Christian Reconstructionism

religious movement

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Christian Reconstructionism is a movement associated with theonomy, which advocates for the application of biblical law to civil and criminal government. Key figures in this movement include R.J. Rushdoony, Greg Bahnsen, and Gary North. The term "theonomy" itself means "God's law". This perspective emphasizes a strict adherence to biblical principles as the foundation for societal structure and governance.1

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fundamentalism
Christian fundamentalism in the United States
…in the United States, the Christian Reconstructionists, advocated the creation of a state and society based on strict conformity to biblical law. But they constituted only a small minority of the activists in the Christian Right.)
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…in the United States, the Christian Reconstructionists, advocated the creation of a state and society based on strict conformity to biblical law. But they constituted only a small minority of the activists in the Christian Right.)
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theonomy
Core beliefs
Theonomic beliefs align with the Christian Reconstructionist aim to reestablish modern society on Christian principles. Whereas Reconstructionist doctrine emphasizes reshaping social structures and culture to orient them within a biblical framework, theonomists believe biblical law has always been relevant, especially the Mosaic Law, the legal code believed to have been…
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Theonomic beliefs align with the Christian Reconstructionist aim to reestablish modern society on Christian principles. Whereas Reconstructionist doctrine emphasizes reshaping social structures and culture to orient them within a biblical framework, theonomists believe biblical law has always been relevant, especially the Mosaic Law, the legal code believed to have been…
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