- Gary North (Christian Reconstructionist)
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For other people of the same name, see Gary North (disambiguation).
Gary Kilgore North 
Gary North speaking at the Mises Institute in 2004 after receiving the Rothbard Medal.Born February , 1942 Education Ph.D. in History, University of California, Riverside Occupation Christian Economist, Blogger, Author Known for Co-Founder of Christian Reconstructionism; Contributions to Austrian School of Economics Religion Christian Denomination Presbyterian Church in America Spouse Sharon Rushdoony Children Darcy, Lori, Scott, and Caleb Website http://www.garynorth.com/ Gary Kilgore North (born, February 1942) is an economic historian and publisher who prolifically writes on topics including economics, history, and Christian theology.
Contents
Education and Background
Gary North grew up in southern California, the son of FBI special agent Samuel W. North, Jr., and his wife, Peggy.[1] North converted to Christianity in high school and began frequenting right-wing bookstores in the Los Angeles area during his college years.[2] Between 1961 and 1963, while an undergraduate student, North became acquainted with the works of Austrian School economists Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, and Murray Rothbard. During the same period, he began reading the works of ultra-conservative Presbyterian minister Rousas John Rushdoony.[3] North made it his life's work to synthesize Austrian Economics with Rushdoony's theological conservatism. Starting in 1967, North became a frequent contributor to the libertarian journal The Freeman where he had first read their work.[4] He later joined the senior staff of the publisher, the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), 1971–73. North received a PhD in history from the University of California, Riverside in 1972. His dissertation was The Concept of Property in Puritan New England, 1630–1720.
He served as research assistant for libertarian Republican Congressman Ron Paul in Paul's first term (1976), and he shared a small office with the staunchly Calvinistic political philosopher, John W. Robbins, who later became a noted anti-Van Til, pro-Clark presuppositional apologist, author, and publisher. Also on the staff was economist and historian Bruce Bartlett, although in his pre-supply-side economics days. Many of North's articles have appeared on LewRockwell.com.
Y2K controversy
North gained some notoriety for his prediction of a possible Y2K catastrophe in print and online, before 2000. Like economists Don McAlvany,[5] Joel Skousen, Edward Yourdon[6] Ed Yardeni,[7] and many others, North suggested that a Y2K date-rollover failure of the global Information Technology (IT) infrastructure might precipitate severe disruption and perhaps even an economic collapse. North urged his readers to take "prudent" survivalist preparedness measures.[8] In the event there were no significant problems (dispute continues on whether because of remediation efforts or because the danger had been overstated), but North later described Y2K as "a close call." His web site Gary North's Y2K Links and Forums has been preserved at a mirror site.[9] North's Y2K forums[8] were all moderated by volunteer subject matter experts. For example, the Securing Your Home Forum was moderated by survival retreat expert Joel Skousen, and the Inventory and Barter Items Forum was moderated by the survivalist novelist James Wesley Rawles, who later went on to be a survivalist blogger and preparedness guru. North's main Y2K web site was taken offline early in 2000.
Political beliefs
North argues for the abolition of the fractional-reserve banking system and a return to the gold standard.[10] He also opposes the US Department of Education and Council on Higher Education Accreditation, claiming it is a "cartel" and the group has, in part, caused higher education to "become uniformly secular, liberal, and mediocre: raising the cost of entry."[11]
Religious Views and Affiliations
He is the founder of the publishing firm Institute for Christian Economics (ICE). The company reportedly got its start with a bequest from an anonymous benefactor. North never received a salary or book royalties for the 25 years of its existence. At North's request, the board disbanded the ICE in 2001. The assets were transferred to Dominion Educational Ministries, Inc., a non-profit organization that operates Christian day care centers. North is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America.
Rousas John Rushdoony, one of the founders of Christian Reconstructionism, was North's father-in-law, and North is a Christian Reconstructionist. The Institute for Christian Economics[12] published many Christian Reconstructionist books online. Christian Reconstructionists are also presuppositionalists in their approach to Christian apologetics as taught in modern Calvinism, and oppose natural law theory as a basis for civil law order.
Books and newsletters
North has authored or co-authored more than fifty books, most of which are available for free download.[13] For many years, North has been the author/editor of the newsletter The Remnant Review. More recently, he has also edited Gary North's Reality Check,[14] a widely-circulated free e-newsletter.
- 75 Bible Questions, 1986 ASIN B0006YN4P8
- A Study Guide To Gary North's Liberating Planet Earth, (Co-authored by Geoffrey W. Donnan, Jr. Charles W. Armstrong) 1991 ISBN 0930464427
- An Introduction To Christian Economics, 1973 ASIN B000T4BMKE
- Backward Christian Soldiers, 1984 ISBN 093046401X
- Baptized Patriarchalism: The Cult of the Family, 1995 ISBN 0930464710
- Boundaries and Dominion: An Economic Commentary of Leviticus, 1994 ISBN 0930464729
- Christian Reconstruction (Co-authored by Gary DeMar), 1991 ISBN 9780930464523
- Coase Theorem: A Study In Economic Epistemology, 1992 ISBN 0930464613
- Conspiracy: A Biblical View, 1996 ISBN 0930462114
- Conspiracy in Philadelphia: The Origins of the U.S. Constitution, 2004 e-book[15]
- Cooperation and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Romans, 2000
- Crossed Fingers: How the Liberals Captured the Presbyterian Church, 1996 ISBN 0930464745
- The Dominion Covenant: Genesis, 1987 ISBN 0930464036
- Dominion & Common Grace: The Biblical Basis of Progress, 1987 ISBN 0930464095
- Fighting Chance: Ten Feet to Survival (co-authored by Dr. Arthur B. Robinson), 1986 ISBN 0930462106
- Government By Emergency, 1986 (revised in 1992) ISBN 093046205X
- Healer Of The Nations: Biblical Principles for International Relations, 1987 ISBN 0930462211
- Heredaran La Tierra (in Spanish): Esquemas Biblicos para la Economia Politica (Biblical Principles for Economics), 1987 ISBN 0930464265
- The Hoax of Higher Criticism, 1989 ISBN 0930464303
- Honest Money: Biblical Principles of Money and Banking', 1986 ISBN 0930462157
- The Implosion Strategy: How to stay out of the black hole during the next recession and its aftermath, 1990 ISBN 1559261307
- Inherit The Earth: Biblical Principles for Economics, 1987 ISBN 0930462564
- Inheritance and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Deuteronomy, 1999 ISBN 0930464788
- Is The World Running Down?: Crisis in the Christian Worldview, 1988 ISBN 0930464133
- Judeo Christian Tradition: A Guide for the Perplexed, 1990 ISBN 0930464281
- La Liberation Del Planeta Tierra (in Spanish) Una Introduction a los prototipos Biblicos, 1987
- Leviticus: An Economic Commentary, 1994 ISBN 0930464729
- Liberating Planet Earth: An Introduction to Biblical Blueprints, 1987, revised in 1991 ISBN 0930462513
- Liberating Planet Earth (in Korean) An Introduction to Biblical Blueprints, 1987
- Lone Gunners for Jesus: Letters to Paul J. Hill, 1994 ISBN 0930464737
- Marx's Religion of Revolution: Regeneration Through Chaos, 1989 ISBN 093046415X
- Marx's Religion of Revolution (in Russian) Regeneration Through Chaos, 1994
- Millennialism And Social Theory, 1990 ISBN 0930464494
- Moses and Pharaoh: Dominion Religion vs. Power Religion, 1985 ISBN 0930464052
- Political Polytheism: The Myth of Pluralism, 1989 ISBN 093046432X
- Priorities and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Matthew, 2000
- Puritan Economic Experiments: Puritans and Government Controls, 1988 ISBN 0930464141
- Rapture Fever: Why Dispensationalism is Paralyzed Dispensationalism, 1993 ISBN 0930464672
- Salvation Through Inflation: The Economics of Social Credit, 1993 ISBN 0930464664
- Sanctions and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Numbers, 2000 ISBN 0930464761
- Sinai Strategy: Economics And The Ten Commandments (Part Two of North's commentary on Exodus), 1986 ASIN B001S1Y6J6
- Tactics of Christian Resistance, 1983 ISBN 0939404079
- Theology of Christian Resistance: A Symposium, 1983 ISBN 0939404052
- Theonomy: An Informed Response, 1991 ISBN 0930464591
- Tithing and the Church, 1994 ISBN 0930464699
- Tools of Dominion: The Case Laws of Exodus, 1990 ISBN 0930464109
- Treasure and Dominion: An Economic Commentary on Luke, 2000
- Trespassing For Dear Life: What About Operation Rescue?, 1989 ASIN B00071L36M
- Unconditional Surrender: God's Program for Victory, 1994 ISBN 0930464125
- Unholy Spirits: Occultism and New Age Humanism, 1994 ISBN 093046253X
- Victim's Rights: The Biblical View of Civil Justice, 1990 ISBN 0930464176
- Was Calvin a Theonomist?, 1990 ISBN 0930464362
- Westminster's Confession: The Abandonment of Van Til's Legacy, 1991 ISBN 0930464540
- When Justice Is Aborted: Biblical Standards For Non-Violent Resistance, 1989 ISBN 1559261242
Documentary and educational film
- Unknown History of the 20th Century (DVD) (2006) ASIN B000GABZ26
Quotes
There is no doubt that Christianity teaches pluralism, but a very special kind of pluralism: plural institutions under God's single comprehensive law system. It does not teach a pluralism of law structures, or a pluralism of moralities, for this sort of hypothetical legal pluralism (as distinguished from institutional pluralism) is always either polytheistic or humanistic...
In this structure of plural governments, the institutional churches serve as advisors to the other institutions (the Levitical function), but the churches can only pressure individual leaders through the threat of excommunication. As a restraining factor on unwarranted Church authority, an excommunication by one local church or denomination is always subject to review by another, if and when the excommunicated person seeks membership elsewhere. Thus, each of the three covenantal institutions is to be run under God, as interpreted by its lawfully elected or ordained leaders, with the advice of the churches, not their compulsion.The long-term goal of Christians in politics should be to gain exclusive control over the franchise. Those who refuse to submit publicly to the eternal sanctions of God by submitting to His Church’s public marks of the covenant – baptism and holy communion – must be denied citizenship, just as they were in ancient Israel. The way to achieve this political goal is through successful mass evangelism followed by constitutional revision.As a tactic for a short-run defense of the independent Christian school movement, the appeal to religious liberty is legitimate. Everyone who is attempting to impose a world-and-life view on a majority (or on a ruling minority) always uses some version of the liberty doctrine to buy himself and his movement some time, some organizational freedom, and some power. Still, nobody really believes in the whole idea. Politics always involves establishing one view of the 'holy commonwealth,' and excluding all other rival views. The Communist Party uses the right of free association to get an opportunity to create a society in which all such rights are illegal. The major churches of any society are all maneuvering for power, so that their idea of lawful legislation will become predominant. They are all perfectly willing to use the ideal of religious liberty as a device to gain power, until the day comes that abortion is legalized (denying the right of life to infants) or prohibited (denying the 'right of control over her own body,' after conception, to each woman). Everyone talks about religious liberty, but no one believes it.
So let us be blunt about it: we must use the doctrine of religious liberty to gain independence for Christian schools until we train up a generation of people who know that there is no religious neutrality, no neutral law, no neutral education, and no neutral civil government. Then they will get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God.The stranger in ancient Israel did not serve as a judge, although he received all the benefits of living in the land. The political question is this: By what biblical standard is the pagan to be granted the right to bring political sanctions against God's people? We recognize that unbelievers are not to vote in Church elections. Why should they be allowed to vote in civil elections in a covenanted Christian nation? Which judicial standards will they impose? By what other standard than the Bible?See also
- Christian fundamentalism
- Christian Reconstructionism
- Dominion Theology
- Neo-Calvinism
- Survivalism
- Theonomy
- Y2K
References
- ^ Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, Paducah, Ky (1997). Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. Turner Publishing. pp. 185.
- ^ North, Gary. "It All Began With Fred Schwarz". LewRockwell.com. http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north145.html. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ North, Gary. "R. J. Rushdoony, R.I.P.". LewRockwell.com. http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north33.html. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ North, Gary. "What Made Rothbard Great." Ludwig von Mises Institute. Mises.org. 28 July 2004. [1]
- ^ http://www.armageddonbooks.com/20tidal.html
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Y2K-Home-Preparation-Guide/dp/0130143065
- ^ http://www.gwu.edu/~y2k/categories/bigbusiness.html
- ^ a b http://www.dishangel.com/y2k/Discussion_Forums.htm
- ^ http://www.dishangel.com/y2k/
- ^ Oppenheimer, Mark. "‘Christian Economics’ Meets the Antiunion Movement". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/30/us/30beliefs.html. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ North, Gary. "The Coming Breakdown of the Academic Cartel." LewRockwell.com. [2]
- ^ www.reformed-theology.org/ice
- ^ http://www.entrewave.com/freebooks/sidefrm2.htm
- ^ http://www.garynorth.com/public/department50.cfm
- ^ http://www.scribd.com/doc/7396435/Conspiracy-in-Philadelphia-Origins-of-the-US-Constitution-by-Dr-Gary-North
External links
- North's official site
- Articles by North
- Mises on Money by Gary North
- Gary North writings available free to read online
- "Invitation to a Stoning: Getting cozy with theocrats" by Walter Olson, Reason, November 1998
- ‘Christian Economics’ Meets the Antiunion Movement, New York Times
- "Super-Cheap Accredited Colleges"—video by North, on YouTube
Austrian School economists Austrian School influences Founders Austrian methodology Peter Boettke • Bruce Caldwell • Thomas DiLorenzo • Richard Ebeling • Robert Higgs • Hans-Hermann Hoppe • Murray N. Rothbard • Joseph T. SalernoAustrian macroeconomics Benjamin Anderson • Frank Fetter • Roger Garrison • Steven Horwitz • Jesús Huerta de Soto • Ludwig Lachmann • George Selgin • Hans Sennholz • Mark Skousen • Lawrence White • William A. Barnett • Trygve J. B. HoffAustrian microeconomics Walter Block • Gene Callahan • Randall Holcombe • Israel Kirzner • Peter Leeson • Fritz Machlup • Robert P. MurphyPublic figures Categories:- Austrian School economists
- 1942 births
- American Presbyterians
- Calvinist ministers and theologians
- American theologians
- American economics writers
- American finance and investment writers
- Survivalists
- American bloggers
- Living people
- Christian Reconstructionism
- Christian philosophers
- University of California, Riverside alumni
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