"The atonement removes us from a world of rites to a world of service and duties. Whenever Christians have seen this requirement, a great expansion of the faith and the reorganization of society through that faith have occurred." ~ R. J. Rushdoony
Dear Friend of Chalcedon,
What is the central problem of our times? Is it the economy? Do we need to focus our energies on pushing for a return to hard money? Or, is it the rapid advance of socialism? Should we beat the drum of the Republican Party and drive out the Fabians from office? Is the root of our problem out there in the world of politics, economics, or culture? Or, does the problem lie elsewhere.
Our Lord came for the sake of salvation, but as you know, that redemption had much greater implications than the cleansing of the heart from sin. As my father, R. J. Rushdoony, wrote above, "The atonement removes us from a world of rites to a world of service and duties." In other words, the liberty wrought in our salvation should free us from the encumbrances of religious order into a vigorous and complete application of our faith to every area of life.
Rights vs Duties
In our day, much of the talk is political, and too much of it focuses on "rights." The American citizen is concerned primarily with preserving their rights and freedoms, but they neglect the fact that liberty is the result of responsibility. In other words, we will know we are headed in the right direction when the sound we hear is the church speaking of duty, responsibility, and Christian service.
To speak only of our rights is to see ourselves in terms of the state. To speak of duty, service, and responsibility is to see ourselves in terms of God and His commanding Word. The end result of such a perspective is the establishment of liberty.
Salvation, therefore, positions us for dominion through service. We are liberated from tabernacle and priesthood in order to fulfill our callings under God and bring all things into subjection to Christ our King. As my father noted, "Whenever Christians have seen this requirement, a great expansion of the faith and the reorganization of society through that faith have occurred."
Called to be Faithful
Calling and equipping believers for godly service and Christian duty is the heart of Chalcedon's work. Doing this requires focus, and that means avoiding the quagmire of too much political or theological debate. My father used to say that he would not allow his opponents to determine his agenda. By that he meant that he would not cease the labors to which God appointed him by entrapping himself in the latest schism.
This is not compromise. It is being faithful to one's calling, which is all that is truly required of any of us. I'm thankful that my father was faithful to his duty as a scholar, because he's left us with thousands of pages of his thought, as well as thousands of hours of his recorded words. However, when he was called upon to contend with the state in its persecution of Christian liberty, he was a soldier to be reckoned with.
Dozens of Books Uploaded for Online Reading
Something I'm very excited about is that a great deal of my father's writings, sermons, and lectures are now freely available on our web site. This massive project that we began in 2008 has finally come to completion with the uploading of nearly 60 full books for online reading by anyone anywhere in the world.
You can now read books like my father's Systematic Theology in Two Volumes, The Institutes of Biblical Law, Sovereignty, Salvation and Godly Rule, The One and the Many, Politics of Guilty and Pity, The Messianic Character of American Education, the five-volume Commentaries on the Pentateuch, and much more.
These digital versions of the books are the actual pages of the books, so they can be referenced properly in any footnote for personal or professional study. They are also keyword searchable, and that means you can quickly locate the portions of any book where a particular item is mentioned.
By making these resources freely available, we are able to accelerate the ideas getting out to the nations much quicker. I encourage you to share our web site with as many as you can. If you're on Facebook, you can "Like" our fan page and share that also with those on your friend list.
Spanish Translation of Rushdoony's Institutes
We've also completed a two-year project of translating The Institutes of Biblical Law, Volume 1 into Spanish (La Institución de la Ley Bíblica, Tomo 1). We're preparing a mailer announcing this, but I wanted to mention it because it represents the expansion of our outreach into communities and countries desperately in need of an understanding of Biblical law. You'll hear more about this important project soon.
All to say, the time is crucial, and I need your continued financial support of Chalcedon. Rather than focus on the debates within small circles of the church, there is a whole world that we can reach with the message of the Kingdom. I took a step of faith in making my father's work available, but I believe it will inspire you to help support the mission. We are living in troubling times, but Christian Reconstruction offers stability, assurance, and help in order to create an active body of serving Christians prepared to fulfill their duty.
Please take a few moments today to send the most generous tax-deductible gift to Chalcedon you can. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
In His Service,
Mark R. Rushdoony
P. S. The atonement of Christ has freed us to godly service and Christian duty. This is how we reorganize and reconstruct a fallen world. Chalcedon is committed to getting such a message out to the world. Your financial support will help ensure our success. Please help Chalcedon this month with your tax-deductible gift.
- Mark R. Rushdoony
Mark R. Rushdoony graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College (now The Master’s College) with a B.A. in history in 1975 and was ordained to the ministry in 1995.
He taught junior and senior high classes in history, Bible, civics and economics at a Christian school in Virginia for three years before joining the staff of Chalcedon in 1978. He was the Director of Chalcedon Christian School for 14 years while teaching full time. He also helped tutor all of his children through high school.
In 1998, he became the President of Chalcedon and Ross House Books, and, more recently another publishing arm, Storehouse Press. Chalcedon and its subsidiaries publish many titles plus CDs, mp3s, and an extensive online archive at www.chalcedon.edu. His biography of his father will be published later this year (2024).
He has written scores of articles for Chalcedon’s publications, both the Chalcedon Report and Faith for all of Life. He was a contributing author to The Great Christian Revolution (1991). He has spoken at numerous conferences and churches in the U.S. and abroad.
Mark Rushdoony has lived in Vallecito, California, since 1978. His wife, Darlene, and he have been married since 1976. His youngest son still resides with him. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.