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Theonomy: A Reformed Critique Paperback – November 1, 1990

by William S. Barker (Editor), W. Robert Godfrey (Editor)

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Theonomy is the idea that most of God's Old Testament laws still apply today

Print length

413 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Academic Books/Zondervan Pub.
Publication date

November 1, 1990
ISBN-10

0310521718
ISBN-13

978-0310521716
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Academic Books/Zondervan Pub.; 0 edition (November 1, 1990)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 413 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0310521718
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0310521716
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.49 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #1,346,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,558 in Religion Encyclopedias
- #31,100 in Theology (Books)

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Jose A. Bernal

Which scripture should we use and Y?

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014

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This work is impressive because it highlights an aspect of Theonomist's thinking that often gets overlooked: How one ought to apply, identify, recognize, or use old testament law with regard to current events. Too often advocates of Theonomy fail to take into account their simple application of a biblical text. This can be problematic when these same Theonomist's attempt to make their understanding obigatory for the rest of us by enforcing it as God given law. The contributors to this work basically attempt to highlight how much imagination goes into the process of applying the OT to current events. Many of the contributors develop this theme in their respective articals, but with progressive clarity as the chapters proceed. While remaining committed to the infallibility of scripture, they remain leery of its sometimes questionable applications.

5 people found this helpful

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Dave

Thorough

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2013

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Many testimonies about the subject matter of Theonomy. Well documented. well written/edited and greatly expanded my knowledge of this area from the perspective of reformed Christians.

4 people found this helpful

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Pastor W.

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015

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thanks

2 people found this helpful

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THE MAJOR "REFORMED" RESPONSE TO THEONOMY AND "CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTION"

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2011

This 1990 book contains sixteen essays by faculty members of Westminster Theological Seminary, criticizing both the "Theonomic" (i.e., "God's law") and broader "Christian Reconstruction" viewpoints of persons such as their former students Gary North and Greg Bahnsen. The Preface to this volume states, "The purpose of this volume is to offer a reply from within the Reformed camp, from which theonomy has sprung... the authors of this book share with theonomy many basic theological commitments... The point at issue, however, is one of fundamental hermeneutical perspective: How is the Israelite theocracy under the Mosaic law to be understood and its typological significance related to the proper role of the church and the state today?"

One essayist says, "Most disturbing to those who are introduced to theonomy for the first time, it seems, is its advocacy, not only of the Mosaic case law, but also of its system of punishments. The death penalty for murder is one thing to the contemporary Christian; death for ... intercourse with one's wife during her period, adultery, and blasphemy is another." (Pg. 41) He adds, "Most Christians agree that the death penalty is still in effect for murder, but Bahnsen and Rushdoony extend the list of capital offenses ... (to include) sabbath breaking, kidnapping, apostasy ... false pretension to prophecy... propagating false doctrines... rejecting a decision of the court, and failing to restore bail." (Pg. 44) An essayist asserts, "God caused his special presence to rest in the midst of Israel... However, God has not chosen America as a nation. He does not dwell on the banks of the Potomac as he did on Mount Zion... The church does not seek the death of blasphemers who are in the church but their excommunication." (Pg. 48)

Another argues, "Bahnsen will not concede the obvious point that in Matthew 5:38-42 Christ abrogates the principle of immediate justice; Christ will bring justice in the parousia... The many specific changes of the law in the New Testament seriously undermine the thesis that the burden of proof rests upon the interpreter to show that the law is not in force." (Pg. 81)

Still another asks, "If theonomy is the consistent teaching of Scripture and the Westminster Confession of Faith, why does it seem that we have discovered it only now, in late twentieth-century America? Why not, say, in seventeenth-century England or in nineteenth-century Holland?" (Pg. 245)

This book is "must reading" for people on ANY side of the Christian Reconstruction/Theonomy debate.

12 people found this helpful

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Jacob

Where's the analysis and critique?

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2007

This book is extremely important in the history of Reformed social thought. It delineates a new movement in Reformed thought. In responding to theonomy, the authors of this "critique" posit a functional anabaptist political ethic that is foreign to the Reformers. In my review I will set forth the theonomic thesis, illustrate how 75% of the book failed to come to grips with it (some chapters didn't even mention it!) and offer my own criticism of theonomy. In the review I will show how some authors contradict other authors (within the same book!) and how other authors do not even address the thesis.

As a caveat, I should mention I am not a Bahnsenian theonomist. My position is strictly that of John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, and Richard Cameron.

The body of the book:
The book tries to critique theonomy along exegetical, eschatological, theological, historical, and socio-economic lines.

Moises Silva writes a theonomic essay refuting Meredith Kline ("Galatians 3:19"). Silva writes nothing that contradicts Bahnsen, but much that contradicts Bahnsen's main critic. Why was this essay even in the book?

Richard Gaffin argues that theonomy is wrong because many theonomists are postmillennialists, which bothers Gaffin's amillennarianism. There are two problems to Gaffin's essay: 1) He miscontrues postmillennialism (I think all millennial views are bunk); 2) eschatological positions do not logically determine social ethics.

Bruce Walke argues that Theonomy is distinct from mainstream covenant theology and from dispensationalism. So? All Waltker did was show where Bahnsen differed from Kline and where both differed from standard Covenant Theology. Where's the critique?

Will Barker argues for a pluralist approach to civil government. The problem with this is that pluralism--everyone has a right to practice their faith as long as it doesn't harm others--has logical tensions within it. What if my faith says I *can* harm others? At this point the pluralist sees the theonomic trap: if he says yes then he is advocating a form of theonomy--the civil magistrate is evidently imposing his values by force on someone's religion. If the pluralist says no, then he has no logical or moral objection to satanic human sacrifice (cf the Santierra cult in 1989).

Tim Keller and John Muether write economic and sociological essays respectively. That's fine and Muether makes a few good points, but neither touch the theonomic *system.* Keller even admits that his position--state socialism--has universally failed whenever applied. Did the editors just miss this?

Bob Godfrey argues from Book 4 of Calvin's Institutes that Calvin opposed the use of the Mosaic Judicials. That's true, technically. However, in Calvin's sermons on Deuteronomy he goes much further in than do theonomists in advocating those same judicials. Anyway, Calvin also didn't have a problem with the city of Geneva executing Servetus. And when Calvin advocated things like natural law and the law of nations, he was--like everyone else in Western Europe--presupposing Christendom as the backgdrop for interpreting "law of nations." In other words, he would have rejected the secularism of Westminster Seminary in California. Further, Godfrey fails to deal with Calvin's sermons on Deuteronomy 27-28, which argue for the modern applicability of covenantal sanctions (something that goes far beyond what Bahnsen ever argued!).

Sinclair Ferguson doe the chapter on the Westminster Confession. Essentially Ferguson argues that not everyone at the Westminster Assembly was a theonomist, although some were. I agree. However, as Bahnsen points out and probably 0% of Calvinists understand, the Confession isn't using the phrase "general equity" in a Platonic sense. Ferguson's essay is probably the best. He appeals to Samuel Rutherford where Rutherford seems to distance himself from what would be the Bahnsenian line, but this is a strained move. Rutherford, as we shall see below, had no problem with the justice of the case law penalties.

Tremper Longman suggests that if theonomy is right, then we will have something like Deuteronomy 13, where one city burns another for idolatry. Well, Samuel Rutherford praised the parliaments of England and Scotland for hanging Jesuits on the basis of...that's right, you guessed it!!!...Deuteronomy 13! (See Rutherford, Peaceful Plea for Paul's Presbytery, chapter 6).

Claire Davis writes an appreciation of theonomy. He says that American culture's antinomianism has warranted a theonomic response (what's this essay doing in the book?!) Davis specifically says "Even if culture gets worse and worse, does that refute theonomy? Not necessarily. Even in such a culture, believers have an obligation to bring their values into the public square, even if it means persecution." Wow. Among other things that one paragraph refutes Gaffin's entire essay. Davis, unlike 99.9% of the academic Reformed world, understands that *is* does not always equal *ought* in normative ethics.

Conclusion:
After reading these essays I got the impression that the real bad guy is not theonomy, but conservative political ethics. After this publication the Presbyterian church hasn't had much of a voice in social ethics. That mantle has been passed to the Baptists (see the fine work of Russell Moore).

I am not a full-blown theonomist, nor am I really postmillennial (I hold to historicism). I applaud the theonomists for developing a life-and-worldview. I would urge them to do more exegesis.

57 people found this helpful

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Theonomy: A Reformed Critique Paperback – November 1, 1990

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