Rushdoony and Van Til - Chalcedon Podcast, Ep. 11
A look at the relationship of Rushdoony and Van Til, and the influence of Van Til on Rushdoony's thinking and theology.
- R. J. Rushdoony ,
- Martin G. Selbrede ,
- Andrea Schwartz
Outside of the Bible itself, no other literature or writer is referred to more in Rushdoony’s writings than his mentor, Dr. Cornelius Van Til. It’s difficult to estimate the importance of Van Til on Rushdoony, but as their personal history shows, Rushdoony was more than a student of Van Til. He was a defender of the Dutchman, a colleague, and one of the most prolific expounders of applied presuppositionalism.
You’ll enjoy this in-depth discussion as Chalcedon’s leadership shares not only the importance of Van Til’s thinking but also the personal history between Rushdoony and Van Til. A lot of other prominent scholars have done a great deal to expound Van Til’s apologetic, but it was Van Til’s epistemology and ethics that helped drive a young Rushdoony to develop the implications of theonomy.
Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz.
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- R. J. Rushdoony
Rev. R.J. Rushdoony (1916–2001), was a leading theologian, church/state expert, and author of numerous works on the application of Biblical law to society. He started the Chalcedon Foundation in 1965. His Institutes of Biblical Law (1973) began the contemporary theonomy movement which posits the validity of Biblical law as God’s standard of obedience for all. He therefore saw God’s law as the basis of the modern Christian response to the cultural decline, one he attributed to the church’s false view of God’s law being opposed to His grace. This broad Christian response he described as “Christian Reconstruction.” He is credited with igniting the modern Christian school and homeschooling movements in the mid to late 20th century. He also traveled extensively lecturing and serving as an expert witness in numerous court cases regarding religious liberty. Many ministry and educational efforts that continue today, took their philosophical and Biblical roots from his lectures and books.
- Martin G. Selbrede
Martin is the senior researcher for Chalcedon’s ongoing work of Christian scholarship, along with being the senior editor for Chalcedon’s publications, Arise & Build and The Chalcedon Report. He is considered a foremost expert in the thinking of R.J. Rushdoony. A sought-after speaker, Martin travels extensively and lectures on behalf of Christian Reconstruction and the Chalcedon Foundation. He is also an accomplished musician and composer.
- Andrea Schwartz
Andrea carries out a number of administrative duties at Chalcedon, putting much attention on promoting Chalcedon through social media and conferences. A main focus includes her direction of the Chalcedon Teacher Training Institute (ctti.org) -- online classes in Biblical law for women. She began working for Chalcedon as a volunteer in 1987 and has been on staff since 1992.