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Three Events of 1973 Which Define Our World Today

mitchell b powell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:11:40 +0000

1. Roe v. Wade. The legalization of abortion was a severe overreach which lead to the rise of the religious right, and hastened the demographic trend through which higher conservative fertility rates result in the stepwise elimination of liberals from political power. The process is ongoing. Partially as a result of it, the US is for the first time in the history of Gallup polls a mostly pro-life country. Legalizing abortion, in the long run, will prove to have been a self-nullifying decision.

2. The death of Ludwig Von Mises. Ludwig Von Mises marked the last of the great classical liberals, non-religious but gentle, intelligent, and hard-working people who were so overwhelmingly wholesome in their personal lives that they imagined everyone else was the same way. Misesians in the sense of people who share Mises’ general outlook toward the world no longer exist. His intellectual heirs are now either market socialists like Hayek, anarchists like Rothbard, militant atheists like Ayn Rand, or socially conservative Christians.His economics live on, stronger than ever, but the sort of person he represents is either extinct or close to it.

3. The birth of Christian Reconstructionism. CR had been developing for perhaps a decade and a half, but was really launched in 1973 with the publication of Rushdoony’s The Institutes of Biblical Law. This is significant not because it has achieved widespread fame (it has not) nor because it is a perfect blueprint for society (ditto), but because it symbolizes the abandonment of the myth of neutrality by Christians of various stripes, because its author was intimately involved with the founding of the Christian school / homeschool movement which has immeasurably strengthened the Christian right, because it leaves behind the intellectual and political bankruptcy of retreatist premillenialism, because it encourages Christians to abandon modern statism, and because it represents the frank admission that Christians wish to push at least some of their values onto society.

Understand these three issues inside and out, and you’ll understand a host of other seemingly unrelated things: the current state of economic theory and practice, the rise of the religious right, the appeal of Ron Paul to young people, the decline of premillennial eschatology, the real cultural impact of the Puritans, the continued political power of creationism concurrent with increasing secularization in the public schools, the shift toward a pro-life perspective, the failures of welfare statism, the collapse of communism . . .

Christian Reconstructionism Series, Part 3: The Problem of R. J. Rushdoony’s Biography

mitchell b powell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:02:45 +0000

R. J. Rushdoony is a polarizing figure. Most who write about him are either producing short hagiographies or short hate speeches, nearly always less than one thousand words (four pages) in length. There doesn’t seem to be much in between, nor anything longer, even though he is the founder of the Chalcedon Institute, which Newsweek in February of 1981 identified as the only think tank of any real relevance in the New Christian Right. In addition to spawning a movement which has included scads of prolific writers who have buried the world in footnotes, Rushdoony helped lay the legal foundation of the modern homeschooling and Christian school movements through his appearance as an educational expert while simultaneously writing a large number of published articles and more than forty books. It is one of his students, Douglas Wilson, who has begun the modern Christian patriarchy movement. Rushdoony even has a dedicated following in Bulgaria, for crying out loud! Despite all this, no one has written a biography of him.

There are, it is true, short summaries of his life here and there online. But all of them contain massive gaps, and having spent the better part of the last few days trying to gather together all the basic facts of his life, I still cannot answer certain basic questions: At what point in his life did he become a theonomist? When did he switch from working with the Presbyterian Church in the United States to working with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? Why and when did he leave the Orthodox Presbyterian Church? When did he marry his second wife? What caused the divorce with his first wife? Did his divorce really cause a shift in his ecclesiology? Was his shifting ecclesiology really the reason for the rconstructionist split?

Due to my reading reconstructionist books off and on for well over a year now, I know a large number of individual facts, and I know where in some books and other publications certain information about him is found. But I still have not developed a satisfactory account of his life. This is the hold-up that has been keeping me from finishing this series. I currently have approximately 4000 words (16 pages) worth of basic biographical information that I have culled from a variety of sources. I am continuing to gather information and sort through the stuff I have to turn it into some sort of master narrative.

Even if I don’t find a single other fact, my sixteen pages, once arranged, will be the most comprehensive biography of R. J. Rushdoony in existence. I doubt it will be for long, though: given the already vast and continually growing influence of Rushdoony and his followers on modern America, it will only be a matter of time before someone does the job properly. In the meantime, my little paper will serve as a stop-gap solution, an appetizer to hold you over until somebody prepares the main course.

James Altucher on Self-Publishing

mitchell b powell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:53:47 +0000

Read it here. The man is famous for one reason and one reason only: he shoots straight and out-thinks almost everyone. Ignore him at your own peril.

Christian Reconstructionism Series, Part 2: Francis Schaeffer

mitchell b powell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:04:03 +0000

In the first installment we briefly went over the life of Cornelius Van Til. Though not a Reconstructionist himself, his presuppositionalism and his part in the founding of Westminster Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church are necessary to understanding the movement. (I could similarly have justified doing a bit on the life of J. Gresham Machen, but then this post would wind up being the third post in the Reconstructionism series without us yet coming to the first of the modern Reconstructionists. But that’ll be in the next installment. I won’t keep stringing you along forever.)

Francis Schaeffer

But Van Til’s obscurity does not mean that his ideas have remained in obscurity. Though few know it, Van Til’s ideas, in watered-down form, have reached millions of Americans through the books of “Van Til lite”: Francis Schaeffer. How it is that Schaeffer picked up presuppositionalism, and how it came to be that he shamelessly appropriated its insights for himself without giving due credit, is a story that goes back to Schaeffer’s college days.

In 1936, the year the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was founded, Francis Schaeffer was in his first year of seminary at Westminster, where he studied under both Van Til and Machen, and where he was exposed to presuppositionalism. But when a group of premillennialists blending the ideas of Scofield and Calvin broke off from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Schaeffer left with them and attended their newly formed Faith Theological Seminary, where he completed his studies, leaving the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Westminster Theological Seminary beyond, along with Machen and Van Til. He finished his studies and in 1944 became the first minister to be ordained in the Bible Presbyterian Church. Its blend of pre-mil fundamentalism with classic Reformed theology proved an awkward mix that made for a fractious church — Calvin and Scofield cannot be expected to coexist peacefully, even after their deaths.

Eleven years later, in 1948, he went to Switzerland, where in 1955 he founded a spiritual community named L’Abri, where he gradually grew in influence over the next thirteen years. Then, in 1968, he published The God Who is There, an introduction to cultural criticism and apologetics from a presuppositionalist perspective, a book which was followed by an avalanche of twenty-five books between then and his death in 1984, at seventy-two.

His books sold millions of copies. I do not begrudge him that — such insightful works merit a wide audience. The crisis of humanism and the deep presuppositional opposition between humanistic and Christian thought must be communicated on a popular level. However, Schaeffer erred in failing to credit Van Til (not a single footnote in all his works!). It is popularly imagined that Schaeffer came up with all this brilliant stuff right simply by scrutinizing modern art and philosophy through the lens of the Bible and history. Schaeffer stood by and allowed people to think this. His wife, at the least, directly contributed to this misinterpretation by failing to cite his major influences when she was asked, “Where did your husband get all this?” * Schaeffer also played down his Calvinism and especially his support of infant baptism. As a result, people tend to see only his individuality, and miss his place in the larger scheme of Christian history — the impression popularly given is that he is simply a singular genius who appeared with a fully formed philosophy in Switzerland to spread his original and brilliant insights to a secularized world. Now you know better.

Why is the relationship of Schaeffer’s writing to Van Til’s thought important to the history of Reconstructionism? To answer that, we must talk about R. J. Rushdoony, the founder of Christian Reconstructionism itself. We’ll go back to the beginning and work our way through his life story until we get to where he intersects with Schaeffer.

* With regard to Mrs. Schaeffer’s (possibly unwitting) complicity in hiding his intellectual roots, see her book L’Abri, pages 226-227. For more on Schaeffer and Reconstructionism, see Gary North’s Crossed Fingers, in “Appendix D.”

Christian Reconstructionism Series, Part 1: Cornelius Van Til

mitchell b powell — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:29:37 +0000

The goal of this series is simple: to provide an overview of the significant characters of the Christian Reconstructionist movement, along with some characters who are not Reconstructionists themselves but who are significant to it: Cornelius Van Til, Francis Schaeffer, Rousas John Rushdoony, Gary North, Greg Bahnsen, James B. Jordan, John Frame, David Chilton, Kenneth Gentry, Gary DeMar, Peter Leithart, George Grant, Ray Sutton, Ray Thoburn, Doug Wilson, and Joel McDurmon. In the process, I’ll probably wind up discovering some more interesting characters.

Where shall I begin? Probably with Cornelius Van Til, shadowy godfather of the modern Christian right. He unwittingly started Christian Reconstructionism, though he was no Reconstructionist himself. In fact, he privately opposed the political views of R. J. Rushdoony and Gary North, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Cornelius Van Til

Born in the Netherlands in 1895 to Dutch Reformed parents, he immigrated with them to Indiana as a child. A Calvinist philosopher and professor, he left Princeton to aid in founding Westminster Theological Seminary, a conservative Reformed seminary associated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Westminster was founded by J. Gresham Machen in 1929 in response to the liberalism of Princeton, where Machen had been teaching New Testament, and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was founded in 1936, also by J. Gresham Machen, in response to liberalization of the PCUSA, which Gary North documents in his 1148-page Crossed Fingers: How the Liberals Captured the Presbyterian Church (online PDF copy here).

Van Til went over with Machen and spent forty-three years teaching at Westminster, from 1929 to 1972, simultaneously serving as a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. His primary intellectual contribution was not overtly political but rather epistemological: presuppositionalism. Van Til’s focus was on a person’s ultimate presuppositions. He argued that only the presupposition of the existence of the Triune God described in the Bible was the proper foundation for knowledge, and held that all alternative assumptions lead to a series of false antitheses. His sophisticated and open embrace of circular logic, his claim that all unbelievers were suppressing the knowledge of the one true God, and his insistence that the real problem of the unbeliever is rebellion rather than insufficient knowledge still give people fits. Van Til remains obscure not for lack of importance, but because he was simply too radical. For a look at this approach, and for a good introduction to what Cornelius Van Til was all about, I recommend his little book A Christian Theory of Knowledge, which he published in 1961. Read it and you will agree: Van Tillian presuppositionalism is too bitter a pill for most American Christians to swallow.

biblically

mitchell b powell — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:13:47 +0000

That’s how it’s spelled. Not Biblically, but biblically. Thank you.

PS: Don’t you ever dare write the miscapitalized monstrosity “unBiblically.” Ever.

PPS: Same goes for “godly” and “ungodly.” If you write “Godly” and “unGodly” everywhere, that’s just being paranoid.

“Restore Power to the People!” and Other Misdirections of the AFL-CIO

mitchell b powell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:42:34 +0000

So says an advertisement seeking to employ college students as political operatives for a group called Working America, which, ironically, seeks to expand the welfare state and demands that government pay people to not work. But this is not the only irony on the flier. Here’s its sales pitch:

Organize with Working America and stand up for the 99%. With three million members and growing, Working America has been building a grassroots movement for the 99% and fighting for economic justice for all since 2004.

I hate to be a smart-aleck, but this is simply too good to pass up. Let’s do a little math. Working America has 3 million members. Given that America as a whole has approximately 300 million members, this means that about 297 million people in America are not members of Working America. Divide 297 million by 300 million, multiply by one hundred, and the result reveals the startling truth: the 99% consists of every not affiliated with Working America.

Mathematical silliness, aside, one could of course claim that Working America, while its membership equals 1% of the US, actually represents the interests of the 99%. Their super-spiffy “9 demands of the 99%” page (which only contains eight demands), though it looks suspiciously like a slogan popularized by their Herman Cain, does seem to rage admirably against the machine, using such extra-hip phrases as “bring the corporate agenda to an end” and “end corporate control of our democracy” and “abolish ‘corporate personhood’.” Surely, one might think, Working America represents the uprising of the proles against their corporate overlords. One would be wrong.

If you look past the bright colors and slogans, you will notice that the upper left-hand corner of their main page has, in very small print, the words “Community Affiliate of the AFL-CIO.” Believe it or not, the AFL-CIO, a labor union “representing” twelve million workers and taking their money for this dubious favor whether they like it or not, is one of the “corporate persons” that spends millions upon millions of dollars lobbying Congress to pass laws in its favor — like the loopholes in Obamacare that allow union shops to avoid paying for the expensive healthcare that free shops are forced to buy for their workers, or “card check” legislation to strip non-unionized workers of their right to privacy.

Lies and coercion — unions can’t exist without them.

For more on how public sector unions help finance the continued slaughter of unborn infants with money taken from pro-life Americans, and how one woman fought back against an oppressive teacher’s union that told her she should “change religions”, see here.

The “Once Saved, Always Saved” Idea

mitchell b powell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:40:07 +0000

Me and John Fensel discuss it here.

Full Table of Contents for Every Issue of the Journal of Christian Reconstruction — All in One Place

mitchell b powell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:20:02 +0000

This post contains a table of all the contents of every issue of the Journal of Christian Reconstruction that can be found on the Chalcedon website. Should you know of more issues, let me know, and I will add them to this post.

The Journal of Christian Reconstruction was begun in 1974 as a ministry of Chalcedon, an institute in which both Rushdoony and Gary North cooperated until their split, and therefore the split of the Reconstructionist movement, in 1981. To the best of my knowledge, Chalcedon continues to be in the hands of the Rushdoony wing, even after Rushdoony’s death in 2001, while the North wing of the movement operates out of Tyler, Texas.

(At least on chalcedon.edu, this journal is also referred to as the Journal for Christian Reconstruction.)

Volume 1, Number 1 (Summer 1974): Symposium on Creation

Contributors

1. Symposium: Six-Day Creation

Basic Implication of the Six-Day Creation, Gary North (9).

Interpreting Earth History, Stuart E. Nevins (41).

Biblical Presuppositions and Historical Geology: A Case Study, Charles A. Clough (49).

The Creationist Movement in the United States: A Personal Account, Walter E. Lammerts (67).

Stalking the Wild Hypothesis: The Great Penguin Egg Search, Bolton Davidheiser (86).

The Doctrine of Creation and Christian Apologetics, Cornelius Van Til (92).

On Worshipping the Creature Rather than the Creator, Greg L. Bahnsen (107).

Creation and Mathematics, or, What Does God have to do with Numbers?, Vern S. Poythress (166).

[Claims that mathematics only makes sense from a theistic or Christian perspective. Well-argued and controversial.]

2. Christian Reconstruction

Contemporary Issues: Images, Ikons, and Pin-ups, Rousas John Rushdoony (182).

Economic Commentary: Economics: Magical or Creationist, Gary North (187).

Contemporary Culture: Evolution and Modern Literature, Dennis E. Johnson (193).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Augustine, Roger Wagner (203).

4. Book Reviews

Speculations and Experiments Related to Theories on the Origin of Life: A Critique, by Duane T. Gish, reviewed by George F. Howe (218).

Critique of Radiometric Dating, by Harold S. Slusher, and Origin and Destiny of the Earth’s Magnetic Field, by Thomas G. Barnes, reviewed by George F. Howe (220).

Evolution: The Fossils Say No!, by Duane T. Gish, reviewed by R. J. Rushdoony (222).

Chalcedon Publications

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 1, Number 2 (Winter 1974): Symposium on Satanism

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction

1. Symposium: Satanism

Power from Below, Rousas John Rushdoony (14).

The Person, Work, and Present Status of Satan, Greg L. Bahnsen (18).

Types of Satanic Intervention, F. Seth Dyrness Jr. (56).

Table Raising: Introduction to the Occult, David R. Ketchen (78).

The Attitude Toward Demons in the Early Church, Diana Lynn Walzel (85).

Gnostic Dualism and the Origins of the Medieval Definition of Witchcraft, Mark Wyndham (107).

The Gnostic Tradition and Renaissance Occultism, Thomas Molnar (137).

Occultism: A Bibliographical Essay, Jean C. Blasdale (146).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Economic Commentary: Magic, Envy, and Economic Underdevelopment, Gary North (182)

Contemporary Art: Art, Nudity, and Innocence, Rousas John Rushdoony (197).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Salvian, the Presbyter, Rousas John Rushdoony (205).

4. Book Reviews

The Seduction of the Spirit, by Harvey Cox, reviewed by Gary North (213).

Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain, by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder, reviewed by Gary North (216).

The Secret Life of Plants, by Peter Tomkins and Christopher Bird, reviewed by Gary North (221).

Supernature, by Lyall Watson, reviewed by Gary North (225).

The Morning of the Magicians, by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier, reviewed by Gary North (231).

Psychic Photography, by Hans Holzer, reviewed by Gary North (236).

Psychic and Other ESP Party Games, by David Hoy, reviewed by Gary North (239).

Witchcraft in the Middle Ages, by Jeffrey Burton Russell, reviewed by Rousas John Rushdoony (240)

Chalcedon Publications

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 2, Number 1 (Summer 1975): Symposium on Christian Economics

Contributors

Editors Introduction, Gary North (8).

1. Symposium: Christian Economics

Manichaeanism, Law, and Economics, Rousas John Rushdoony (16).

Economics: From a Christian Perspective?, Tom Rose (19).

Social Justice, Francis E. Mahaffy (40).

The Causes of Inflation, Hans Sennholz (46).

The Problem of Unemployment, D. Adie (61).

Late Medieval Origins of Free Market Economic Thought, Murray N. Rothbard (81).

The Economic Thought of Luther and Calvin, Gary North (97).

The Reformation and the Transformation of Western Culture: A Brief Introduction, Donnis Walters (137).

The Coming of Christian Capitalism, Edward Coleson (144).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Contemporary Art: Humanism’s Prophet, the Artist, Rousas John Rushdoony (158).

Historican Revisionism: A Biblical Reconstruction of Egypt’s Early Chronology, Donovan A. Courville (163).

Contemporary Ecclesiology: A Letter to St. Paul, Gary North (199).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Athanasius, C. Gregg Singer (203).

4. Book Reviews

Labor Problems in a Christian Perspective, edited by John H. Redekop, reviewed by Gary North (223).

The Moral Alternative to Socialism, by Irving E. Howard, reviewed by Gary North (232).

Mises Made Easier, by Percy L. Greaves Jr., reviewed by Gary North (235).

The Economics of Property Rights, edited by Eirik G. Furubotn and Svetozar Pejovich, reviewed by Gary North (237).

Russia Under the Old Regime, by Richard Pipes, reviewed by Rousas John Rushdoony (239).

Chalcedon Publications

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 2, Number 2 (Winter 1975-76): Symposium on Biblical Law

Contributions

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium: Biblical Law

Biblical Law and Western Civilization, Rousas John Rushdoony (13).

Some Problems with Natural Law, John W. Robbins (25).

Lawlessness, Charles E. Rice (35).

The Adversary Concept, Frederic N. Andre & Rousas John Rushdoony (42).

The Common Law and the Common Good, T. Robert Ingram (50).

Double Jeopardy: A Case Study in the Influence of Christian Legislation, Greg L. Bahnsen (57).

Pornography, Community, and the Function of Law, Gary North (79).

Liberty, Tyranny, and the Second Amendment, Edward M. Davis (91).

The Coming Crisis in Criminal Investigation, Edward Powell (102).

Innocent Victims of the Criminal Justice System, Mitchell C. Lynch (119).

Forgiveness Requires Restitution, Paul A. Doepke (124).

Law and Atonement in the Execution of Saul’s Seven Sons, Greg L. Bahnsen (139).

An Abstract of the Laws of New England, John Cotton (160).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Contemporary Preaching: Biblical Preaching vs. Obfuscation, Rousas John Rushdoony (176).

Contemporary Religious Journalism: Drifting Along with Christianity Today, Gary North (181).

Jesus and the Tax Revolt, Rousas John Rushdoony (188).

3. Defenders of the Faith

John Wyclif, Diana Lynn Walzel (193).

4. Book Reviews

The Price of Perfect Justice, by Macklin Fleming, reviewed by Gary North (209).

Thinking About Crime, by James Q. Wilson, reviewed by Gary North (216).

The Victims, by Frank G. Carrington, reviewed by Rousas John Rushdoony (223).

The Ethics of Smuggling, by Brother Andrew (225).

Morality, Law, and Grace, by J. N. D. Anderson, reviewed by Greg L. Bahnsen (233).

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 3, Number 1 (Summer 1976): Symposium on Christianity and the American Revolution

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on Christianity and the American Revolution

The Christian Roots of the War for Independence, Archie P. Jones (13).

The Political Philosophy of the Founding Fathers, John W. Robbins (70).

The Myth of an American Enlightenment, Rousas John Rushdoony (91).

1776: Revolution or War for Independence?, J. Murray Murdoch (97).

The Declaration of 1775, with an introduction by J. Murray Murdoch (115).

The Declaration of Independence as a Conservative Document, Gary North (123).

The Declaration of Independence (150).

The Franklin Legend, Cecil B. Currey (154).

The Historical Background to the Issue of Religious Liberty in the Revolutionary Era, Mark Wyndham (193).

The American Revolution: Typical or Unique?, Edward Coleson (217).

The Rock from Which America Was Hewn, E. L. Hebden Taylor (224).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Historiography: The “Protestant Ethic” Hypothesis, Gary North (234).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Eusebius of Caesarea (257).

4. Book Reviews

America’s Continuing Revolution: An Act of Conservation, reviewed by John W. Robbins (265).

The Roots of American Order, by Russell Kirk, reviewed by John W. Robbins (267).

Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, edited by Imre Lakatos and Alan Musgrave, reviewed by John W. Robbins.

Publication Schedule Volume 4

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 3, Number 2 (Winter 1976-1977): Symposium on the Millenium

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on the Millenium

Justice to Victory, Norman Shepherd (15).

Common Grace, Eschatology, and Biblical Law, Gary North (23).

The Prima Facie Acceptability of Postmillennialism, Greg L. Bahnsen (65).

A Survey of Southern Presbyterian Millenial Views Before 1930, James B. Jordan (136).

Postmillennialism versus Impotent Religion, Rousas John Rushdoony (157).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Biblical Law: Reconstruction of the Criminal Law: Retribution Revived, John A. Sparks (165).

The Prophetic Office and Public Exhortation: Amos and Hosea, Simon Kistemaker (179).

The Industrial Revolution: Pro and Con, Bruce Bartlett (203).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Stonewall Jackson, Douglas Kelley (215).

4. Book Reviews

The Puritan Hope: A Study in Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy, by Ian H. Murray, reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (213).

My Years With Ludwig von Mises, by Margit von Mises, reviewed by Gary North (238).

Sane Asylum, by Charles Hampden-Turner, reviewed by Gary North (246).

Publication Schedule Volume 4

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 4, Number 1 (Summer 1977): Symposium on Education

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (8).

1. Symposium on Education

The Lost Tools of Learning, Dorothy L. Sayers (20).

A Christian Philosophy of Method in Education, William N. Blake (40).

Tasks of the Christian Educator, T. Robert Ingram (62).

Distinctive Features of the Christian School, T. Van Der Kooy (68).

Accelerated Christian Education: An Alternative to State Schools, Edward C. Facey (82).

An Evaluation of ACE From a Reformed Perspective, Charles D. Grant and Kirk W. House (88).

Educational Vouchers: The Double Tax, Gary North (104).

The Failure of Seminary Education, Rousas John Rushdoony (125).

Trinity Ministerial Academy: Prospectus (131).

Is Public Education Necessary?, Samuel L. Blumenfeld (140).

Our Nation’s Schools — A Report Card: “A” in School Violence and Vandalism (156).

Curriculum, Wichita Collegiate School (183).

Higher Education in America: Fragments of a Dying Culture, Albert B. Friedman (188).

The Political Economy of Modern Universities, Henry G. Manne (192)

The Political State as a Teacher of Morality, Zach Montgomery (212).

Religion in the Public Schools, A. A. Hodge (226).

Shall We Have a Federal Department of Education, J. Gresham Machen (235).

2. Book Reviews

The U.S. Primary and Secondary Educational Process, by Frank E. Armbruster, reviewed by Gary North (248).

How to Establish and Operate a Successful Christian School, by Robert L. Thoburn, reviewed by Gary North (256).

Disaster By Decree: The Supreme Court Decisions on Race and the Schools, by Lino A. Graglia, reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (260).

Books For Sale

Books Not for Sale

Publication Schedule Volume 5

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 4, Number 2 (Winter 1977): Symposium on the Family

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on the Family

The Family as Trustee, Rousas John Rushdoony (16).

In Defense of Monogamy, George Gilder (24).

Monogamy as a Condition of Social Energy, J. D. Unwin (38).

The Disturbing Changes in the American Family, Urie Bronfenbrenner (55).

The Sexual Revolution in the USSR, Christopher S. Wren (66).

Study Shows High Black Illegitimacy (72).

The Family in the Writings of the Early Church Fathers, C. Schmidt (73).

The Puritan Family and the Christian Economy, Richard Flinn (89).

Infant Baptism and Covenantal Responsability, David H. Chilton (104).

Family Authority Versus Protestant Sacerdotalism, Gary North (114).

Adoption: Theological Treasure and Model for the Home, Greg and Cathie Bahnsen (167).

Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Family, Marriage, and Sex, E. L. Hebden Taylor (190)

The Puritan Family, by Edmund S. Morgan, reviewed by James B. Jordan (217).

The Assault on the Sexes, by Jim and Adrea Fordham, reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (221).

The Significance of J. Gresham Machen Today, by Paul Woolley. Reviewed by Gary North (227).

Publication Schedule Volume 5

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 5, Number 1 (Summer 1978): Symposium on Politics

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on Politics

The Myth of Politics, Rousas John Rushdoony (17).

The “Boat People”: Symbol of U.S. Failure, Peter Berger (22).

On Reconstruction and the American Republic, Tom Rose (25).

The Christian Foundation of American Politics, A. A. Hodge (51).

The Christian in Politics: The Call and the Caveats, Rus Walton (63).

Confessions of a Washington Reject, Gary North (73).

The Trouble with Conservatives, John W. Robbins (87).

Natural Law and God’s Law: An Antithesis, Rex Downie (104).

Apologists of Classical Tyranny: An Introductory Critique of Straussianism, Archie P. Jones (116).

Philanthropy, Romans 13, and the Regulative Principle of the State, Jim West (172).

The Word of God Versus the Totalitarian State, R. B. Kuiper (198).

2. Christian Reconstruction

The Necessity of the Christian School, J. Gresham Machen (227).

3. Book Reviews

The Professional: A Biography of J. B. Saunders, by Otto Scott. Reviewed by Judy Ishkanian (242).

Christians and Marxists: The Mutual Challenge to Revolution, by Jose Miguez Bonino. Reviewed by David H. Chilton (248).

The Capitalist Reader, edited by Lawrence S. Stepelevich. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (254).

The Ethics of Freedom, by Jacques Ellul (translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley). Reviewed by Roger Wagner (257).

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 5, Number 2 (Winter 1978-79): Symposium on Puritanism and Law

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (6).

1. Symposium on Puritanism and Law

Introduction to Martin Bucer’s De Regno Christi, Chapter 60, Jack Sawyer (15).

Calvinism and “The Judicial Law of Moses”: An Historical Survey, James B. Jordan (25).

Samuel Rutherford and Puritan Political Theory, Richard Flinn (65).

Introduction to John Cotton’s Abstract of the Laws of New England, Greg L. Bahnsen (97) and John Cotton (105).

Nonautonomy and Some Puritan Dilemmas, Terrill I. Elniff (121).

The Salem Witch Trials, Kirk House (165).

Medieval Economics in Puritan New England, 1630-1660, Gary North (188).

2. Defenders of the Faith

John Knox, David H. Chilton (241).

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 6, Number 1 (Summer 1979): Symposium on Puritanism and Progress

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (5).

1. Symposium on Puritanism and Progress

The Puritan Doctrine of the Priesthood of All Believers, Rousas John Rushdoony (22).

Medieval Speculation, Puritanism, and Modern Science, Charles Dykes (38).

The Role of Puritan-Calvinism in the Rise of Modern Science, E. L. Hebden Taylor (62).

The Emergence of Postmillenialism in English Puritanism, James R. Payton Jr. (112).

Purity and Progress: New England’s First Generation, Aletha Joy Gilsdorf (137).

From Medieval Economics to Indecisive Pietism:, Gary North (173).

A Neo-Puritan Critic Replies (221).

2. Defenders of the Faith

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), Judy Ishkanian (224).

3. Christian Reconstruction

Introduction to William Symington’s Messiah the Prince, James B. Jordan (247) and William Symington (248).

Publication Schedule

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 6, Number 2 (Winter 1979-80): Symposium on Puritanism and Society

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (5).

1. Puritanism and Society

The Puritan Preaching Ministry in Old and New England, Allen C. Guelzo (17).

Cromwell and His Critics, David H. Chilton (46).

The Puritan Family and the Christian Economy, Richard Flinn (94).

The Woman’s Authority: Calvin to Edwards, Rita Mancha (109).

The Puritans and Sex, Edmund S. Morgan (125).

Puritanism and Music, James B. Jordan (139).

The Changing Views on Death in Puritan New England, 1630-1730, Gordon Geddes (167).

From Covenant to Contract, Gary North (193).

2. Contemporary Theological Trends

M. G. Kline on Theonomic Politics, Greg L. Bahnsen (244).

Publication Schedule

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 7, Number 1 (Summer 1980): Symposium on Inflation

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on Inflation

Isaiah’s Critique of Inflation, Gary North (19).

Inflation is Immoral, Tom Rose and Robert M. Metcalf (44).

Reflections on the Great German Inflation, Donald L. Kemmerer (55).

The Second German Inflation and the Destruction of the Mark (1933-1948), Hans Sennholz (71).

Ludwig Erhard and the German Economic “Miracle”, Bruce Bartlett (96).

Self-Inflation: Inflation Anthropology and Confidence in the Marketplace, Jim West (105).

The 100% Gold Standard: The Framework for a Stable Economy, Mark Skousen (134).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Historical Revisionism: Archaeology and the Conquest of Canaan, Stan F. Vaninger (144).

3. Contemporary Theological Trends

Berkouwer: The Evolution of a Twentieth-Century Theologian, Carl W. Bogue (175).

4. Defenders of the Faith

James Henley Thornwell, Tommy Rogers (226).

5. Book Reviews

The Golden Constant: The English and American Experience, 1560-1976, by Roy W. Jastram. Reviewed by Gary North (266).

CAPITALI$M: Sources of Hostility, edited by Ernest van den Haag. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (275).

The Invisible Government, by Dan Smoot. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (278).

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 7, Number 2 (1981): Symposium on Evangelism

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (6).

1. Symposium on Evangelism

Evangelism and Dominion, Rousas John Rushdoony (18).

The Greatness of the Great Commission, Kenneth J. Gentry Jr. (29).

Will Christ Return “At Any Moment”?, Herbert Bowsher (65).

Evangelism, Francis E. Mahaffy (80).

Evangelism and the Reformed Faith, Jefferson G. Duckett (97).

God’s Hospitality and Holistic Evangelism, James B. Jordan (112).

Bread-and-Butter Neighborhood Evangelism, Gary North (145).

Church Renewal: The Real Story (178).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Historical Revisionism: Mesopotamian Chronology, Donovan Courville (203).

No Close Encounters, James B. Jordan (231).

3. Contemporary Theological Trends

Theological Double Talk, P. Richard Flinn (238).

4. Book Reviews

The Squeeze, by James Dale Davidson. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (250).

Publication Schedule

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 8, Number 1 (Summer 1981): Symposium on Social Action

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Gary North (7).

1. Symposium on Social Action

Comprehensive Redemption: A Theology for Social Action, Gary North (17).

Evangelical Social Action, Kerby Anderson (51).

Christ’s Kingdom: How Shall We Build?, Tom Rose (69).

An Epistemology for Dominion, Tommy W. Rogers (95).

The Imperative of Christian Action: Getting Involved as a Biblical Duty, Archie P. Jones (113).

The Case of the Missing Blueprints, David H. Chilton (168).

The Biblical Basis for Survival Preparation, Michael R. Gilstrap (196).

Faith and Freedom: The Story of the English Abolition Movement, Edward P. Coleson (209).

“The Great Reversal”, George M. Marsden (228).

2. Christian Reconstruction

God Versus Caesar: Taking Steps To Protect Church Schools, John W. Whitehead (244).

3. Defenders of the Faith

Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A Lesson in Preparation Under the Hand of God, Rickey Cotton (251).

4. Book Reviews

Fundamentalism and American Culture: The Shaping of Twentieth Century Evangelicalism, 1870-1925, by George M. Marsden. Reviewed by James M. Peters (258).

Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt-Manipulators, by David Chilton. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers.

Wealth and Poverty, by George Gilder. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (272).

The New Night: We’re Ready to Lead, by Richard A. Viguerie. Reviewed by Vern Crisler (279).

Publication Schedule Volume IX

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 8, Number 2 (Winter 1982): Symposium on Atonement

Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, Douglas Kelley (7).

1. Symposium on the Atonement

The Atonement Analyzed and Applied, Rousas John Rushdoony (15).

Propitiation, William Still (46).

The Pastoral Usage of the Atonement, Bill Kellogg (57).

The Atonement in Irenaeus of Lyon, Douglas Kelly (77).

2. Christian Reconstruction

Animism in Science, Magnus Verbrugge, M.D., F.R.C.S. (C.) (106).

What I Believe Today, Cornelius Van Til (141).

3. Contemporary Theological Trends

Grease, John A. Nelson (150).

The Christian Case Against Abortion, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr. (155).

4. Defenders of the Faith

Lester Roloff: An Extended Review of His Recent Biography, Caroline S. Kelly (205).

The Atoning Death of Christ, by Ronald S. Wallace. Reviewed by Douglas Kelly (214).

Reformatio Perennis: Essays on Calvin and The Reformation in Honor of Ford Lewis Battles, edited by B. A. Gerrish in collaboration with Roberto Benedetto. Reviewed by Douglas Kelly (216).

The Bible for Every Day: Abraham, Genesis 12-23, by Ronald S. Wallace. Reviewed by Douglas Kelly.

Medicine Out of Control: The Anatomy of a Malignant Technology, by Richard Taylor. Reviewed by Ian Hodge (223).

“Reaganomics”: $upply $ide Economics in Action, by Bruce Bartlett. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (228).

Social Security: The Inherent Contradiction, by Peter J. Ferrara. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers.

The Future Under President Reagan, edited by Wayne Valis. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (233).

The Government Against the Economy, by George Reisman, Introduction by William E. Simon. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (237).

Is Public Education Necessary? by Samuel L. Blumenfeld. Reviewed by Tommy W. Rogers (237).

Publication Schedule Volume 9

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 9, Number 1 & 2 (Winter 1982-83): Symposium on Christian Reconstruction in the Western World Today.

List of Contributors to This Issue

Editor’s Introduction, Douglas F. Kelly (13).

1. Symposium on Christian Reconstruction in the Western World Today

The Victory of His Cause, Ray Joseph (21).

The Present Struggle for Christian Reconstruction in the United States, Douglas F. Kelly (30).

2. Reconstruction in Church

The Ministry of the Word, James Philip (43).

Rev. E. V. Hill and the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, R. J. Rushdoony (86).

Good News Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. in Pasadena, CA, Carlos D. Caldwell, Pastor (87).

A Summary Report of the Spiritual Center Church of Oxnard, CA, Jim Gilmer (90)

3. Reconstruction Through Ministries of Compassion

Voice of Calvary Ministries: A Case Study, John M. Perkins (98).

World Impact, R. J. Rushdoony (105).

Higher Heights Christian School Community Assistance Program, R. J. Rushdoony (106).

The Need of the Poor and Our Response, J. Paul Landrey (107).

Reconstruction Behind Closed Doors, Rev. Darrell S. Sutton, T.H.B. (118).

Some Theological Considerations of Prison Ministry, Howard Ahmanson (125).

Christ is the Answer: Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises, Lester Roloff (127).

4. Reconstruction Through Christian Education

The Christian School: Arenas and Targets for Reconstruction, Robert L. Alderman (132).

Foundation For Christian Education in America, Melvin G. Hodges (140).

What Miracles God Has Wrought, Margaret Aikens Jenkins (142).

Valley Christian University and Related Ministries, Murray Norris (150).

Basic Education Curriculum, Duane H. Martin (156).

God’s Emerging Army, Lee Grady (157).

Model Building in Christian Higher Education, Verne R. Kennedy, President, Belhaven College (164).

Work in Progress: Christian Heritage Foundation; A Restoration Ministry, Donald E. Seim (169).

5. Reconstruction Through Ministries of Intellectual Renewal

The Vision of Chalcedon, R. J. Rushdoony (174).

Christian Parents Association of the Canton of Vaud, J. M. Berthoud, Secretary for the Committee (183).

Rutherford House News, Nigel M. de S. Cameron (197).

The Issacharian Report, P. Richard Flinn (201).

6. Reconstruction Through Systematic Theology and Biblical Studies

You Can’t Split Rotten Wood, Martin G. Selbrede (207).

The Chronology of the Judges, J. H. John Peet (216).

Feminine Spirituality, Theodore P. Letis (243).

7. Reconstruction Through Family Life

The Trustee Family and Economics, R. J. Rushdoony (266).

Family Reconstruction, Byron Snapp (274).

8. Reconstruction Through Politics

Why and How Christians Must Be Involved in Moral Issues, Dr. William Monroe (295).

A Small Church Can Make a Difference in Government, Claude Patterson, Mayor, City of Appleton City, Missouri (301).

The California Roundtable, Ron Zielinski (302).

Bob Jones University v. United States of America, William Bentley Ball et al. (311).

9. Reconstruction in the Legal Field

Christian Conciliation Service of New Mexico, Phoebe Latimer (345).

A Blueprint for Judicial Reform, William Bentley Ball (348).

10. Reconstruction in the Arts

Christian Literature in Modern America, Otto J. Scott (375).

Reconstruction in Film and Television, John W. Saunders III (John Quade) (394).

The Christian Approach to Music, Martin G. Selbrede (436).

11. Reconstruction in Science

Creation Social Science and Humanities Society, Paul D. Ackerman (445).

Science and the Future: Covenantal or Apostate?, Richard Douglas Green (446).

12. Book Reviews

A Christian Manifesto, Francis A. Schaeffer. Reviewed by Howard Ahmanson (506).

On Learning to Read: The Child’s Fascination with Meaning, Bruno Bettelheim and Karen Zelan. Reviewed by Geoffrey Thomas (507).

Add to Your Faith: Biblical Teaching on Christian Maturity, Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson; The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction, Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson; Discovering God’s Will, Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson. Reviewed by Nigel M. de S. Cameron (510).

The Divine Inspiration of Holy Scripture, William J. Abraham. Reviewed by Nigel M. de S. Cameron (514).

Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians and the Arts, Franky Schaeffer. Reviewed by Caroline S. Kelly (518).

The Flying Scotsman: A Biography, Sally Magnusson. Reviewed by Caroline S. Kelly (520).

The Failure of Imprisonment: An Australian Perspective, Roman Tomasic and Ian Dobinson. Reviewed by Ian Hodge (523).

The Sage of Lion’s Den: An Appreciation of the Character and Career of Lyon Gardiner Tyler and His Writings on Abraham Lincoln and the War Between the States, John E. Hobeika. Reviewed by Mark R. Rushdoony (527).

Crucial Questions in Apologetics, Mark M. Hanna. Reviewed by Michael Tuuri (530).

Unconditional Surrender: God’s Program for Victory, Gary North, Ph.D. Reviewed by Martin G. Selbrede (535).

At Odds: Women and the Family in America from the Revolution to the Present, Carl N. Degler. Reviewed by Peter Leithard (540).

The Protestant Temperament: Patterns of Child-Rearing, Religious Experience, and the Self in Early America, Philip J. Greven Jr. Reviewed by Peter Leithart (544).

Publication Schedule Volumes 10 and 11

The Ministry of Chalcedon

Volume 10, Number 1 (1983): Symposium on Media and the Arts

List of Contributors

Editor’s Introduction, “An Introduction to the Essays by John (Quade) Saunders” (9).

1. Symposium on the Media and the Arts

The Meaning and Greatness of Christian Art, R. J. Rushdoony (13).

The Myth of Neutrality in the Media, Franky Schaeffer V (24).

The Artist as Propagandist, Otto J. Scott (28).

A Christian Theory of Music, Martin G. Selbrede (42).

Christian-Based Communications, John W. Saunders III (aka John Quade) (53).

Biblical Law and the Cunning Artificer, James H. Griffith, Attorney at Law (69).

Ox for Hire, Joe Taylor (81).

Film: Lost & Found, Roy H. Wagner (88).

Making the Sale to Television, Richard E. Germaine (95).

Art and Capitalism: A Peace Treaty, Paul Lyons (107).

The Christian Theory of Drama, John W. Saunders III (aka John Quade) (122).

Humanistic Art as the Opium of the Masses, R. J. Rushdoony (126).

2. Christian Reconstruction

The Limits to State Interference in the World of Enterprise, Dr. Herman Dooyeward (131).

3. Contemporary Theological Trends

Recent French Roman Catholic Thinking on the Present State of Science, Jean-Marc Berthoud Lausanne, Switzerland (153).

On the Covenant of God with the Israelites, Jacques (James) Saurin (1677-1730) (179).

4. Book Reviews

John W. Whitehead, The Second American Revolution. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (197).

Gordon Clark, Behaviorism and Christianity. Reviewed by Bill Kellogg (199).

Norman L. Geisler, Decide for Yourself. Reviewed by Bill Kellogg (201).

Francis A. Schaeffer, The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer: A Christian World View. Vol. 1: A Christian View of Philosophy and Culture. Vol. 2: A Christian View of the Bible as Truth. Vol. 3: A Christian View of Spirituality. Vol. 4: A Christian View of the Church. Vol. 5: A Christian View of the West. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (205).

Carol Felsenthal, Phyllis Schafly: The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (207).

J. Kirby Anderson, Genetic Engineering, Contemporary Evangelic Perspectives Series.

Lane P. Lester, with James C. Hefley, Cloning: Miracle or Menace? Both reviewed by Richard Green (210).

Elgin Groseclose, America’s Money Machine: The Story of the Federal Reserve. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (214).

Melvin B. Krauss, Development Without Aid: Growth, Poverty, and Government. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (216).

Gary DeMar, God and Government: A Biblical and Historical Study, vol. 1. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (219).

Russell Kirk, John Randolph of Roanoke. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (223).

Nicholas Miller and John Stott, eds., Crime and the Responsible Community. Reviewed by Haven Bradford Gow, Literary Fellow, the Wilbur Foundation (225).

Richard B. McKenzie, ed., Plant Closings: Private or Public Choices. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (227).

Ludwig Von Mises, Planning for Freedom, and Sixteen other Essays and Addresses. Reviewed by Tommy Rogers (228).

Tom Sine, The Mustard Seed Conspiracy. Reviewed by Howard Ahmanson (231).

Franky Schaeffer V, A Time for Anger: The Myth of Neutrality. Reviewed by Caroline Kelly (234).

The Ministry of Chalcedon.

Volume 10, Number 2 (1984): Symposium on Christianity and Business

Our Contributors

Introduction: Symposium on Christianity and Business

Introduction by R. J. Rushdoony (7).

Introduction by Otto J. Scott (9).

1. Symposium on Christianity and Business

The Lesson of OPEC, Otto J. Scott (13).

Labor, Management, and the State, Otto J. Scott (30).

The Philosophy of the Free Market, R. J. Rushdoony (45).

How the Christian Will Reconquer Through Economics, R. J. Rushdoony (50).

Money, Inflation, and Morality, R. J. Rushdoony (58).

Biblical Law and Our Faith, R. J. Rushdoony (66).

Our Business World, R. J. Rushdoony (73).

A Profile: Industrial Chaplain at Love Box Company Inc., Don Scott (81).

Christian Economics, Robert D. Love (95).

Christianity and Business: A Review Article, Paul Doepke (106).

Manichaeus Goes Public, James H. Griffith (114).

What About the Thirty-Year Mortgage? The Committee for Godly and Profitable Living Lubbock, Texas (125).

The Impact of Old Believers upon Russian Society, Ellen C. Myers (129).

Toward Jubilee, Everett Ridley Taylor (202).

2. The Philosophy of Religion

Contemporary Continental Philosophy and Modern Culture, Douglas K. Erlandson, Ph.D. (218).

3. Book Reviews

Anthony Campolo, A Reasonable Faith: Responding to Secularism. Reviewed by Philip Rollinson, University of South Carolina (287).

Francis Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster. Reviewed by Howard Ahmanson (288).

McKendree R. Langley, The Practice of Political Spirituality: Episodes from the Public Career of Abraham Kuyper, 1879-1918. Reviewed by R. J. Rushdoony (291).

The Ministry of Chalcedon.

Eric Margolis on the Muslim Brotherhood

mitchell b powell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:38:01 +0000

I’m no expert on the Middle East, but I think it’s a safe bet to say that Eric Margolis is a better source on Egyptian politics than the entertainers in Congress and talk radio put together. In his articles, The Mideast Burns and Democracy or More Dictatorship for Egypt?, Eric Margolis lays out his thoughts on the Middle East, Egypt, and the Muslim brotherhood. Those who see a Jihadist behind every bush will not like his characterization of the group:

The Brotherhood is not an Iranian-style extreme Islamic movement, contrary to alarms being spread by neocons and the often poorly-informed US media.

In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood has long eschewed politics to concentrate on social, religious and educational issues. If anything, it has been ultra-conservative, even stodgy and timid. But it also represents the [sic] Washington’s best potential ally if Egypt’s military regime falls. We should not be misled by self-serving warnings about Islamic bogeymen.

– The Mideast Burns

Egypt’s venerable Muslim Brotherhood won some 48% of the vote, confirming it as the primary voice of 81 million Egyptians. In North America, the Brotherhood has long been wrongly branded an extremist, even terrorist organization by the seriously misinformed. This view is not only wrong, but harmful to US Mideast policy.

The Muslim Brotherhood is made up primarily of middle class, middle-aged professionals: doctors, engineers, lawyers. It is seriously stodgy and conservative. Many younger Egyptians derided it as “your grandfather’s party.” It sits squarely in the middle of Egypt’s political spectrum.

The Brotherhood’s political arm, its new Freedom and Justice Party, was patterned on Turkey’s highly successful, Islamic-lite AK Party of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan. Like Turkey’s AK, the Muslim Brotherhood is primarily concerned with social justice, education, health and welfare, areas almost totally neglected by the former Mubarak dictatorship.

– Democracy or Dictatorship

Of course, we also face the problem that Iran is most definitely not what the paranoid (like Santorum, who ludicrously called them “the equivalent of Al Qaeda” Monday night) think it to be. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.