Definitions matter. If our definition of “theonomist” is simply “Someone who wants to see God’s rule and law obeyed,” then every Christian would be a theonomist. But discussions about theonomy have something more specific in view: the purpose of government, the proper end of law, and how the Mosaic Law applies to nations and governments today.
Several distinctions can be made among the theonomists of our day.[1] The term “Reconstructionist” describes an older brand of theonomist like R.J. Rushdoony, Gary North, and Greg Bahnsen. “General Equity theonomist” is the name a newer generation of theonomists, including Doug Wilson and James White, give themselves. There are still some Reconstructionist theonomists around today, but it’s the latter whose influence is expanding.
THEIR PLAN
Both Reconstructionists and General Equitists attract evangelicals who bemoan what they perceive as ineffective conservative Christian social engagement. Where the Reconstructionists gained adherents among those tired of dispensational hand-wringing, the General Equitists appeal to Christians disaffected with today’s prevailing models of evangelical cultural engagement, such as James Davison Hunter’s “faithful presence,” Tim Keller’s so-called “third-wayism,” or the popular phrase, “Jesus is neither a donkey nor an elephant.”
Against these, both brands of theonomists argue for a better way. They
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