Thanks to a question on an e-list, I've actually spent the evening researching dominionism, a movement I long ago relegated to the fringes of Christianity with Phelps and his friends. But the term will not die. And everyone, it seems, is a dominionist. Even Abeka users. I'm not terribly familiar with Abeka, so I don't know. Maybe they do have a hidden plot to take over the world and return to Old Testament law, stonings and all. But that isn't my impression.
I think my little curriculum choice (Principle Approach) has remained safely out of the limelight on this issue because it is small. And it takes a great deal of research to figure out exactly what it is we believe since we don't have a curriculum, per se. We have more of an idea and unifying set of principles.
But any Christian ministry which seeks to "restore" the nation and promote its Christian heritage seems to beg for the accusation of dominionist theology. There are people listed in the "like-minded" ministries section of FACE's website who are identified as or who identify themselves as "reconstructionists." Some of them even have interesting articles about theocracy, or government by God. But I'll stick directly with what FACE says on the topic, and what I personally believe. You could call it a theocracy of sorts, but this forms the basis of our homeschool and our beliefs about government:
For anyone with lingering doubts, I do not believe that dominionism is well-supported by scripture (emphasis mine):
I think my little curriculum choice (Principle Approach) has remained safely out of the limelight on this issue because it is small. And it takes a great deal of research to figure out exactly what it is we believe since we don't have a curriculum, per se. We have more of an idea and unifying set of principles.
But any Christian ministry which seeks to "restore" the nation and promote its Christian heritage seems to beg for the accusation of dominionist theology. There are people listed in the "like-minded" ministries section of FACE's website who are identified as or who identify themselves as "reconstructionists." Some of them even have interesting articles about theocracy, or government by God. But I'll stick directly with what FACE says on the topic, and what I personally believe. You could call it a theocracy of sorts, but this forms the basis of our homeschool and our beliefs about government:
In order to have true liberty, man must be governed internally by the Spirit of God rather than by external forces. Government is first individual, then extends to the home, church, and the community. This principle of self-government is God ruling internally from the heart of the individual. FACE.netIt is actually a pretty libertarian view of government, just that we believe that in the ideal, each individual is governed by God. It really is not much different than what John Adams wrote in a letter to Zabdiel Adams:
The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty.Virtue is inspired, not legislated. It is necessary to maintain the degree of liberty envisioned by our founders, but cannot be codified into law. More laws will not make the nation virtuous.
For anyone with lingering doubts, I do not believe that dominionism is well-supported by scripture (emphasis mine):
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. John 18:36Related Tags: dominionism, homeschooling, Christianity
