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JCR Vol. 09: ​Symposium on Christian Reconstruction in the Western World Today

Our major concern in this symposium is not with long-term future scenarios, such as a vast revival, or some type of economic crisis, but with what we can trace of the blessed work of the Holy Spirit in applying the transforming Gospel of grace to all areas of our contemporary life and society here and now.

R. J. Rushdoony
Martin G. Selbrede
Mark R. Rushdoony
  • Douglas Kelly,
  • Ray Joseph,
  • James Philip,
  • R. J. Rushdoony,
  • Carlos D. Caldwell,
  • John M. Perkins,
  • J. Paul Landrey,
  • Rev. Darrel S. Sutton,
  • Howard Ahmanson,
  • Lester Roloff,
  • Robert L. Alderman,
  • Melvin G. Hodges,
  • Margaret Aikens Jenkins,
  • Murray Norris,
  • Duane H. Martin,
  • Lee Grady,
  • Verne R. Kennedy,
  • Donald E. Seim,
  • Jean-Marc Berthoud,
  • Nigel M. de S. Cameron,
  • Richard Flinn,
  • Martin G. Selbrede,
  • J. H. John Peet,
  • Theodore P. Letis,
  • Byron Snapp,
  • Dr. William Monroe,
  • Claude Patterson,
  • Ron Zielinski,
  • William Bentley Ball,
  • Phoebe Latimer,
  • Otto Scott,
  • John Saunders (Quade),
  • Paul D. Ackerman,
  • Richard Douglas Green,
  • Geoffrey Thomas,
  • Caroline Kelly,
  • Ian Hodge,
  • Mark R. Rushdoony,
  • Michael Tuuri,
  • Peter Leithart
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Our major concern in this symposium is not with long-term future scenarios, such as a vast revival, or some type of economic crisis, but with what we can trace of the blessed work of the Holy Spirit in applying the transforming Gospel of grace to all areas of our contemporary life and society here and now.


  • Douglas Kelly

Dr. Douglas F. Kelly is the Professor of Theology Emeritus at Reformed Theological Seminary. Dr. Kelly received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Diploma from the University of Lyon, his B.D. from the Union Theological Seminary, and his Ph. D. from the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of many written works including, If God Already Knows, Why Pray?Preachers with Power: Four Stalwarts of the SouthNew Life in the Wasteland, Creation and Change, and The Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World. His firm grasp of multiple languages and his theological competence are capably demonstrated in translating such works as Sermons by John Calvin on II Samuel. He is serving with David Wright of the University of Edinburgh as a general editor for a revision of Calvin’s Old Testament Commentaries. Before joining the faculty at RTS, Dr. Kelly traveled extensively throughout the world preaching and teaching. He was a staff scholar at Chalcedon and was editor of the Journal of Christian Reconstruction (1982-83).

More by Douglas Kelly
R. J. Rushdoony
  • 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.

More by R. J. Rushdoony
  • Carlos D. Caldwell
More by Carlos D. Caldwell
  • Rev. Darrel S. Sutton
More by Rev. Darrel S. Sutton
  • Robert L. Alderman
More by Robert L. Alderman
  • Margaret Aikens Jenkins
More by Margaret Aikens Jenkins
  • Jean-Marc Berthoud

Jean-Marc Berthoud was born in 1939 in South Africa from Swiss missionary parents and lives in Lausanne, Switzerland. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts with Honors degrees from the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is the editor of the review Résister et Construire, president of the Association Vaudoise de Parents chrétiens in Switzerland, and of the Association Création, Bible et Science, and is the author of numerous books.

More by Jean-Marc Berthoud
  • Nigel M. de S. Cameron
More by Nigel M. de S. Cameron
Martin G. Selbrede
  • 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.

More by Martin G. Selbrede
  • Theodore P. Letis
More by Theodore P. Letis
  • Byron Snapp

Byron Snapp is a graduate of King College (B.A.) and Reformed Theological Seminary (M.Div.). He was Associate Pastor at Calvary Reformed Presbyterian Church, Hampton, Virginia, from 1994 until his retirement in December 2014. He is a native of Marion, Virginia.  He has had pastorates in Leakesville, Mississippi, and Gaffney, South Carolina.  He served as Assistant Pastor in Cedar Bluff, Virginia prior to his ministry at Calvary Reformed. He has served as editor of the Presbyterian Witness and was a contributor to A Comprehensive Faith and Election Day Sermons. He is currently a member of Westminster Presbytery in the PCA. He and his wife Janey have 3 children and several grandchildren. 

More by Byron Snapp
  • Dr. William Monroe
More by Dr. William Monroe
  • William Bentley Ball
More by William Bentley Ball
  • Otto Scott

Otto Scott (May 26, 1918—May 5, 2006), a former Chalcedon staffer, was a journalist, business executive, and historian. He began his newspaper career at the age of sixteen and later worked for United Features Syndicate and The San Diego Union. When WWII broke out he joined the Merchant Marine.  After the war, Scott worked in the advertising industry, then became editor of a manufacturing trade journal, Rubber World. In the course of his assignments, he interviewed Paul Blazer, the chairman of Ashland Oil, in Ashland, Kentucky, and was invited to write the history of the company. He would later write corporate histories for Raytheon, Black & Decker, and Arch Mineral Corporation.  After his conversion to Christianity, he focused on writing about modern history, politics, and cultural trends.  In his later years, he worked for Chalcedon before publishing his own newsletter, The Compass.

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  • John Saunders (Quade)

John Saunders (1938-2009) While working in missile and aerospace, he got involved in community theater and was discovered, and did his first televison show (Bonanza) in 1968. For the next 22 years he worked in more than 130 film and television shows. He loved studying and sharing his Christian faith.  He produced the Western Conference on the Media and the Arts for Chalcedon. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, 6 children and 13 grandchildren.

More by John Saunders (Quade)
  • Richard Douglas Green
More by Richard Douglas Green
  • Ian Hodge

Ian Hodge, Ph.D. (1947–2016) was a long-term supporter of Chalcedon and an occasional contributor to Faith for All of Life. He was also a business consultant in Australia, USA, Canada, and New Zealand, and a prominent piano teacher in Australia.

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Mark R. Rushdoony
  • 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.

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 lives in Vallecito, California, his home of 43 years with his wife of 45 years and his youngest son. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.

More by Mark R. Rushdoony