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By “Reformed” we mean a view of the Bible’s teaching that is summarized in the historical doctrinal standards (statements of faith) affirmed by Reformed churches, such as the Westminster Standards (Confession Of Faith, Larger Catechism, Shorter Catechism), the Three Forms Of Unity (the Belgic Confession Of Faith, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons Of Dort), and the Second Helvetic Confession.
A Reformed Christian is one who affirms a Reformed doctrinal standard as a summary of the Bible’s teaching.
We address this in Episode 1. We further explain that as Reformed Christians we are not “Evangelicals,” in the sense of the form of Christianity that rose to prominence since the so-called 2nd Great Awakening (from the early 1800s), which rejects the historical statements of faith that define classical Protestantism.
As Reformed libertarians, we hold to the corrected forms of the Westminster Confession (American revision, 1788) and of the Belgic Confession (American revision, 1958), particularly their “disestablishmentarian” view of civil governance. These corrections rejected the idea that civil rulers should outlaw public expression of non-Reformed Christianity.
By “libertarian” we do not refer to any political party. Nor do we refer to so-called “libertarian free will,” which is an erroneous metaphysical view that rejects God’s predetermining sovereignty. Nor do we refer to “libertinism,” which is an erroneous ethical view that rejects universal, objective moral obligation, or denies that there is such moral obligation beyond civil justice.
Rather, by “libertarian” we mean a belief in self-ownership, a certain view of property rights, and the corresponding obligation of non-aggression against the person and property of others, and the fuller political philosophy following from these. The only legitimate use of coercion or physical force against the person and property of others is in proportional response to a prior initiation of such coercion.
One entailment of such libertarianism is the normativity of a fully free market. Any and all civil governance of, or coercive restrictions or regulations of the non-aggressive acquisition, ownership, use and exchange of resources is illegitimate.
Another view entailed by libertarianism is “anarchism,” or the denial of the state’s legitimacy. A state, by definition, is a monopoly in some territory on coercion and supreme decision-making. This necessarily involves enforcing a claim of ultimate control over the persons and property of others, which is aggression and inherently illegitimate. We affirm, however, the legitimacy of non-monopolistic civil governance. Civil governance is the coercive administration of civil justice, including the adjudication of civil justice disputes, and its accompanying rules and enforcement.
By “Reformed libertarian” we mean a Reformed Christian whose adherence to libertarianism is consciously grounded in the confessionally Reformed Faith or theology and a Reformed (Neo-Calvinist / Reformational) worldview or philosophy.
We specify some key points of a Reformed libertarian view in the Reformed Libertarianism “Statement and Principles.”
By “Neo-Calvinism” we mean a view of what is revealed in creation (sometimes called general revelation) through the perspective of a Reformed understanding of Scripture. This can be expressed in a worldview (a view of the basic nature of reality), or in academic philosophy and other particular fields of study.
A Neo-Calvinist view can be contrasted with scholasticism (variously modified Aristotelianism), and with biblicism (erroneous view of Scripture as though it teaches theories on various topics; eg, theonomy, nouthetic counseling, patriarchalism, forms of 6-24 young earth creationism).
What may be called “theological” Neo-Calvinism simply extends confessionally Reformed theology to address modern and postmodern issues arising after the 1600s.
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While individuals and societal communities would likely be better off if the US government restricted itself solely to those few powers delegated to it, as required by the 10th Amendment, either the Constitution authorizes the US government’s tyranny, or it has been powerless to prevent it. In either case such a constitution is unfit to exist.
We are not related in any way to any political party. We do not endorse any candidates, politicians, or parties.
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Anyone who has a credible profession of the gospel, we affirm as a fellow Christian, even if we believe their political and/or economic views are otherwise inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture and/or creational revelation.
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The Reformed Libertarians Podcast “arrow pine” logo is a stylized pine tree, representing our God-given right to liberty, with an upward arrow cut out in its center, representing our appeal to God in resistance to tyranny and promotion of just civil governance according to His ordinance.
For more about its historical background, see About Our Logo.
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