The Chalcedon Podcast

Humanistic thinkers like Freud and Bertrand Russell believed that the decline of religion would follow the solving of societal ills while diminishing any sense of guilt. In this sense, they wanted to build a society free from religion, which would only mean that it would reconstructed by the religion of man. To achieve this would require rule by a scientific state acting as God and regulating every area of life and thought. As we can now see, this idealism took a nose dive as society eroded, especially along moral lines, and confusion and destruction are sapping the hope of the next generation. In this sense, humanism is suicidal, but a great return to Biblical Christianity is underway as a new governing class is developing through Christian education and a return to God’s law. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

The modern world witnesses a troubling drift, as many today, detached from history and divine purpose, see humans as merely “disposable.” This perspective is a far cry from the “dominion man” envisioned by the Scriptures—man made in God’s image to steward and lead creation with purpose. Tragically, this detachment from our intended role breeds societal unrest, leading us from one crisis to another. As we abandon our rightful place in history, we risk becoming its victims. In this episode, we dive deep into this paradigm. Which role will we choose: the disposable or the dominion? Join us to explore the path forward. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

The doctrine of selective depravity, favored by humanism, stipulates that certain people are inherently evil, creating conflict by targeting specific groups instead of addressing universal sin. This perspective distorts the biblical concept of salvation, replacing Christ’s role with a self-identified “righteous” segment of society. The doctrine fuels conflicts, as witnessed in the 20th century, and enables politicians to manipulate public sentiment by demonizing specific groups. Marxism effectively exploits this doctrine. Deeply ingrained in modern socio-political structures and education, the doctrine of selective depravity impedes genuine solutions, intensifying the problem with each “remedy.” This is the subject of Episode 36 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

Conspiracy theory has played a role in the margins of American society for more than two centuries, but it is now mainstream with the help of the internet and social media and myriads of self-appointed experts. But does the Bible discuss conspiracies? And if so, what should Christians do about it? R. J. Rushdoony had an extensive collection of books on conspiracies and addressed the subject several times throughout his works. To this day, his position is a unique one, and one that we feel is the Biblical approach to this subject. This is the subject of Episode 34 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

In the modern era, every decade brings a new public struggle over some aspect of the Bill of Rights. Still, the average citizen is not only unfamiliar with the contents of the Bill of Rights, they are equally unfamiliar with its origin, purpose, and the history that preceded it. Added to this is how we are to view these rights Biblically. Join us on this podcast as we dive deep into the Bill of Rights and explore the Bible’s primacy over all of man and his social contracts. This is the subject of Episode 33 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

Socialism is basically and essentially humanism applied to economics. Socialism denies economic laws; it plans to remake the world in terms of man’s welfare as seen by the planners. It is a government of men, not of laws, by men, not by law, and society is placed under man, not under God. A generation reared in humanism is bent on sacrificing law to suit the criminal, giving food to subsidize socialism; paying men not to work, appeasing criminals and Communists, and on pouring out its pity on the degenerates. This is the subject of Episode 32 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

The faith of modern man is Pelagianism, and Pelagianism believes in the natural goodness of man; it is not man who is evil but his environment. The state also is naturally good and is therefore to be trusted with all the powers necessary in order to cope with an evil environment. This is the subject of Episode 31 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

Syncretism is the “reconciliation or union of conflicting beliefs,” with a secondary definition being an “egregious compromise in religion or philosophy.” Biblically stated, man can have no other gods before Him; there can be no syncretism. Biblical revelation cannot be mixed with anything else. Yet, we live in an era of syncretism within the church. This is the subject of Episode 30 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

“The rights of man” is a political doctrine, and this is basic to its error. The assumption is that man’s freedom depends on and must come from the state. Now, certainly, the state can be a major enemy to man’s freedom, but it cannot be seen as the source of liberty. A “duty” is an obligation we owe to God or man, or to both. A “right” is a claim we make on the world, on men, and even on God, as in Adam’s case, who claimed with Eve the “right” to be as God (Gen. 3:5). The two are seriously at odds in our culture because we are at odds with God. A duty can be a legal obligation, but it is also always a moral obligation. This is the subject of Episode 29 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​

For well over 500 years now, Western civilization has been in a state of civil war, with two aspects thereof in a growing conflict with one another. These two contending forces are humanism and Christianity. Humanism began its rise to power in the medieval era, and its strength was such that it captured the church, much of the academic world, and the state as well. At the same time, however, the growing bankruptcy and imminent collapse of humanism has been increasingly in evidence. By replacing God with man as the new ultimate and absolute, humanism has introduced moral anarchy into the world. If every man is his own god and law, then no order is rationally possible. Humanism, having deified rationality, must now use the irrational and coercive power of the socialist state to hold society together. This is the subject of Episode 28 of the Chalcedon Podcast. Hosted by Mark Rushdoony, Martin Selbrede, and Andrea Schwartz 🎧The audio version of this podcast is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Just visit our website for more information. http://chalcedon.edu​ #rjrushdoony #chalcedonfoundation #humanism #theonomy #christianreconstruction