual – Scientific Elite Philosophers who rebel against God are compelled to abandon meaning itself, for they possess neither the 12 CDs, full text, review and discussion questions, $90.00 tools nor the place to anchor it. The works of darkness championed by philosophers past and present need to be The Biblical Philosophy of History exposed and reproved. In this volume, Dr. Rushdoony clearly enunciates By R. J. Rushdoony. For the orthodox Christian who each major philosopher’s position and its implications, identifies the grounds his philosophy of history on the doctrine of intellectual and moral consequences of each school of thought, and traces creation, the mainspring of history is God. Time rests the dead-end to which each naturally leads. on the foundation of eternity, on the eternal decree of God. Time and history therefore have meaning because Paperback, 180 pages, index, $18.00 they were created in terms of God’s perfect and totally comprehensive plan. The humanist faces a meaningless The Word of Flux: world in which he must strive to create and establish meaning. Modern Man and the Problem of Knowledge By R. J. Rushdoony. Modern man has a problem with Paperback, 138 pages, $22.00 knowledge. He cannot accept God’s Word about the world or anything else, so anything which points to God must James I: The Fool as King be called into question. This book will lead the reader to By Otto Scott. In this study, Otto Scott writes about one understand that this problem of knowledge underlies the of the “holy” fools of humanism who worked against the isolation and self-torment of modern man. Can you know faith from within. This is a major historical work and anything if you reject God and His revelation? This book takes the reader marvelous reading. into the heart of modern man’s intellectual dilemma. Hardback, 472 pages, $20.00 Paperback, 127 pages, indices, $19.00 To Be As God: A Study of Modern Thought Since the Marquis De Sade Church History By R. J. Rushdoony. This monumental work is a series of essays on the influential thinkers and ideas in modern The “Atheism” of the Early Church times such as Marquis De Sade, Shelley, Byron, Marx, By R. J. Rushdoony. Early Christians were called Whitman, and Nietzsche. Reading this book will help you “heretics” and “atheists” when they denied the gods of understand the need to avoid the syncretistic blending of Rome, and the divinity of the emperor. These Christians humanistic philosophy with the Christian faith. knew that Jesus Christ, not the state, was their Lord and Paperback, 230 pages, indices, $21.00 that this faith required a different kind of relationship to the state than the state demanded. By What Standard? Paperback, 64 pages, $12.00 By R. J. Rushdoony. An introduction into the problems of Christian philosophy. It focuses on the philosophical The Foundations of Social Order: Studies in the Creeds system of Dr. Cornelius Van Til, which in turn is founded upon the presuppositions of an infallible revelation in and Councils of the Early Church the Bible and the necessity of Christian theology for all By R. J. Rushdoony. Every social order rests on a creed, philosophy. This is Rushdoony’s foundational work on on a concept of life and law, and represents a religion in philosophy. action. The basic faith of a society means growth in terms of that faith. The life of a society is its creed; a dying Hardback, 212 pages, index, $14.00 creed faces desertion or subversion readily. Because of its indifference to its creedal basis in Biblical Christianity, Van Til & The Limits of Reason western civilization is today facing death and is in a life and death struggle By R. J. Rushdoony. The Christian must see faith in God’s with humanism. revelation as opening up understanding, as thinking God’s thoughts after Him, and rationalism as a restriction of Paperback, 197 pages, index, $16.00 thought to the narrow confines of human understanding. Reason is a gift of God, but we must not make more of The Relevance of the Reformed Faith (CD Set) it than it is. The first three essays of this volume were The 2007 Chalcedon Foundation Fall Conference published in a small booklet in 1960 as a tribute to the Disc 1: An Intro to Biblical Law - Mark Rushdoony thought of Dr. Cornelius Van Til, titled Van Til. The last four essays were Disc 2: The Great Commission - Dr. Joe Morecraft written some time later and are published here for the first time. Disc 3 Cromwell Done Right! - Dr. Joe Morecraft Paperback, 84 pages, index, $10.00 Disc 4: The Power of Applied Calvinism - Martin Selbrede Disc 5: The Powerlessness of Pietism - Martin Selbrede Disc 6: Thy Commandment is Exceedingly Broad - Martin Selbrede Disc 7: Dualistic Spirituality vs. Obedience - Mark Rushdoony 7 CDs, $56.00

30 Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com The One and the Many: The Cure of Souls: Studies in the Philosophy of Order and Ultimacy Recovering the Biblical Doctrine of Confession By R. J. Rushdoony. This work discusses the problem By R. J. Rushdoony. In The Cure of Souls: Recovering of understanding unity vs. particularity, oneness vs. the Biblical Doctrine of Confession, R. J. Rushdoony cuts individuality. “Whether recognized or not, every argument through the misuse of Romanism and modern psychology and every theological, philosophical, political, or any other to restore the doctrine of confession to a Biblical exposition is based on a presupposition about man, God, foundation—one that is covenantal and Calvinistic. and society—about reality. This presupposition rules and Without a true restoration of Biblical confession, the determines the conclusion; the effect is the result of a cause. And one such Christian’s walk is impeded by the remains of sin. This volume is an effort in basic presupposition is with reference to the one and the many.” The author reversing this trend. finds the answer in the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity. Hardback, 320 pages with index, $26.00 Paperback, 375 pages, index, $26.00 Science The Flight from Humanity: A Study of the Effect of Neoplatonism on Christianity The Mythology of Science By R. J. Rushdoony. Neoplatonism presents man’s By R. J. Rushdoony. This book is about the religious dilemma as a metaphysical one, whereas Scripture presents nature of evolutionary thought, how these religious it as a moral problem. Basing Christianity on this false presuppositions underlie our modern intellectual paradigm, Neoplatonic idea will always shift the faith from the and how they are deferred to as sacrosanct by institutions Biblical perspective. The ascetic quest sought to take and disciplines far removed from the empirical sciences. The “mythology” of refuge from sins of the flesh but failed to address the modern science is its religious devotion to the myth of evolution. reality of sins of the heart and mind. In the name of humility, the ascetics manifested arrogance and pride. This pagan idea of spirituality entered the Paperback, 134 pages, $17.00 church and is the basis of some chronic problems in Western civilization. Alive: An Enquiry into the Origin and Meaning of Life Paperback, 84 pages, $13.00 By Dr. Magnus Verbrugge, M.D. This study is of major importance as a critique of scientific theory, evolution, and contemporary nihilism in scientific thought. Dr. Psychology Verbrugge, son-in-law of the late Dr. H. Dooyeweerd and head of the Dooyeweerd Foundation, applies the insights of Dooyeweerd’s thinking to the realm of science. Animism Politics of Guilt and Pity and humanism in scientific theory are brilliantly discussed. By R. J. Rushdoony. From the foreword by Steve Schlissel: “Rushdoony sounds the clarion call of liberty for all who Paperback, 159 pages, $14.00 remain oppressed by Christian leaders who wrongfully Creation According to the Scriptures lord it over the souls of God’s righteous ones.… I pray that Edited by P. Andrew Sandlin. Subtitled: A Presuppositional the entire book will not only instruct you in the method and content of a Defense of Literal Six-Day Creation, this symposium by Biblical worldview, but actually bring you further into the glorious freedom thirteen authors is a direct frontal assault on all waffling of the children of God. Those who walk in wisdom’s ways become immune views of Biblical creation. It explodes the “Framework to the politics of guilt and pity.” Hypothesis,” so dear to the hearts of many respectability- Hardback, 371 pages, index, $20.00 hungry Calvinists, and it throws down the gauntlet to all who believe they can maintain a consistent view of Biblical Revolt Against Maturity infallibility while abandoning literal, six-day creation. By. R. J. Rushdoony. The Biblical doctrine of psychology is Paperback, 159 pages, $18.00 a branch of theology dealing with man as a fallen creature marked by a revolt against maturity. Man was created a mature being with a responsibility to dominion and cannot be understood from the Freudian child, nor the Economics Darwinian standpoint of a long biological history. Man’s history is a short one filled with responsibility to God. Man’s Making Sense of Your Dollars: A Biblical Approach to Wealth psychological problems are therefore a resistance to responsibility, i.e. a revolt By Ian Hodge. The author puts the creation and use against maturity. of wealth in their Biblical context. Debt has put the economies of nations and individuals in dangerous straits. Hardback, 334 pages, index, $18.00 This book discusses why a business is the best investment, as well as the issues of debt avoidance and insurance. Freud Wealth is a tool for dominion men to use as faithful By R. J. Rushdoony. For years this compact examination stewards. of Freud has been out of print. And although both Freud Paperback, 192 pages, index, $12.00 and Rushdoony have passed on, their ideas are still very much in collision. Freud declared war upon guilt and sought to eradicate the primary source of Western guilt — Christianity. Rushdoony shows conclusively the error of Freud’s thought and the disastrous consequences of his influence in society. Paperback, 74 pages, $13.00

Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com 31 Larceny in the Heart: The Economics of Satan and the Numbers, Volume IV of Commentaries on the Pentateuch Inflationary State By R. J. Rushdoony. The Lord desires a people who will By R.J. Rushdoony. In this study, first published under embrace their responsibilities. The history of Israel in the title Roots of Inflation, the reader sees why envy often the wilderness is a sad narrative of a people with hearts causes the most successful and advanced members of hardened by complaint and rebellion to God’s ordained society to be deemed criminals. The reader is shown how authorities. They were slaves, not an army. They would envious man finds any superiority in others intolerable recognize the tyranny of Pharaoh but disregard the servant- and how this leads to a desire for a leveling. The author leadership of Moses. God would judge the generation He uncovers the larceny in the heart of man and its results. led out of captivity, while training a new generation to conquer Canaan. The book of Numbers reveals God’s dealings with both generations. Paperback, 144 pages, indices, $18.00 Hardback, index, 428 pages $45.00 Sermons on Numbers - 66 lectures by R.J. Rushdoony on mp3 (1 CD), $40.00 Biblical Studies Save by getting the book and CD together for only $76.00

Genesis, Volume I of Commentaries on the Pentateuch Deuteronomy, Volume V By R. J. Rushdoony. In recent years, it has become of Commentaries on the Pentateuch commonplace for both humanists and churchmen to If you desire to understand the core of Rushdoony’s sneer at anyone who takes Genesis 1-11 as historical. thinking, this commentary on Deuteronomy is one volume Yet to believe in the myth of evolution is to accept you must read. The covenantal structure of this last trillions of miracles to account for our cosmos. Spontaneous generation, book of Moses, its detailed listing of both blessings and the development of something out of nothing, and the blind belief in the curses, and its strong presentation of godly theocracy miraculous powers of chance, require tremendous faith. Theology without provided Rushdoony with a solid foundation from which literal six-day creationism becomes alien to the God of Scripture because it to summarize the central tenets of a truly Biblical worldview—one that is turns from the God Who acts and Whose Word is the creative word and the solidly established upon Biblical Law, and can shape the future. word of power, to a belief in process as god. Hardback, index, 512 pages $45.00 Hardback, 297 pages, indices, $45.00 Sermons on Deuteronomy - 110 lectures by R.J. Rushdoony on mp3 (2 CDs), $60.00 Exodus, Volume II of Commentaries on the Pentateuch Save by getting the book and CD together for only $95.00 By R. J. Rushdoony. Essentially, all of mankind is on some sort of an exodus. However, the path of fallen man Now you can purchase the complete is vastly different from that of the righteous. Apart from set of five hardback volumes of the Jesus Christ and His atoning work, the exodus of a fallen humanity means only a further descent from sin into Pentateuch for $150.00 ($75 savings!) death. But in Christ, the exodus is now a glorious ascent into the justice and dominion of the everlasting Kingdom Pentateuch CD Set (4 of God. Therefore, if we are to better understand the gracious provisions Commentary CD Sets) made for us in the “promised land” of the New Covenant, a thorough By R. J. Rushdoony. Rushdoony’s four CD examination into the historic path of Israel as described in the book of Commentaries on the Pentateuch (Exodus, Exodus is essential. It is to this end that this volume was written. Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) in one set. Hardback, 554 pages, indices, $45.00 $120... That’s 6 total MP3 CDs containing 383 sermons for $80 in savings! Sermons on Exodus - 128 lectures by R.J. Rushdoony on mp3 (2 CDs), $60.00 Save by getting the book and 2 CDs together for only $95.00 Chariots of Prophetic Fire: Studies in Elijah and Elisha By R. J. Rushdoony. As in the days of Elijah and Elisha, Leviticus, Volume III of Commentaries on the Pentateuch it is once again said to be a virtue to tolerate evil and By R. J. Rushdoony. Much like the book of Proverbs, any condemn those who do not. This book will challenge you emphasis upon the practical applications of God’s law is to resist compromise and the temptation of expediency. readily shunned in pursuit of more “spiritual” studies. It will help you take a stand by faith for God’s truth in a Books like Leviticus are considered dull, overbearing, and culture of falsehoods. irrelevant. But man was created in God’s image and is duty-bound to develop the implications of that image by Hardback, 163 pages, indices, $30.00 obedience to God’s law. The book of Leviticus contains over ninety references to the word holy. The purpose, therefore, of this third The Gospel of John book of the Pentateuch is to demonstrate the legal foundation of holiness in By R. J. Rushdoony. Nothing more clearly reveals the the totality of our lives. gospel than Christ’s atoning death and His resurrection. Hardback, 449 pages, indices, $45.00 They tell us that Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of sin and death. John therefore deliberately limits the Sermons on Leviticus - 79 lectures by R.J. Rushdoony on mp3 (1 CD), $40.00 number of miracles he reports in order to point to and Save by getting the book and CD together for only $76.00 concentrate on our Lord’s death and resurrection. The Jesus of history is He who made atonement for us, died, and was resurrected. His life cannot be understood apart from this, nor can we know His history in any other light. Hardback, 320 pages, indices, $26.00

32 Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com Romans and Galatians Tithing and Dominion By R. J. Rushdoony. From the author’s introduction: By Edward A. Powell and R. J. Rushdoony. God’s “I do not disagree with the liberating power of the Kingdom covers all things in its scope, and its immediate Reformation interpretation, but I believe that it provides ministry includes, according to Scripture, the ministry simply the beginning of our understanding of Romans, of grace (the church), instruction (the Christian and not its conclusion.... The great problem in the church’s homeschool), help to the needy (the diaconate), and many interpretation of Scripture has been its ecclesiastical other things. God’s appointed means for financing His orientation, as though God speaks only to the church, Kingdom activities is centrally the tithe. This work affirms and commands only the church. The Lord God speaks in and through that the Biblical requirement of tithing is a continuing His Word to the whole man, to every man, and to every area of life and aspect of God’s law-word and cannot be neglected. thought…. This is the purpose of my brief comments on Romans.” Hardback, 146 pages, index, $12.00 Hardback, 446 pages, indices, $24.00 A Comprehensive Faith Hebrews, James and Jude Edited by Andrew Sandlin. This is the surprise Festschrift By R. J. Rushdoony. The Book of Hebrews is a presented to R. J. Rushdoony at his 80th birthday summons to serve Christ the Redeemer-King fully and celebration in April, 1996. These essays are in gratitude faithfully, without compromise. When James, in his to Rush’s influence and elucidate the importance of his epistle, says that faith without works is dead, he tells theological and philosophical contributions in numerous us that faith is not a mere matter of words, but it is of fields. Contributors include Theodore Letis, Brian Abshire, necessity a matter of life. “Pure religion and undefiled” Steve Schlissel, Joe Morecraft III, Jean-Marc Berthoud, requires Christian charity and action. Anything short Byron Snapp, Samuel Blumenfeld, Christine and Thomas Schirrmacher, of this is a self-delusion. Jude similarly recalls us to Jesus Christ’s apostolic Herbert W. Titus, Ellsworth McIntyre, Howard Phillips, Ian Hodge, commission, “Remember ye the words which have been spoken before by and many more. Also included is a foreword by John Frame and a brief the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 17). Jude’s letter reminds us of biographical sketch of R. J. Rushdoony’s life by Mark Rushdoony. the necessity for a new creation beginning with us, and of the inescapable triumph of the Kingdom of God. Hardback, 244 pages, $23.00 Hardback, 260 pages, $30.00 Noble Savages: Exposing the Worldview of Pornographers Sermon on the Mount and Their War Against Christian Civilization By R. J. Rushdoony. So much has been written about the By R. J. Rushdoony. In this powerful book Noble Savages Sermon on the Mount, but so little of the commentaries (formerly The Politics of Pornography) Rushdoony venture outside of the matters of the heart. The Beatitudes demonstrates that in order for modern man to justify his are reduced to the assumed meaning of their more popular perversion he must reject the Biblical doctrine of the fall of portions, and much of that meaning limits our concerns man. If there is no fall, the Marquis de Sade argued, then to downplaying wealth, praying in secret, suppressing all that man does is normative. What is the problem? It’s our worries, or simply reciting the Lord’s Prayer. The the philosophy behind pornography — the rejection of the fall of man that Beatitudes are the Kingdom commission to the new Israel of God, and R. makes normative all that man does. Learn it all in this timeless classic. J. Rushdoony elucidates this powerful thesis in a readable and engaging Paperback, 161 pages, $18.00 commentary on the world’s greatest sermon. Hardback, 150 pages, $20.00 Sermon on the Mount CD Set (12 CDs), $96.00 In His Service: The Christian Calling to Charity Sermon on the Mount Book & CD Set (12 CDs), $99.00 By R. J. Rushdoony. The Christian faith once meant that a believer responded to a dark world by actively working Sermons in Obadiah & Jonah to bring God’s grace and mercy to others, both by word By R. J. Rushdoony. In his study of Obadiah, Rushdoony and by deed. However, a modern, self-centered church has condemns the “spiritual Edomites” of our day who believe isolated the faith to a pietism that relinquishes charitable evildoers have the power to frustrate the progress of the responsibility to the state. The end result has been the Kingdom of God. In Jonah, he demonstrates that we play empowering of a humanistic world order. In this book, the part of Jonah when we second-guess God, complain Rushdoony elucidates the Christian’s calling to charity and its implications about the work He gives us, or are peevish when outcomes for Godly dominion. are not to our liking. Hardback, 232 pages, $23.00 Paperback, 84 pages, indices, $9.00 A House for God: Building a Kingdom-Driven Family Christian parents are called to establish Kingdom-driven Taking Dominion families. To aid in this calling, Christian author and education expert, Andrea Schwartz has carefully put Christianity and the State together this collection of essays entitled A House for God: By R. J. Rushdoony. This book develops the Biblical view Building a Kingdom-Driven Family. of the state against the modern state’s humanism and Paperback, 120 pages, $14.00 its attempts to govern all spheres of life. It reads like a collection of essays on the Christian view of the state and the return of true Christian government. Hardback, 192 pages, indices, $18.00

Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com 33 Salvation and Godly Rule Infallibility and Interpretation By R. J. Rushdoony. Salvation in Scripture includes in its By R. J. Rushdoony & P. Andrew Sandlin. The authors meaning “health” and “victory.” By limiting the meaning argue for infallibility from a distinctly presuppositional of salvation, men have limited the power of God and the perspective. That is, their arguments are unapologetically meaning of the Gospel. In this study R. J. Rushdoony circular because they believe all ultimate claims are based demonstrates the expanse of the doctrine of salvation as it on one’s beginning assumptions. The question of Biblical relates to the rule of the God and His people. infallibility rests ultimately in one’s belief about the character of God. Paperback, 661 pages, indices, $35.00 Paperback, 100 pages, $6.00 A Conquering Faith: Doctrinal Foundations for Christian Reformation Infallibility: An Inescapable Concept By William Einwechter. This monograph takes on By R. J. Rushdoony. Infallibility is an inescapable the doctrinal defection of today’s church by providing concept. If men refuse to ascribe infallibility to Christians with an introductory treatment of six vital Scripture, it is because the concept has been transferred areas of Christian doctrine: God’s sovereignty, Christ’s to something else. Booklet now part of the author’s Lordship, God’s law, the authority of Scripture, the Systematic Theology. dominion mandate, and the victory of Christ in history. Booklet, 69 pages, $2.00 Paperback, 44 pages, $8.00 Predestination in Light of the Cross By John B. King, Jr. The author defends the predestination of Martin Luther while providing a compellingly systematic theological understanding of predestination. This book will give the reader a fuller understanding of the sovereignty of God. Paperback, 314 pages, $24.00

Sovereignty A Word in Season: Daily Messages on the Faith for All of Life (5 Volumes) By R. J. Rushdoony. The doctrine of sovereignty is a crucial By R. J. Rushdoony. These daily messages on the faith for all of life are one. By focusing on the implications of God’s sovereignty unlike any compilation of Christian “devotional” ever published. In these over all things, in conjunction with the law-word of God, pages, you won’t find the overly introspective musings of a Christian pietist; the Christian will be better equipped to engage each and what you’ll discover are the hard-hitting convictions of a man whose sole every area of life. Since we are called to live in this world, commitment was faithfulness to God’s law-word and representing that we must bring to bear the will of our Sovereign Lord in all binding Word to his readers. things. Get all 5 volumes as a set for only $60.00 $45.00! Hardback, 519 pages, $40.00 Vol. 1, Paperback, 152 pages, $12.00 • Vol. 2, Paperback, 144 pages, $12.00 Vol. 3, Paperback, 134 pages, $12.00 • Vol. 4, Paperback, 146 pages, $12.00 The Church Is Israel Now Vol. 5, Paperback, 176 pages, $12.00 By Charles D. Provan. For the last century, Christians have been told that God has an unconditional love for persons racially descended from Abraham. Membership in Israel is Theology said to be a matter of race, not faith. This book repudiates such a racialist viewpoint and abounds in Scripture Systematic Theology (in two volumes) references which show that the blessings of Israel were By R. J. Rushdoony. Theology belongs in the transferred to all those who accept Jesus Christ. pulpit, the school, the workplace, the family Paperback, 74 pages, $12.00 and everywhere. Society as a whole is weakened when theology is neglected. Without a systematic application of theology, too often people approach The Guise of Every Graceless Heart the Bible with a smorgasbord mentality, picking By Terrill Irwin Elniff. An extremely important and fresh and choosing that which pleases them. This two-volume set addresses this study of Puritan thought in early America. On Biblical subject in order to assist in the application of the Word of God to every area and theological grounds, Puritan preachers and writers of life and thought. challenged the autonomy of man, though not always consistently. Hardback, 1301 pages, indices, $70.00 Hardback, 120 pages, $7.00 The Necessity for Systematic Theology By R. J. Rushdoony. Scripture gives us as its underlying The Great Christian Revolution unity a unified doctrine of God and His order. Theology By Otto Scott, Mark R. Rushdoony, R. J. Rushdoony, John must be systematic to be true to the God of Scripture. Lofton, and Martin Selbrede. A major work on the impact Booklet now part of the author’s Systematic Theology. of Reformed thinking on our civilization. Some of the studies, historical and theological, break new ground and Booklet, 74 pages, $2.00 provide perspectives previously unknown or neglected. Hardback, 327 pages, $22.00

34 Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com Keeping Our Sacred Trust Woman of the House: A Mother’s Role Edited by Andrew Sandlin. This book is a trumpet blast in Building a Christian Culture heralding a full-orbed, Biblical, orthodox Christianity. The In true Titus 2 fashion, Andrea Schwartz challenges women hope of the modern world is not a passive compromise to reexamine several fundamental aspects of motherhood in with passing heterodox fads, but aggressive devotion to the light of Scripture. Beginning with a consideration of God’s time-honored Faith “once delivered to the saints.” character and concluding with an invigorating charge to faithfulness, Andrea connects the dots between God’s reality Paperback, 167 pages, $19.00 and a mother’s duty.

The Incredible Scofield and His Book Paperback, 103 pages, $14.00 By Joseph M. Canfield. This powerful and fully documented study exposes the questionable background Family Matters: Read Aloud Stories and faulty theology of the man responsible for the of Responsibility and Self-Discipline popular Scofield Reference Bible, which did much to Unless children are taught self-discipline early, they move promote the dispensational system. into their adult years without a sense of personal, familial, or societal responsibility. The stories are meant to be Paperback, 394 pages, $24.00 read by parents and children together and serve as useful conversation starters to educate boys and girls so they can The Lordship of Christ be effective citizens in the Kingdom of God. The author shows that to limit Christ’s work in history to Paperback, 48 pages, $10.00 salvation and not to include lordship is destructive of the faith and leads to false doctrine. The Biblical Trustee Family: Booklet, 29 pages, $2.50 Understanding God’s Purpose for Your Household By Andrea Schwartz. God’s basic institution is the family, The Will of God, or the Will of Man? and the Biblical family lives and operates in terms of a By Mark R. Rushdoony. God’s will and man’s will are both calling greater than itself - the Kingdom of God. In an age involved in man’s salvation, but the church has split in when the family is disparaged, warred against, and treated answering the question, “Whose will is determinative?” as a mere convention, it becomes the duty of Christians to bring God’s plan for the family to listening ears. Pamplet, $1.00 Paperback, 109 pages, $16.00 Pierre Viret: The Angel of the Reformation This publication marks the five-hundredth anniversary Eschatology of the birth of Pierre Viret with the first full biography in English of this remarkable and oft-overlooked early Thy Kingdom Come: Studies in Daniel and Revelation Reformer. R. A. Sheats pens the fascinating history By R. J. Rushdoony. Revelation’s details are often and life of this important early light of the Protestant perplexing, even baffling, and yet its main meaning Reformation who, after nearly five centuries of relative is clear—it is a book about victory. It tells us that our obscurity, is now enjoying a renewed interest in his faith can only result in victory. This victory is celebrated history and scholarship. The republication comes at its in Daniel and elsewhere, in the entire Bible. These proper time, inspiring future generations to continue the work of advancing eschatological texts make clear that the essential good Christ’s Kingdom throughout the world. news of the entire Bible is victory, total victory. Hardback, 323 pages, $30.00 Paperback, 271 pages, $19.00 Thine is the Kingdom: A Study of the Postmillennial Hope Culture False eschatological speculation is destroying the church today, by leading her to neglect her Christian calling. In Toward a Christian Marriage this volume, edited by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., the reader is presented with a blend of Biblical exegesis, theological Edited by Elizabeth Fellerson. The law of God makes reflection, and practical application for faithful Christian clear how important and how central marriage is. Our living. Chapters include contemporary writers Keith A. Lord stresses the fact that marriage is our normal calling. Mathison, William O. Einwechter, Jeffrey Ventrella, and This book consists of essays on the importance of a proper Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., as well as chapters by giants of the Christian perspective on marriage. faith Benjamin B. Warfield and J.A. Alexander. Hardback, 43 pages, $8.00 Paperback, 260 pages, $22.00 Back Again Mr. Begbie: God’s Plan for Victory The Life Story of Rev. Lt. Col. R.J.G. Begbie OBE By R. J. Rushdoony. The founder of the Christian This biography is more than a story of the three careers Reconstruction movement set forth in potent, cogent of one remarkable man. It is a chronicle of a son of terms the older Puritan vision of the irrepressible old Christendom as a leader of Christian revival in the advancement of Christ’s kingdom by His faithful saints twentieth century. Personal history shows the greater employing the entire law-Word of God as the program for story of what the Holy Spirit can and does do in the earthly victory. evangelization of the world. Paperback, 357 pages, $24.00 Booklet, 41 pages, $6.00

Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com 35 halls and corridors and offices inside the Palace, power-hungry men enter Fiction (Storehouse Press) into secret dealings with Obann’s archenemy, the Thunder King. Paperback, 321 pages, $18.00 The Glass Bridge (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 7) By Lee Duigon. In the seventh installment of the Bell Mountain Series... Can faith do what pride and power can’t? In obedience to God, the boy king, Ryons, with only half his tiny army, crosses the mountains to invade the Thunder King’s domains. Confronted by perils they can barely understand, with no safe choices set before them, the heroes of Obann must risk their lives on the glass bridge that can only be crossed by faith.

Purchase the 7 volume Paperback, 308 pages, $18.00 $ $ set for 118.00 85.00 Hidden In Plain Sight (Bubble Head Series, Vol. 1) By M. G. Selbrede. Young physicist Jenna Wilkes has done the impossible—and the whole scientific world is shaking on its pillars. Bell Mountain (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 1) Could it be that conventional science has By Lee Duigon. The world is going to end … as soon as Jack and Ellayne misunderstood the very fabric of the universe? Could ring the bell on top of Bell Mountain. No one has ever climbed the there be infinitely more to it than anyone has ever mountain, and no one has ever seen the bell. But the children have a divine guessed? Could science’s whole concept of reality be ... calling to carry out the mission, and it sweeps them into high adventure. unreal? Great for young adults. Paperback, 334 pages, $15.00 Paperback, 288 pages, $14.00 The Cellar Beneath the Cellar (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 2) The Journal of Christian Reconstruction By Lee Duigon. A world’s future lies buried in its distant past. Barbarian armies swarm across the mountains, driven by a terrifying vision of a Vol. 2, No. 1, Symposium on Christian Economics $6.50 merciless war god on earth. While a nation rallies its defenses, a boy and a Vol. 2, No. 2, Symposium on Biblical Law $6.50 girl must find the holy writings that have been concealed for 2,000 years; Vol. 5, No. 1, Symposium on Politics $6.50 and the man who was sent to kill them must now protect them at all costs. Vol. 5, No. 2, Symposium on Puritanism and Law $6.50 Paperback, 288 pages, $16.00 Vol. 7, No. 1, Symposium on Inflation $6.50 The Thunder King (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 3) Vol. 10, No. 1, Symposium on the Media and the Arts $6.50 By Lee Duigon. The Thunder King’s vast army encamps against the city, a Vol. 10, No. 2, Symposium on Christianity and Business $6.50 ring of fire and steel. But treason brews inside the city walls... The tiny army Vol. 11, No. 1, Symposium on the Reformation in the Arts and Media $6.50 of the Lord is on the march against the undefeated horde, in bold obedience Vol. 11, No. 2, Symposium on the Education of the Core Group $6.50 to a divine command; but the boy king, Ryons, marches all alone across an Vol. 12, No. 1, Symposium on the Constitution and Political Theology $6.50 empty land. The Lost Books of Scripture have been found, but they may be Vol. 12, No. 2, Symposium on the Biblical Text and Literature $6.50 lost again before the human race can read them. And Jack and Ellayne have been captured by the Heathen. Vol. 13, No. 1, Symposium on Change in the Social Order $6.50 Vol. 13, No. 2, Symposium on Decline & Fall of the West/Return of Christendom $6.50 Paperback, 288 pages, $16.00 Vol. 14, No. 1, Symposium on Reconstruction in the Church and State $6.50 The Last Banquet (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 4) Vol. 14, No. 2, Symposium on the Reformation $6.50 By Lee Duigon. In the wake of a barbarian invasion, chaos sweeps across Vol. XV, Symposium on Eschatology $9.50 Obann. The boy king and his faithful chiefs try to restore order before the Vol. XVI, The 25th Anniversary Issue $9.50 Heathen come again - not knowing that this time, the Thunder King himself will lead his armies. What is the secret of the man behind the Thunder Journal of Christian Reconstruction Set $100.00! King’s golden mask? Who will survive God’s shaking of the world? Paperback, 338 pages, $18.00 Special CD Message Series by Rushdoony

The Fugitive Prince (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 5) A History of Modern Philosophy The United States Constitution By Lee Duigon. The powers wielded by the men of ancient times destroyed 8 CDs) $64.00 (4 CDs) $32.00 all their cities in a single day. Will those powers now be turned against Obann? There is a new Thunder King in the East, and new threats against Epistemology: The Christian Economics, Money & Hope the West. The City of Obann seethes with treason and plots against King Philosophy of Knowledge (3 CDs) $24.00 Ryons - and an ignorant slave-boy must defend the rightful king’s throne. (10 CDs) $80.00 And from the Lost Book of King Ozias emerges the first glimmer of God’s Postmillennialism in America promise of a Savior. Apologetics (2 CDs-2 lectures per disc) $20.00 (3 CDs) $24.00 Paperback, 370 pages, $18.00 A Critique of Modern Education The Palace (Bell Mountain Series, Vol. 6) The Crown Rights of Christ the King (4 CDs) $32.00 (6 CDs) $48.00 By Lee Duigon. In the sixth installment of the Bell Mountain Series, God’s English History judgment hangs over the great city of Obann; but in the endless maze of (5 CDs) $40.00

36 Summer Sale... Save 15% on all orders plus FREE standard shipping (domestic) thru July 31, 2015 • www.ChalcedonStore.com