The Easy Chair

Laurie Eck discusses the Christian Conciliation Service, a ministry designed to resolve disputes among Christians according to biblical principles rather than secular courts. Inspired by his own marital and professional struggles, Eck emphasizes reconciliation, restoration of relationships, and applying God’s law to conflicts. The service trains local church members—often elders or spiritually mature individuals—to mediate disputes, including marital, business, and property conflicts, fostering accountability, peacemaking, and corporate responsibility within the congregation. Eck highlights the challenge of churches being consumer-oriented and avoiding conflict, stressing that real reconciliation requires submission, servanthood, and adherence to biblical standards. The ministry has spread nationwide, adapting to local contexts while aiming to restore the authority and witness of the church."

In Easy Chair 150 (July 14, 1987), R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott interview Gary and Carlinda Mose about two years in Sweden, portraying a society that looks peaceful and prosperous yet functions as a “new totalitarianism” built not on terror but on education, conformity, and cradle‑to‑grave dependency. The Moses describe a nation where the state effectively replaces God, families are weakened by high taxes (they cite roughly 55% income tax plus a 25% sales tax) and two‑income necessity, and dissent—though celebrated in theory—is punished in practice through social shaming and even official intimidation (Gary recounts being threatened with arrest and recorded by police for quietly holding alternative placards at a public “peace” demonstration). They warn that the system increasingly treats children as belonging to the state: spanking is illegal, kids are encouraged to report parents, and welfare authorities can remove children with little meaningful appeal, while the established church is politicized and moral standards are inverted (abortion widely accepted, private Bible studies labeled “subversive”). Yet they also testify to faithful Swedish believers who pray earnestly and meet in informal “house” settings because they know only God can heal what state planning cannot—making Sweden, in their view, a sobering preview of where the wider West goes when comfort replaces conviction and “non‑discrimination” is used to silence the freedom to call right and wrong. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #OttoScott #Sweden #TheNewTotalitarians #ChristianLiberty #Family #Education #SoftTotalitarianism #FreedomOfSpeech #ChristianReconstruction"

In *Easy Chair 149* (July 9, 1987), R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott warn that money and debt are not merely “economic” topics but **religious and moral realities**—because a culture’s view of money reveals where its faith rests. Scott argues the modern world has entered an unprecedented situation: *“money”* as true wealth has largely disappeared, replaced by **paper claims backed by nothing—worse than nothing, backed by debt**. Rushdoony presses the point: modern states *monetize debt*, so currency increasingly represents obligations rather than accumulated production, inviting inflation, instability, and eventual collapse. They highlight how bond-market fragility threatens pension funds, how real estate values are illusions dependent on willing buyers, and how inflation quietly steals purchasing power (war bonds, savings, wages) while seducing people with a false “rising tide” prosperity. Over and over they return to the biblical diagnosis: **debt enslaves** (Prov. 22:7), long-term debt violates God’s pattern (Deut. 15’s debt limits and release), and a system built on perpetual interest and expanding credit cannot endure without breaking families and nations. Both men argue that abandoning gold and silver as honest money accelerates the growth of the state, because paper money centralizes control: if the government can create and debase currency, it can regulate, ration, surveil, and ultimately **strip citizens of independence**—even “homeownership” becomes conditional when property taxes function like rent. Rushdoony adds that economic cycles and the biblical sabbatical/Jubilee structure restrain runaway debt and inflation by design, forcing thrift, periodic reset, and stability—whereas modern society, trusting the state instead of God, keeps choosing short-term gain and “larceny in the heart” over covenant faithfulness. Their conclusion is stark: **a people with no real money will not remain a free people**, and unless debt is faced as sin and bondage—not a lifestyle—despotism is the natural destination. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #OttoScott #MoneyAndDebt #Inflation #SoundMoney #DebtSlavery #BiblicalEconomics #Deuteronomy15 #Jubilee #Freedom #ChristianReconstruction

In *Easy Chair 148* (June 4, 1987), R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott argue that the French Revolution didn’t merely “happen” in history—it **still shapes the modern world**, and its errors keep replaying wherever elites try to seize man’s destiny. They trace the revolution’s logic back to Enlightenment assumptions (especially Locke’s belief in morally “neutral” man who can be remade by education), producing the modern self-appointed class that claims to be **the voice of reason and virtue**—and therefore entitled to rule, censor, purge, and compel. Scott emphasizes that the French Revolution became the template for later leftist revolutions: step-by-step radicalization, propaganda dressed as righteousness, selective moral outrage, the suppression of Christianity (while tolerating anti-Christian cults), public confessions and “purges,” state ownership of children, rewritten calendars and history, and the mass targeting of whole classes “for the crime of birth.” They warn that rhetoric about liberty and equality can mask “**…or death**,” and that revolutionary movements advance by isolating opponents, exploiting scandals, and keeping citizens trapped in short-term thinking. Their conclusion is urgent: because the revolutionary impulse is ultimately a war against God’s order, the only durable answer is a reawakened Christian community applying the whole Word of God to every area of life—unity, clarity, and reconstruction—before the revolution finishes what it started. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #OttoScott #FrenchRevolution #Robespierre #RevolutionaryMyth #CulturalMemory #Propaganda #Totalitarianism #ChristianWorldview #ChristianReconstruction #ApplyGodsWord

In Easy Chair No. 147, R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott host Dr. Philip Wayne Powell to discuss his book The Tree of Hate, which exposes the historical myths and prejudices surrounding the Hispanic world, especially the Spanish Empire and Latin America. Powell explains how Northern European propaganda, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, fostered widespread misconceptions about Spain’s colonization of the Americas, exaggerating violence and portraying Spaniards as barbaric. These distortions, combined with the “black legend,” have shaped modern perceptions in the United States and contributed to a general Hispanophobic bias. The discussion also covers U.S.-Latin American relations, emphasizing the ignorance and indifference of U.S. policymakers and citizens toward the region. Powell and Scott note that Americans often rely on superficial or ideologically biased information, leading to poor foreign policy and cultural misunderstandings. They highlight examples such as misguided diplomatic appointments, misinterpretations of Latin American history, and the undervaluing of Spain’s contributions to Christianity, education, and governance. Finally, the conversation explores broader themes, including the importance of historical accuracy, the influence of language on culture, and the value of Hispanic contributions to global history. Powell underscores the need to study Spain and Latin America carefully, noting that understanding the region is critical for current and future U.S. policy. He also stresses the role of language, particularly Castilian Spanish, in the formation and maintenance of the Spanish Empire, drawing parallels to the decline of English precision and cultural understanding today."

In Easy Chair 146 (May 14, 1987), R.J. Rushdoony argues that a culture survives only when it honors both past and future: despising the past makes a people rootless, while losing a God-given vision for the future leaves only nostalgia—relics without meaning and prosperity without purpose. He warns that this same past-orientation infects churchmen who cling to “security” instead of obeying Scripture’s mandate to advance God’s Kingdom, using history as a cautionary tale: the medieval church allied with fading rural power while the city rose, helping set the stage for an urban Reformation; later, Protestantism resisted the Industrial Revolution and lost relevance to modern city life. Rushdoony then condemns Liberation Theology as Marxism baptized—replacing conversion and discipleship with revolution—and calls for a recovered biblical outlook marked by an eschatology of victory, where faith supplies both continuity with our fathers and confidence to build a future on God’s terms. Along the way, his reviews expose the moral confusion of sentimental liberal “compassion,” the shift from responsibility to blame in modern culture, the dangers of hyper-emotional “enthusiastic religion,” and the self-defeating absurdities of subsidy politics—each example reinforcing his central point: without Scripture’s authority, societies drift into fantasy, guilt-religions, and control schemes; with it, they regain meaning, mission, and direction. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #ChristianWorldview #HistoryAndFaith #PastAndFuture #EschatologyOfVictory #Discipleship #LiberationTheology

In Easy Chair No. 145, R.J. Rushdoony and Joseph McAuliffe examine the state of Christian fundraising, highlighting widespread concern over unethical practices, misuse of funds, and the public’s declining trust in TV ministries. McAuliffe cites polls showing that both Christians and non-Christians view many fundraising methods as manipulative, commercialized, and spiritually dishonest. He contrasts this with biblical models, emphasizing that fundraising must align with God’s will, respect donors’ freedom, provide transparency in the use of funds, and uphold integrity. Using examples from the tabernacle, the temple, and the early church, he stresses that giving should support God-ordained projects, advance His covenant, and avoid debt, coercion, or vanity. Both Rushdoony and McAuliffe call for a shift from spectacle-driven “star” ministries to faithful, local church-based stewardship that glorifies God and strengthens the kingdom.

In this broadcast, R.J. Rushdoony, Otto Scott, and R.E. McMaster discuss the moral and religious collapse of the Western world and its profound impact on economics, politics, and society. McMaster emphasizes that government and economics are extensions of religious ethics, noting stark contrasts between Protestant-influenced North America and Catholic/Latin cultures, particularly in terms of productivity, decentralization, and the long-term perspective. They critique the rise of short-term financial speculation, debt-driven economies, and government interference, illustrating how these undermine individual responsibility, long-term planning, and societal prosperity. The conversation also examines historical patterns, including the role of the Puritan work ethic in American capitalism, the global trade and industrial shifts involving Japan, Korea, and Latin America, and the use of debt as a tool of control. Rushdoony and the panel stress that declining faith and moral standards, coupled with monopolies in money, law, education, and health, erode societal stability. They warn that without a restoration of Christian ethics and a long-term outlook, economic and social collapse could intensify, potentially giving rise to radical movements if ordinary citizens are financially and socially imperiled. The discussion concludes by noting the Christian community’s limited engagement with economics and the political-economic sphere, emphasizing that meaningful cultural and economic reform must be rooted in faith, biblical law, and long-term stewardship of resources.

R.J. Rushdoony reviews books illustrating moral, cultural, and societal trends. He highlights John Morgan’s Prince of Crime on Catholic dominance in urban politics and crime, A. Craig Copetas’ Metal Men on large-scale corporate corruption, and Major Henry Darley’s Slaves and Ivory on Africa’s moral and social challenges. He also notes cultural degeneration in 19th-century France, historical insights on Roman law, and celebrates entrepreneurial innovation in Donald Lambrou’s Land of Opportunity. Throughout, he emphasizes the need for Christian moral guidance and reconstruction in society.

R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott discuss Christian Reconstruction as the biblical mandate to establish God’s justice and righteousness in every sphere of society. They emphasize that the Early Church became influential far beyond its numbers by helping one another, serving the community, resolving disputes, and creating a moral, functional order amid a corrupt world. Christianity historically transformed civilizations, building cities, draining swamps, cultivating land, and establishing law and education, producing wealth and stability. Rushdoony and Scott contrast this constructive, faith-driven action with modern society, where humanistic states, urban decay, rising immorality, and bureaucratic interference suppress Christian activity and resist moral responsibility. They argue that Christian Reconstruction begins with individual faith and responsibility, extending to education, charity, and community engagement. Modern tools like computers and global communication offer unprecedented opportunities for a new Reformation, allowing believers to restore order, influence society, and extend God’s justice practically. They conclude that while short-term challenges may be severe, the long-term outlook under God promises a more prosperous, free, and godly society. Practical application—such as supporting Christian relief efforts like CERT and aiding persecuted believers—is emphasized as the starting point for meaningful reconstruction.

R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott discuss history, its meaning, and how it is recorded, emphasizing that true history reflects God’s hand, not merely human actions. They critique modern historiography, which often interprets events naturalistically, humanistically, or through myths, ignoring divine providence and the unpredictable factors that shape outcomes, such as weather, disease, or unexpected deaths of leaders. Examples include Constantine’s conversion, the Pilgrims’ survival, the Mongol halt in Europe, and the outcomes of World Wars, illustrating that history is far more contingent and guided by God than modern accounts suggest. They note that modern education and social science have largely replaced traditional history, leaving students unaware of patterns of tyranny, the role of faith, and the moral lessons of the past. Rushdoony and Scott stress that Christian schools are uniquely positioned to teach history accurately, recognizing God’s sovereignty and the enduring reality of mystery.

In this 1987 Easy Chair discussion, R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott argue that the “future” isn’t an unreadable mystery so much as the present worked out—and that modern decadence shows itself in a culture that can’t defend itself, won’t think past the moment, and replaces realistic planning with fantasy. They critique celebrity “futurecasting” as shallow, insular, and godless—whether rosy or grim—because it ignores that man is fundamentally religious, and history unfolds under God’s sovereign decree. Against the modern state’s push to “predestine” everything through total control (a horizontal Tower of Babel), they warn of coming judgment and testing, yet insist judgment can also be God’s clearing of the ground for renewal. Their hope rests in God’s unexpected interventions and in a rising, grassroots Christian seriousness—discipleship, responsibility, and rebuilding—so that believers don’t merely comment on the future, but work to create a godly one. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #OttoScott #ChristianWorldview #FaithAndFuture #JudgmentAndMercy #Discipleship #CultureAndCrisis #GodsSovereignty #Dominion #BiblicalThinking #ChristianReconstruction"

In this episode (Feb. 12, 1987), R.J. Rushdoony dismantles the modern “brainwashing” narrative by drawing on suppressed Korean War research: the most resilient POWs were those with **governing convictions**—a living Christian faith and a clear belief in the free market—who were recognized as natural leaders, resisted manipulation, and even attempted escape, while the faithless majority proved tragically leaderless, anarchic, and easily induced to comply because they believed in nothing. From there he pivots to a sobering cultural warning: the same emptiness makes societies vulnerable to hypnotic suggestion through movies, propaganda, and statist schooling—illustrated even by criminals imitating *The Godfather*—and he argues that humanistic education produces citizens who vote for images instead of reality and tolerate absurdities (like Amtrak stopping trains mid-route for Daylight Saving Time). Rushdoony then surveys major fronts in the battle for the faith in public life: the push to rewrite God-language and subvert biblical revelation, the false “gospels” of technology and political revolution, modernist capture within church institutions and the Marxist distortion of “liberation,” the weaponization of child-abuse accusations to expand state power, and the pride of man exposed in tragedies like the Titanic—closing with a call to recover a faith that acts, serves, and builds dominion, and to tangibly aid persecuted Christians rather than merely sympathize. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #Chalcedon #ChristianWorldview #BrainwashingMyth #GoverningFaith #CulturalDecay #Humanism #Education #Propaganda #ChurchAndState #LiberationTheology #Family #ReligiousFreedom #PersecutedChurch

R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott examine the cultural and philosophical climate of the 20th century, focusing on existentialism and its pervasive influence. Existential philosophy, originating with Kierkegaard and popularized in the U.S. through Emerson, emphasizes living for the moment, personal experience, and the negation of objective truth or moral absolutes. Rushdoony notes that modern man increasingly mirrors the limited temporal perspective of “savages,” living in the present with little regard for the past or future, which manifests in short-term thinking in politics, media, and everyday life. The discussion highlights the moral consequences of existentialism in culture and the arts. Figures like Sartre, de Beauvoir, Genet, Camus, and Polanski exemplify a system where personal experience and notoriety outweigh ethical conduct. Artistic acclaim and intellectual respectability often reward contempt for traditional values and embrace of evil or immorality as “new good.” Rushdoony and Scott link this to media, theater, and entertainment, showing a pervasive drive for continual sensation, visual shock, and superficiality that undermines historical awareness, thoughtful engagement, and enduring meaning. Existentialism has also infiltrated the Church, seminaries, and education, producing a focus on personal experience over objective truth and a repudiation of serious moral or historical reflection. Rushdoony observes that this leads to infantilization, self-centeredness, and a collapse of communal and intergenerational wisdom. The resulting culture elevates triviality and egoism, prioritizes sensation over continuity, and fosters widespread moral and intellectual disorientation—what Scott describes as a society in which life itself has become a theatrical spectacle, leaving citizens trapped in perpetual “no exit” existentialism, oblivious to God and moral reality.

R.J. Rushdoony critiques the lionization of Thoreau, highlighting that his retreat to Walden Pond was less a philosophical act than a gesture of personal alienation from Concord. While often portrayed as a nature idealist, Thoreau frequently returned to town for meals and socializing, demonstrating a divergence between myth and reality. Rushdoony also critiques modern conservatism through Russell Kirk, arguing that Kirk’s emphasis on tradition, custom, and continuity neglects faith and fundamental justice. Such conservatism, though seemingly rooted in stability, is impotent in addressing contemporary moral and societal issues because it is not grounded in God. He contrasts this with the seriousness of the early Anglo-Saxon Christian converts, who underwent rigorous preparation and moral change, demonstrating a faith-based transformation absent in modern practice. He then discusses cultural and historical insights from various books. Joseph Wandel highlights the influential German dimension in American history, from immigration to contributions in sports and society. Bob Tamarkin’s The New Gatsbys reveals how commodity traders reflect the existentialist, short-term, high-risk mentality of modern culture. Viktor Suvorov’s Inside the Aquarium exposes the brutal training and psychology of Soviet GRU operatives, while Vladimir Voinovich’s The Anti-Soviet Soviet Union humorously reveals Soviet dysfunction and naïve Western perceptions. Rushdoony concludes with observations on television, noting extreme sponsor control, regulatory quirks, and declining moral standards in programming, reflecting the broader cultural shift away from reason, faith, and responsibility.

R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott discuss revolution, linking it to Romanticism and the Enlightenment. They argue that the Enlightenment’s exaltation of reason cultivated “rootlessness,” which Romanticism transferred to emotions. Revolution, therefore, seeks to destroy tradition, Christianity, and past institutions to create a “brave new world.” All revolutionary regimes whether National Socialist, Marxist, Communist, or Fascist are inherently anti-Christian. Terror is inseparable from revolution, as exemplified by Robespierre and Lenin, and totalitarian states maintain control through fear and manipulation of education. They describe how modern revolutions are aided by ideology, media, and financial support for violence. Simple-minded or immature Christians who fail to discern truth unwittingly enable revolutionary agendas. Revolutionaries equate life with theater and spectacle, blurring reality and fostering societal chaos, while the broader populace, including the church, often remains indifferent or complicit. Rushdoony emphasizes that faith is the counterforce to revolutionary collapse. History shows that civilizations fall when morality and justice are abandoned, but Christians, grounded in God’s power, can counter evil and preserve society. He urges believers to awaken, take responsibility in every sphere government, education, business, and church and actively resist revolutionary and anti-Christian trends before it is too late.

R.J. Rushdoony examines fame and its cultural impact, drawing on Leo Braudy’s The Frenzy of Renown. He contrasts the Christian era, where men lived accountable to God, with the Renaissance and modern times, where public image dominates. From Alexander the Great to modern actors and politicians, people perform for attention, often sacrificing substance, morality, and reality. This obsession with image weakens politics, religion, and society. He also discusses Theodore Shank’s American Alternative Theater, showing how avant-garde performance and youth culture turn life into theater. Peer pressure and image-consciousness replace objective values, making society shallow and disconnected from God. Christians, adhering to divine authority rather than societal norms, are seen as outsiders. Rushdoony concludes with historical examples cavalry in WWII, the Indian Wars, and European aristocracy to illustrate human ambition, courage, and moral failure. He stresses that justice depends on God’s judgment; without it, societies collapse, and only Christian faith provides enduring cultural stability.

R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott examine Romanticism as a cultural and intellectual movement rooted in a departure from a Christian worldview. Emerging after the Enlightenment, Romanticism replaced reason with emotion and imagination, leading to the elevation of individual feeling over moral and societal responsibility. Rushdoony highlights the descent into moral and artistic chaos, from decadent literature and modern art to rock music and media that promote sensation and isolation. Otto Scott notes the historical cycles of Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Romanticism, emphasizing how contemporary culture reflects a decay of narrative, moral structure, and communal responsibility. They discuss the revolutionary consequences of Romanticism, likening modern Western society to the pre-revolutionary French era, with moral and cultural collapse underway. The discussion critiques modern literature, film, and art for their focus on individual gratification, eroticism, and disconnection from reality, using Hemingway and other contemporary writers as examples of Romantic exaggeration and moral emptiness. Rushdoony and Scott conclude that the antidote is a return to a biblical worldview, promoting Christian faith, community, and realism. They stress the need for Christians to actively engage in culture through art, literature, education, and media supported and subsidized, to provide an alternative to the prevailing Romantic, anti-Christian cultural forces.

In this episode (Sept. 1, 1986), R.J. Rushdoony sits down with Michigan listeners Gene and Robin Newman and traces God’s unmistakable providence in their journey from nominal backgrounds into a conviction-filled Christian life: Gene (Israeli-born, raised culturally Jewish) shares how his search for truth led him through Marxism, Zen macrobiotics, communal living, and restless striving—until Scripture, Christian friendships, and the reality of God’s sovereign grace broke through, giving him stability, peace, and a new standard for life; Robin (raised Catholic, Armenian/Polish, shaped by the deaf community) recounts her own surrender through a 12-step program, then the “tugging” she couldn’t resist to confess Jesus as Lord—even after converting to Judaism for marriage harmony—followed by Gene’s conversion soon after. Together they describe what came next: reorienting their marriage and mission, discovering Christian history and a Reformed framework, embracing homeschooling with structure and discipline, helping build Michigan homeschool advocacy (CURE), hosting twice-monthly study meetings on church-state issues, and stepping into public life with boldness—testifying that their pace and fruit weren’t manufactured, but opened by the Lord as they made faithful plans and walked forward in obedience. #EasyChair #Rushdoony #Chalcedon #ChristianTestimony #Providence #SovereignGrace #Reformed #Homeschool #ChristianEducation #Discipleship #FaithAndFamily #ChurchAndState

R.J. Rushdoony examines the foundation of Western civilization through law, religion, and culture, drawing on Harold Berman’s Law and Revolution and Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy. He emphasizes the papal revolution of Hildebrand (Pope Gregory VII), which freed the Church from feudal and monarchical control, establishing the inseparable connection between law and religion. This connection, reinforced by the biblical doctrine of the Atonement, shows law as fundamental to God’s justice and human accountability. Subsequent revolutions—the Protestant Reformation, the English, American, French, and Russian revolutions—further transformed law and society, but modern secularization has severed law from religion, leaving both rootless and morally ineffectual. Rushdoony critiques modern education, Enlightenment rationalism, and figures like John Locke for promoting moral autonomy over divine law, undermining family, society, and Christian civilization. He contrasts this with historical examples, such as St. Charles Borromeo and medieval cathedral communities, which integrated law, faith, and civic life. Historical analysis, including works by Bainton, Dunlop, Bode, McManners, and Kaiser, illustrates the enduring societal role of Christian law, communal responsibility, and faith, including the example of Amish and Mennonite communities in caring for children with disabilities with eternal perspective. Ultimately, Rushdoony stresses that restoring Christendom requires returning to biblical law as the foundation of religion and society, reaffirming human accountability, moral order, and the integration of faith into all aspects of life.

In this broadcast, R.J. Rushdoony, with Dan Harris and James Flanagan, explores the U.S. economy, financial markets, and speculation trends in 1986. They begin by discussing high-profile cases, such as the Hunt brothers’ legal battles with banks, highlighting what they describe as the “cannibalization” of strong companies by lenders and the broader economy. The conversation emphasizes the shift of capital from productive enterprises to government bonds, commodities, and speculative instruments, reflecting investor preferences for security or high returns over entrepreneurial risk. Harris and Flanagan stress that market prices and charts, not media reports or statistics, are the most reliable indicators of underlying economic trends, with historical cycles—such as the 50- and 60-year patterns in silver and bond markets—providing valuable predictive insights. The discussion also delves into the evolution of trading, the psychology of investment, and the importance of discipline and strategy. They note the proliferation of options and financial instruments that allow speculation without ownership of the underlying asset, distinguishing between speculation and gambling while stressing the necessity of proper methods and long-term perspective. Flanagan and Harris explain the role of speculation in stabilizing commodity prices historically and caution that modern trading, though potentially highly profitable, carries extraordinary risk and volatility. They conclude by highlighting the profound effect of market movements on daily life and charitable giving, illustrating the interconnectedness of economic forces, market cycles, and societal well-being.

In this broadcast, R.J. Rushdoony and Otto Scott discuss the geopolitical and economic crisis in South Africa in the mid-1980s. They emphasize that external pressures, particularly Western sanctions and disinvestment campaigns, threaten to destabilize the country, creating suffering for both white and black South Africans. Scott highlights the strategic importance of South African minerals to Western defense and industry, warning that mismanagement or aggressive sanctions could strengthen the Soviet Union’s global position. The discussion also addresses the role of American “alienated intellectuals” and liberal activism, which, according to the speakers, impose ideological agendas without understanding local realities, undermining U.S. interests while exacerbating crises abroad. Rushdoony and Scott further contrast South Africa’s deeply Christian societal foundations with the liberal and secular humanist outlooks prevalent in the West. They argue that the media selectively portrays violence to advance ideological narratives while ignoring context and broader atrocities, creating skewed public perception. Both stress that faith, courage, and a realistic understanding of foreign cultures are essential for responding to complex international issues. Despite the grim outlook, Scott maintains a cautious optimism, noting that unexpected change is always possible and encouraging the Christian community to act faithfully and courageously."

R.J. Rushdoony examines the impact of sin on political leadership through the life of Oliver Cromwell. Thrust into a crisis between King Charles I, Parliament, and the people, Cromwell discovered that human sin undermines all institutions: the king was untrustworthy, Parliament petty and factional, the people utopian and irrational, and even the army divided. Forced to rule alone, Cromwell’s experience illustrates that constitutions, laws, and political systems cannot overcome the moral failings of man. His efforts, however, dismantled autocracy and paved the way for constitutional change in England, indirectly influencing the American Revolution. Rushdoony expands the discussion to modern society, emphasizing the moral and cultural decay caused by indulgent childrearing, the destruction of family and agriculture, and the influence of elite, anti-Christian intellectual networks. Education and socialization divorced from Biblical principles produce individuals incapable of coping with reality and frustration. Drawing on examples from the Amish and Hutterite communities, he contrasts a faith-centered worldview that sustains resilience and hope with the secular humanism that dominates education, law, and politics today. Ultimately, Rushdoony argues that society’s stability and progress depend on obedience to God’s law and the cultivation of moral and spiritual virtue.

Romantic Movement; Thomas Chatterton; Education; Bad Historiography; Mature Criticism; Supreme Court Cases; Cindy Rocker; St. Vincent de Paul Society; Salvation Army; Privatization; Effects of Homosexuality; English Countryside; Murderers; Anne Hutchinson; Sir John Bowring; Water Supply; Rutherford Institute

Financial Fiascoes; India; American Hostage; Prisons; Women; Margaret of Castello; J. Paul Getty; American Frontier; Soviet Union; Philosophy; Poetry Reading

Oil Industry

Economy; Church and State Issues

Home Schooling

Public Education and Its Four Risks

Education and Idolatry

Cindy Rocker; Ministry to the Poor; Africa; Scholastic Aptitude Tests; Public Life and Religion; Emerson; King Arthur; English Land Ownership; Food; Soviet Union; First Umbrella; Revolutionary Lobby; Carnation Milk Company; Light Bulb Jokes; Contempt and Teaching

Ministry of Cindy Rocker 

In this landmark Easy Chair conversation, R.J. Rushdoony is joined by Dennis Peacocke and Bob Mumford for a passionate and far-reaching discussion on Christian Reconstruction. Together, they unpack the church’s calling to engage every sphere—spiritual, social, and economic—with the authority of Christ. From the failures of modern pietism to the rising global hunger for biblical answers, the trio explores why the future belongs to those with faith, expectancy, and action. If you’ve ever wondered whether the gospel is meant only for heaven or also for transforming history, this episode will ignite your vision.

Ministry of Jean-Marc Berthoud; Europe

Liability Insurance; Counter Terrorist; Von Kuehnelt-Leddihn; Communist Resistance; Sidney Riley; 1676; Playboy Empire; Rushdoony’s Reading; Peter Cartwright and Uncle Ned; Henry the Navigator; Religious Discrimination; Jesuits

Mogul Impact on Russia; Early American Life; Abortion; China; War on Poverty; Medieval England; Martin and Deirdre Bobgan; Opium Wars; Sir John Chrysostom; Church Licenses

Issachar Frontier Missions Research; Richard III; Medieval and Ancient Family; Golden Age of Judaism; Religious Liberty; Christian Politicians; Money; Parents; Magic; Law; California

Bureaucracy; Bastards and Marriage; Consanguinity; Crime; Jesse Jackson; Ideology; Nature Reserves and Conservatism

Reason for Medieval Books; Anticlericalism; Europe; Princeton Theological Seminary; Higher Education; Monasticism; Baptism; Illiteracy; George Simenon; Indians; Lincoln Review

News; Reporting; Debt; Family Fun; AIDS; Ethiopia; Swedish Mother and Welfare; Mary Pride; Travelers; Baseball; Freedom Wars in South America; Allied; Invasion of France; Radicalism and Child Training; U.S. Businessmen and Soviet Union; Abortion; Draft Riots

Albert Michelson; Jules Verne; Reformation; Pope as Anti-Christ; Ezra Pound; T.S. Elliot; Wyndham Lewis; Hernando Cortez; Sidney Zion; Ukraine and Famine; Innovation; History of Ideas; Presidential Campaigns; Advertisements; Internal Revenue Service

Archbishop Runcie; Genesis Flood; La Salle; Napoleon; Yigal Yadin; Dead Sea Sect; Europe; Church and State; Sovereignty and Money; Bus Drivers; Abortion

National Suicide

The Breakdown of Law

Pelagianism; Diocletian; Haile Selassie; Ukraine; Exodus and Revolution; Slavery; Flu Epidemic; Chinese Mandates; Coca Cola and Pepsi; Medicine and Free Enterprise; Southern Partisan; KGB; Dropouts; Publishers; Ross House Books; Teacher Testing; Subway Shooting; Drugs

Irish Catholic Church; Church Government; Christian History; Stuarts; Winnie the Pooh; Robert Charles Benchley; Businessmen and Intellectuals; Inflation and Israel; Chalcedon; South Africa; Blood Transfusions

Homer Nodded; Failure to Recognize Humanism; Rome; Frederick II; Ernst H. Kantorowicz; Second Book on Church and State; St. Cyrian; Captain Hancock; Hereditary

Franz Kafka; Family Restrictions; Austro-Hungarian Empire; Third Rome; Redemption of World; Early Church; Reasons of State; Rome; Herbert B. Workman

Prevention of War; Soviet Military; Plymouth Colony; Alexis de Tocqueville; Apartheid; Pro-Life Meetings; Religious Liberties; Bible; Brownouts; Education; Water; Population

Houses; Moorish Kingdom; Future Block; Art; Thomas Wolsey; Brother Albert; Lawyer Popes; Charlemagne; Justinian; George II; American Indians; Sexton Beetle