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Hayek: A Collaborative Biography pp 191–247Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Christian Reconstructionism and the Austrian School of Economics

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Part of the book series: Archival Insights into the Evolution of Economics ((AIEE))

Abstract

This chapter traces the relationship between the Austrian School of Economics and the little-known, but highly influential American theological and political movement called Christian Reconstructionism. Through biographical sketches of Christian Reconstruction pioneers Rousas John Rushdoony and Gary North, the chapter explores how the small-government, libertarian ethos of the Austrian School helped shape the anti-statist theological agenda of one of the primary intellectual engines behind the rise of the Religious Right in the United States. The chapter outlines how Austrian thinkers such as Hayek, Mises, Rothbard, and Sennholz contributed to a unique strain of political Christianity in the United States and, in turn, highlights how conservative Protestant ideas regarding economics and social organization helped shape the popular reception of the Austrian School in American culture.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religion, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

    Michael J. McVicar

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  1. Michael J. McVicar
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  1. Department of Economics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Robert Leeson

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McVicar, M.J. (2017). Christian Reconstructionism and the Austrian School of Economics. In: Leeson, R. (eds) Hayek: A Collaborative Biography. Archival Insights into the Evolution of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60708-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60708-5_5

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