Dominionism, the movement to replace the Constitution with a theocracy

Dominionism, the movement to replace the Constitution with a theocracy: "What is Dominionism?
Straw Jeremiads and Apologists for Christian Nationalism

By Chip Berlet, (Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates), February 12, 2007

What is Dominionism?
Straw Jeremiads and Apologists for Christian Nationalism

By Chip Berlet, (Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates), February 12, 2007

At Talk to Action we try to remain respectful of religious and spiritual beliefs (and secular, agnostic and atheist beliefs), which we feel is the intent and content of the founding documents of our pluralist society. We also try to maintain a distinction between serious concerns over theocratic, dominionist, and Christian Nationalist tendencies, and hyperbolic claims that tend to demonize people of faith and exaggerate the problem in a way that paints all Christians with a broad brush.

Now the backlash against our concerns (and those of others worried about these trends) has reached a new level of sophistication in right-wing intellectual journals. In their recent articles, Ross Douthat in First Things and Mary Eberstadt in Policy Review serve as apologists for Christian Nationalist tendencies by creating what I call Straw Jeremiads, and then easily setting them on fire. Continue.
Soldiers of Christ II
Feeling the hate with the National Religious Broadcasters

By Chris Hedges, Harpers Magazine, Posted on Monday, May 30, 2005. Originally from May 2005

Hedges' combines first-hand reporting with interpretation in one of the first (and still few) widely read reports on dominionists inside and near our governments, working to parlay the religious right's swelling political power into theocracy. Click here for the report
Dominionism 101

The best click-to briefing on the basics of Dominionism resides on the Religious Tolerance website, whose definition begins:

Dominionism, Dominion Theology, Christian Reconstructionism, Theocratic Dominionism, and Theonomy are not denominations or faith groups. Rather, they are interrelated beliefs which are followed by members of a wide range of Christian denominations. They have no connection at all to Reconstructionist Judaism, which is a liberal group within Judaism."

The Religious Tolerance definition continues, noting that, generally speaking

Dominionism & Dominion Theology are derived from Genesis 1:26 of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament):

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

Most Christians interpret this verse as meaning that God gave mankind dominion over the animal kingdom. Dominion theologians believe that that this verse commands Christians to bring all societies, around the world, under the rule of the Word of God.

We encourage you to read the entire Religious Tolerance page, by clicking here.

While Religious Tolerance presents the unalloyed tenets of dominionist theologians (execution for non-marital sex, blasphemy, heresy, for example), another excellent website, Theocracy Watch, presents essays and analysis focused on the ascendance of dominionism among Republicans in Congress. That's where the legislation creating a theocracy will be made, not according to a dominionist playbook, but as opportunity presents itself.

Theocracy Watch, sees a dominionist trend in the September 2005 "yes" vote by 210 Republicans (and 10 Democrats) to allow religious discrimination in hiring Head Start staff (HR 2123). Another indication of the theocratic trend of the Republicans is the high ratings they earn on "report cards" issued by such powerful religious-right organizations as the Family Values Coalition, Focus on the Family, and the Christian Coalition. Theocracy Watch also presents material on how fundamentalist activists are pressing their agendas on the state level. Please click here to open the Theocracy Watch page.
Center Closed to Make Way for Expanded Media Ministry

Email Letter from D. James Kennedy's Coral Ridge Ministries, Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, June 08, 2007

In this email, Coral Ridge Ministries announces that, over a month ago, it shut down its Center for Reclaiming America for Christ. The email says: "This unanimous action by the members of the Board of Coral Ridge Ministries -- each one a close friend or associate of Dr. D. James Kennedy, who continues to recover from a cardiac arrest suffered in December -- came after a lengthy period of review. It was taken as part of a larger ministry restructuring designed to redirect Coral Ridge Ministries back to its core mission -- doing media ministry." It goes on to assure that Coral Ridge Ministries will continue to host an annual Reclaiming America for Christ conference. Click here.
The Crusaders
Christian evangelicals are plotting to remake America in their own image

by Bob Moser, Rolling Stone, April 5, 2005

It's February, and 900 of America's staunchest Christian fundamentalists have gathered in Fort Lauderdale to look back on what they accomplished in last year's election -- and to plan what's next. As they assemble in the vast sanctuary of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, with all fifty state flags dangling from the rafters, three stadium-size video screens flash the name of the conference: RECLAIMING AMERICA FOR CHRIST. These are the evangelical activists behind the nation's most effective political machine -- one that brought more than 4 million new Christian voters to the polls last November, sending George W. Bush back to the White House and thirty-two new pro-lifers to Congress. But despite their unprecedented power, fundamentalists still see themselves as a persecuted minority, waging a holy war against the godless forces of secularism. To rouse themselves, they kick off the festivities with "Soldiers of the Cross, Arise," the bloodthirstiest tune in all of Christendom: "Seize your armor, gird it on/Now the battle will be won/Soon, your enemies all slain/Crowns of glory you shall gain."

Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back. Continue.

Reconstruction: the movement for Christian dominion
Theocrats in Toccoa
You don't believe as they do? You're in big trouble

By John F. Sugg, Creative Loafing (Atlanta's alternative news weekly), June 7, 2006

"Toccoa -- Two fellows materialized in Georgia last month and harangued 600 true believers on the gospel of a thoroughly theocratic America. Along with lesser lights of the religious right who spoke, the men called for nothing short of the overthrow of the United States of America.

Herb Titus and Gary North aren't household names. But Titus has led the legal battle to plant the Ten Commandants in courthouses -- including Georgia's Barrow County. North, an apostle of the creed called Christian Reconstruction, is one of the most influential elders of American fundamentalism. "

Sugg examines the intersections of Christian Identity and Christian Reconstruction, the former the "religion" of white supremacists, the latter also known as Dominionism. He writes:

Identity and Reconstruction are both anti-Semitic. One prominent Reconstruction theologian, David Chilton, parroting Identity dogma, has written: "The god of Judaism is the devil." Of course, the "mainstream" religious right can be equally anti-Semitic -- Jerry Falwell has said the Antichrist will be a Jew.

Reconstruction dominates many ultra-right Presbyterian congregations and has incredible sway over Southern Baptists and other conservative denominations. It's behind Sadie Fields and the Georgia Christian Coalition, Roy "The Ten Commandments Judge" Moore, and Tom DeLay.

Both Identity and Reconstruction revere the antebellum South as "God-directed." Slavery was sanctioned by the Bible and, therefore, should be reinstituted. "The last vestiges of Christian society were lost in the Civil War," Chalcedon spokesman Chris Ortiz wrote me last month.

Click here to read Sugg's essay.
Invitation to a Stoning
Getting cozy with theocrats

by Walter Olson, Reason Magazine, November 1998 Print Edition

For connoisseurs of surrealism on the American right, it's hard to beat an exchange that appeared about a decade ago in the Heritage Foundation magazine Policy Review. It started when two associates of the Rev. Jerry Falwell wrote an article which criticized Christian Reconstructionism, the influential movement led by theologian Rousas John (R.J.) Rushdoony, for advocating positions that even they as committed fundamentalists found "scary." Among Reconstructionism's highlights, the article cited support for laws "mandating the death penalty for homosexuals and drunkards." The Rev. Rushdoony fired off a letter to the editor complaining that the article had got his followers' views all wrong: They didn't intend to put drunkards to death. Continue.
The 'Threat' of Theocracy
Somebody Take a Chill Pill

By Chuck Colson, Christian Post Guest Columnist, August 5, 2006

Lately, opponents of Christian cultural engagement have been using a new word to characterize us. In addition to oldies-but-goodies like “bigots” and “fanatics,” they’re now calling us “theocrats.”

At least four books have recently been published that warn about the “theocratic” menace to American democracy, and more are on the way. Somebody hand these people a Xanax.

The word theocracy is intended to draw an analogy between Christians who oppose things like same-sex “marriage” and Islamists such as bin Laden and the Iranian mullahs. One critic, Andrew Sullivan, writing in Time magazine, made the connection explicit when he coined his own variation on the theme: “Christianist.” Continue
Book Review: Clear and Present Dangers

Review of American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips by Alan Brinkley , New York Times Book Review, March 19, 2006

"Phillips is especially passionate in his discussion of the second great force that he sees shaping contemporary American life — radical Christianity and its growing intrusion into government and politics. The political rise of evangelical Christian groups is hardly a secret to most Americans after the 2004 election, but Phillips brings together an enormous range of information from scholars and journalists and presents a remarkably comprehensive and chilling picture of the goals and achievements of the religious right." Click here
Theocons and Theocrats

by Kevin Phillips, The Nation, posted April 13, 2006 (May 1, 2006 issue)

An article adapted from Phillips's American Theocracy. Click here
Bush's wayward march
Interview with Kevin Phillips

By Bill Steigerwald, Tribune-Review, April 15, 2006

"Q: You say the last two elections have transformed the Republican Party into "the first religious party in U.S. history." How is this religious influence in politics and government hurting the country?" Continue
A Nation Under God

By John Sugg, Mother Jones Magazine, December /January 2006

"Reconstruction is the spark plug behind much of the battle over religion in politics today. The movement's founder, theologian Rousas John Rushdoony, claimed 20 million followers-a number that includes many who embrace the Reconstruction tenets without having joined any organization. Card-carrying Reconstructionists are few, but their influence is magnified by their leadership in Christian right crusades, from abortion to homeschooling.

"Reconstructionists also exert significant clout through front organizations and coalitions with other religious fundamentalists; Baptists, Anglicans, and others have deep theological differences with the movement, but they have made common cause with its leaders in groups such as the National Coalition for Revival. Reconstruction has slowly absorbed, congregation by congregation, the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (not to be confused with the progressive Presbyterian Church [USA]) and has heavily influenced others, notably the Southern Baptists." Click here to read this very important report on the Mother Jones website.

See also: Click here for an excellent chart, "Expanding Universe," by Frederick Clarkson in the same issue of Mother Jones, which maps the religious right as an astronomical chart -- with pop-up descriptions of each stellar body.
A Mission To 'Reclaim America'
Some Evangelicals Want U.S. To Have 'Biblical Worldview'

by Jane Lampman, Christian Science Monitor, March 16, 2005

For the Reback daughters, the big attraction was the famous Ten Commandments monument, brought to Florida on tour after being removed from the Alabama judicial building as unconstitutional. The youngsters - dressed in red, white, and blue - clustered proudly around the display.

For more than 900 other Christians from across the US, the draw at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church last month was a national conference aimed at "reclaiming America for Christ." The monument stood as a potent symbol of their hopes for changing the course of the nation. Continue.

SECTION: Christian Exodus, seeking dominion state by state

A small far-right group is calling people to South Carolina, where the group plans to make electoral alliances with resident conservative Christians to take over -- and Christianize -- first local governments, then the state. They plan to disregard Supreme Court rulings. Click here to read more about Christian Exodus.

The Smalkowski family, victims of an Oklahoma theocracy
Oklahoma Atheist Family Resists Right-wing Christian Regime, Prevails

by JewsOnFirst.org, July 11, 2006

Bloggers have been telling the story of Chuck (Chester) Smalkowski for the past ten days -- since his acquittal in Texas County, Oklahoma on shockingly severe felony assault charges. The charges stemmed from Smalkowski's 2004 encounter with the principal of his daughter's school; he wanted to protest his daughter's being forced to join her basketball team's prayer circle. The Smalkowskis are atheists. Continue