Christian Nationalism in Theonomy, Natural Law, and Spiritual Foundations
Rushdoony's Legacy and the Reconstruction Movement
“Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste (Isaiah 28:16).’”
Christian leaders today must recognize the impact of Reconstruction, a movement begun to restore the spiritual foundation of America. Likewise, Christian politicians must learn about theonomy, a philosophical position asserting societal laws must be based on God’s word, and general equity theonomy, an approach to Natural Law that dovetails with a Divine Command Theory for Ethics.1
The theological and philosophical legacy of RJ Rushdoony (1916-2001) continues to shape contemporary debates about the proper relationship between divine law and civil governance. As the founder of the Christian Reconstruction movement, Rushdoony articulated a comprehensive vision for restoring what he viewed as the biblical foundations of American society. His influence extends through a network of theologians, pastors, and intellectuals, most notably Douglas Wilson, who have adapted and developed his core insights while engaging with broader questions of natural law theory and Christian political philosophy.
The Theonomic Foundation
Rushdoony's magnum opus, The Institutes of Biblical Law (1973),2 established theonomy as a systematic theological position asserting that societal laws must be grounded in God's revealed word, particularly the Mosaic Law as interpreted through the lens of Christ's fulfillment. Unlike antinomianism, which rejects the continuing validity of Old Testament law, or traditional Reformed positions that limit the civil application of biblical law, theonomy maintains that God's law provides the comprehensive foundation for just governance. Rushdoony constantly called these commands God’s law-word, meaning like creation, it proceeds from God’s mind. But this is a clunky articulation that is better understood as natural law.
The theonomic position rests on several key presuppositions. First, it assumes the abiding validity of the moral law as revealed in Scripture. Arguing that ceremonial and civil aspects of the Mosaic code may be fulfilled by Christ, but the underlying principles remain normative for all societies, leads to postmillennial evangelism. Second, it asserts that human reason, corrupted by sin, cannot independently arrive at just laws without divine revelation. However, many nations parrot the natural law without divine revelation. Third, this position maintains that the Great Commission includes not merely individual conversion but the discipling of nations according to biblical standards.
Christian Americans should agree that it is our responsibility as a godly country to spread the gospel and change the heartbeat of nations and peoples to worship God. We are not called to use the government or our military to make the world safe for democracy and import Christianity on the heels of conquest.
Rushdoony's approach differed significantly from earlier Christian political theorists. While Augustine's City of God distinguished between the earthly and heavenly cities, and Aquinas sought to integrate Aristotelian natural law with Christian revelation, Rushdoony rejected the autonomy of natural reason and insisted on the supremacy of biblical revelation in all spheres of life. This represented a more radical position than that of earlier Reformed theologians like John Calvin, who, while affirming the moral law's continuing validity, allowed for greater flexibility in its civil application.
Douglas Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and prolific author, represents a second generation of Reconstruction thought that has both extended and refined Rushdoony's original vision. Wilson's works, including Reforming Marriage (1995),3 Letter from a Christian Citizen (2007),4 and Mere Christendom (2024),5 demonstrate how Reconstructionist principles can be applied to contemporary cultural and political issues while maintaining intellectual rigor and pastoral sensitivity.
Wilson's contribution lies particularly in his ability to translate Rushdoony's sometimes dense theological formulations into accessible prose that engages with current cultural debates. His emphasis on the importance of patriarchal family structures, classical education, and cultural transformation through faithful Christian living reflects core Reconstructionist themes while avoiding some of the more controversial aspects of Rushdoony's political program. Heresy and homosexuality should be addressed and diminished without reinstituting Old Testement punishment. This is necessary to avoid sliding into political prosecution of sins that are not criminal, for example, covetousness or greed, instead of behaviors that are codified as illegal.
The Wilson-Rushdoony connection illustrates how theological movements adapt and evolve across generations. While maintaining fidelity to core principles, Wilson has demonstrated greater nuance in addressing issues of church-state relations and has been more willing to engage with critics of the Reconstruction movement. His work at New Saint Andrews College and Canon Press has created institutional platforms for advancing Reconstructionist ideas through education and publishing.
General Equity Theonomy and Natural Law
The relationship between theonomy and natural law theory represents one of the most philosophically sophisticated aspects of contemporary Reconstruction thought. General equity theonomy, as developed by theologians like Greg Bahnsen6 and more recently by figures such as Stephen Wolfe, attempts to bridge the gap between strict theonomic biblicism and traditional natural law reasoning.
General equity theonomy argues that while the specific case laws of the Old Testament may not be directly applicable to modern societies, the underlying principles of justice they embody remain normative. This position maintains that natural law, properly understood, is not based on autonomous human reason but rather the reflection of God's eternal law as it can be discerned through creation and providence. In this sense, general equity theonomy is essentially natural law, but natural law grounded in divine revelation rather than independent human reason. Yet clearly the Holy Spirit may convict even the non-believer of their sin, “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned (John 16:8-11).”
This approach draws upon the Reformed tradition's understanding of natural law as developed by figures like Francis Turretin and Samuel Rutherford, who argued that the moral law written on the human heart (Romans 2:14-15) corresponds to the moral law revealed in Scripture. The general equity position suggests that this correspondence validates the use of natural law reasoning while maintaining the primacy of biblical revelation as the interpretive key.
Reconstruction's intellectual genealogy extends beyond purely theological sources to encompass broader philosophical and political traditions. Rushdoony's critique of Enlightenment rationalism drew heavily upon the presuppositionalist apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, who argued that all human reasoning ultimately depends upon prior religious commitments. This epistemological foundation provided the philosophical justification for rejecting secular approaches to law and governance. This is a useful but not total correction on the evidentialist apologetic, which may rightly draw from the apprehension of God’s law in a more universal view of human conscience. “When people patiently do what is good, and so pursue the quest for glory and honor and immortality, God will give them the life of the age to come (Romans 2:7).”
Emphasizing decentralized authority and resistance to federal overreach resonates with broader conservative and libertarian political traditions. Writers like Murray Rothbard and Hans-Hermann Hoppe have found common ground with Reconstructionists on issues of political decentralization. Despite secular libertarian commitments, many populists find that religion is ultimately necessary to provide the impetus for real political changes. This convergence illustrates how theological convictions can align with broader political philosophies while maintaining distinct foundations.
Contemporary authors like Stephen Wolfe, in The Case for Christian Nationalism (2022),7 have extended Reconstructionist themes in new directions. He argues for a more explicitly nationalist application of Christian political principles. While Wolfe's work has generated significant debate within Reformed circles, it demonstrates the continuing vitality and evolution of ideas originally articulated by Rushdoony.
Academic Engagement
The Reconstruction movement has attracted serious academic attention from both sympathetic and critical perspectives. Scholars like Gary North, Rushdoony's son-in-law and prolific economist, attempted to develop comprehensive Christian approaches to economic theory and policy. North's An Introduction to Christian Economics (1973) and subsequent works demonstrate how Reconstructionist principles can be applied to detailed policy analysis.8 However, this effort ultimately failed to bear much fruit.
Critics such as Rodney Clapp in A Peculiar People (1996)9 and William Barker10 in various academic articles have challenged both the exegetical foundations of theonomy and its practical implications for religious liberty and pluralistic democracy. These critiques have forced Reconstructionist thinkers to refine their positions and address concerns about the potential for theocratic overreach. They have also drawn into question the viability of democracy itself, if, as they propose, sufficiently debased voters will not elect moral and religious leaders.
Academic resistance has revealed both the movement's intellectual sophistication and its continuing controversial status within broader evangelical and Reformed communities. While few churches or denominations have officially embraced Reconstructionist positions, the movement's influence can be seen in contemporary debates about religious liberty, education policy, and the proper relationship between Christianity and politics. The legacy of R.J. Rushdoony continues to shape contemporary discussions about faith, law, and governance. Douglas Wilson and others have demonstrated remarkable adaptability while maintaining core commitments to biblical authority and a comprehensive Christian worldview.
America’s religious and political thought has been shaped in many ways by the insistence that religious commitments inevitably inform political and legal frameworks.
Reconstruction has successfully challenged the secular assumption that law and governance can be religiously neutral. In fact, it has been established that laws are always based on moral assumptions, no matter what. The Constantine Doctrine proposes that as American society continues to grapple with questions of moral authority, religious freedom, and cultural transformation, the intellectual resources developed by our forefathers remain relevant to ongoing debates. We must celebrate the cosmic scope of Christ's lordship and the comprehensive nature of Christian discipleship. And then we can inspire seekers to apply biblical principles to contemporary political challenges, for this is no lasting solution apart from the saving grace of Jesus.
Baggett, D., & Walls, J. L. (2011). Divine Command Theory. Good God, 103–124.
Rushdoony, Rousas John. The Institutes of Biblical Law. Nutley, NJ: Craig Press, 1973.
Wilson, Douglas. Reforming Marriage. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1995.
Wilson, Douglas. Letter from a Christian Citizen. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2007.
Wilson, Douglas. Mere Christendom: The Case for Bringing Christianity Back into Modern Culture - Leading by Faith to Convert Secularism. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2024.
Bahnsen, Greg L. Theonomy in Christian Ethics. Nutley, NJ: Craig Press, 1977.
Wolfe, Stephen. The Case for Christian Nationalism. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2022.
North, Gary. An Introduction to Christian Economics. Nutley, NJ: Craig Press, 1973.
Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Barker, William. "Theonomy and the Westminster Standards." Westminster Theological Journal 42 (1980): 128-145.