In episode 337 Bob speaks with Gregory Baus who is, along with Kerry Baldwin, a co-host of the Reformed Libertarians Podcast. He’s a long-time student of Reformed theology and philosophy, a sometimes freelance tutor, and an independent researcher. He and Kerry are writing an ebook, introducing some key ideas of Reformed libertarianism, and you can sign-up for email updates at the bottom of their website (see Contact).
The focus of our conversation is what Reformed theology is and a particular application for what Reformed libertarianism is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc0IDHRtLus
Main Points of Discussion
00:00 Introduction
03:27 How the Reformed Faith is defined; historical Reformed confessions
05:09 What makes one Protestant? The 5 Solas
07:40 Canons of Dort (T.U.L.I.P.) as distinguishing a Reformed (Calvinistic) view of salvation from classical Arminianism
09:59 Church background in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
12:23 Reformed distinctive of limited atonement;
the causal ground (efficient cause) of a sinner’s salvation is Christ’s historical work of salvation (obtaining perfect righteousness and satisfaction of God’s justice) on that sinner’s behalf (as their representative/substitute). All and only those for whom Christ’s saving work was rendered will be saved. God doesn’t make salvation merely possible for all, He makes it actual for some.
23:13 How Gregory became a libertarian anarchist
28:48 Historical background of Reformed libertarianism in English Civil War and The Levellers
31:35 advert
32:54 Cont… historical background; Reformed disestablishmentarianism and Reformed Political Resistance
42:20 Accounting for affinities between Reformed Faith and libertarianism:
dispositional, historical, and principial (ethical/doctrinal)
58:13 The inherent ultimate religious basis of all theory (even for “non-religious” persons)
1:01:06 rabbit trail: There are dozens of us!
1:03:47 advert
1:04:45 Cont… Ultimate religious basis of all theory
1:11:18 How self-ownership is compatible with Reformed Faith;
concerns normative ‘horizontal’ neighbor relation
1:21:29 How Romans 13 is compatible with libertarianism;
it concerns a prescriptive ‘ordination’ of administering civil justice, not a providential ordination of de facto power
1:27:07 How old Mosaic covenant is compatible with Reformed libertarianism;
it was a (non-libertarian, but not NAP-violating since uniquely God-instituted) temporary typological arrangement, now obsolete
Additional Resources
- The Bob Murphy Show episode 337 with Gregory Baus
- About Gregory Baus
- The Reformed Libertarians Podcast (RLP)
- Religious disestablishment from the time of the English Civil War
- American independence as Presbyterian rebellion
- Westminster Confession and catechisms
- The 5 “Solas” (distinctives of Protestantism)
- Canons of Dort (T.U.L.I.P., tho originally presented as “u.l. t/i. p.”)
- RC Sproul’s series on Reformed Theology
- RLP Episode 2 & Episode 6, on Romans 13 (see also answers to objections)
- RLP Episode 3, arguments for anarchism (see also Roderick Long’s 10th lecture, also here)
- RLP Episode 16, elements of Reformed Covenant Theology
- “Against Civil Establishment of Religion” by Gregory Baus
- Covenant theology and the Conquest of Canaan
- Reformed theology against all forms of theonomy