Customer Reviews

The Nature of the American System

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"The Nature of the American System", (first published in 1965) is definitely the type of book I love to read; it's very thought provocative and challenges the reader to contemplate upon the status quo. The book is somewhat like a sequel to a book written by Mr. Rushdoony a year earlier titled, "This Independent Republic". The book had nine chapters and three Appendixes, and I think that the most compelling chapters are the ones titled "The Attack on Religious Liberty" and "The Religion of Humanity."

"The Religion of Humanity" (the longest chapter of the book at thirty-eight pages) could just have been easily titled The Building of the Spiritual Tower of Babel. The chapter basically deals with the undermining of orthodox Christianity by way of a liberal version of Christianity. Included in the chapter is a discussion of one named Octavius B. Frothingham (American clergyman and author; 1822-1895), who wrote a book titled by same name as the chapter, and to give a hint as to the theology of Frothingham: "Our Christ is not so much a community as an element that is the soul of many communities."

There are two chapters concerning two firm believers of Constitutionalism - a Northerner named Fisher Ames (1758-1808) and his perspectives on democracy, and a Southerner named Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883) and his critique of Centralism. There is also a chapter titled, "The United Nations", which Rushdoony states that any discusson thereof "is enevitably a religious discussion."

Mr. Rushdoony views are orthodox and Reformed, and this book is well worth the time invested in reading. A listing of other books by R.J. Rushdoony can be found at this website.