Calum McCracken III

Episode 23,   Oct 11, 2023, 09:14 PM

This is my third conversation with Calum McCracken. We continue exploring the place of religion in shaping political movements and focus on the rise of Christian Reconstructionism and its current shape, Christian Nationalism.

My conversation with Calum began during his undergraduate studies. We talked about his interests in the political life of a number of countries, on international relations and issues of human rights as both a civil gift and a challenge for some cultural communities. We have also talked about the difficult issues often found in the public square and how we might deepen public understanding across the usual political silos.


In this, our third conversation, Calum walks into the origins of Christian Nationalism. Our reflection ranges from the origins of the United States and its puritan and Calvinist patrimony. We explore the legacy of Christian Dominionism under the leadership of R. J. Rushdoony, the seeds of contemporary movements of Christian Nationalism. What are the fears at work surfacing this movement? How does racism and patriarchy figure in how it has unfolded? Why is pluralism anathema to those who claim they want to restore biblical law in the public square? These and other questions shape our conversation together.  


Welcome to our conversation.