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A Biblical Reflection
It’s true, power is one of those realities that we simply can’t escape. Whether acknowledged or denied, used for good or abused for evil, power is always present. From the smallest family unit to the vast structures of global politics, power shapes human life.
The great question is not whether power exists, but whether it will be exercised faithfully under God or twisted toward tyranny. R. J. Rushdoony, a pretty sharp Christian thinker, wrote extensively on this theme, especially in his discussions of dominion, law, and society.
His insights remind us that power is inescapable, and that Christians must learn to use it in accordance with God’s law if they are to resist the false alternatives of anarchy or despotism.
Dominion vs. Domination
Rushdoony consistently drew a clear line between dominion and domination. Dominion, as rooted in Genesis 1:26–28, is God’s call for us, as His image-bearers, to exercise authority over creation.
It’s a stewardship, a service under the ultimate sovereignty of God. On the other hand, domination is the result of man’s attempt to seize power apart from God, leading to tyranny, oppression, and disorder. This distinction underscores the gravity of our choices in wielding power.
Rushdoony observed that God’s law-word provides us with the pathway to dominion: the exercise of lawful power in harmony with divine order. When we reject this law, we do not cease to exercise power… instead, our dominion turns into domination, and we become tyrants over others. This historical dynamic, as Rushdoony noted, underscores the necessity of aligning our actions with God’s law to prevent society from defaulting to coercion and oppression.
The Inescapability of Dominion
In his lecture Dominion Man, Rushdoony asserted that man, as image-bearer of God, is “inescapably concerned with dominion.” Even unbelievers, though they reject God’s sovereignty, cannot escape the impulse to rule and shape the world. Human beings will always organize, govern, and exercise authority… whether in the home, church, marketplace, or state. The question is whether they will do so in submission to God’s revealed law, or in rebellion against Him.
That’s why Rushdoony insisted that the category of dominion cannot be erased from human life. Efforts to eliminate authority structures, as in radical anarchism, merely replace one kind of dominion with another, often harsher form. Denials of God’s authority inevitably lead to the absolutizing of man’s authority. Thus, the inescapability of dominion underscores the need for a biblical grounding of power, lest it devolve into domination.
Power and Social Structures
Rushdoony also tied the question of power to practical social structures, particularly in his reflections on tithing and the life of the church. He argued that when Christians fail to tithe, they surrender power to the state or to wealthy elites, allowing them to control the direction of society. The tithe, properly practiced, decentralizes power, supporting godly institutions and ensuring that no single human authority becomes absolute.
In this sense, power is not only inescapable but also redistributive. If God’s people fail to exercise dominion through faithfulness, others will step into the void created by unfaithfulness. In Rushdoony’s words, society cannot function without the exercise of power.
If the faithful refuse to take up their role, the ungodly will gladly assume it. This is why biblical stewardship of money, influence, and authority is so critical: it prevents the rise of centralized tyranny and preserves liberty under God.
Dominion as the Alternative to Tyranny
The centrality of dominion stewardship in Rushdoony’s thought highlights a crucial truth: a biblical understanding of power is the only real alternative to tyranny. Without God’s law as the boundary and guide, power inevitably becomes destructive.
Rushdoony often emphasized that the cosmos itself is structured around divine authority. To reject God’s order is not to escape authority, but to submit to false and destructive authorities. As Proverbs 29:2 teaches, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
All this means is that the solution to the misuse of power is not the elimination of power itself, but its reorientation to the purposes of God. Christians shouldn’t shrink from exercising stewardship dominion in their God-given spheres… family, church, education, economics, and civil society. To do otherwise is to leave the field open for ungodly domination.
The Broader Theological Frame: Man’s Inescapable Religion
Underlying Rushdoony’s teaching on power is his broader conviction that man is inescapably religious. In fact, even atheists operate from a framework of faith, deriving categories of meaning and authority from borrowed biblical capital.
Similarly, power is absolutely inescapable. As a result, every human relationship involves some form of authority, influence, and responsibility. Whether acknowledged or not, the question of power is always theological, because it reflects either submission to or rejection of God’s sovereignty.
Rushdoony also argued that neutrality is a myth. Just as man cannot escape being religious, he can’t escape exercising or submitting to power. The real question is… Whose authority governs our exercise of power? God’s or man’s?
Conclusion: Stewardship, Not Domination
The inescapable nature of power confronts every Christian with a choice. Will we exercise dominion under God’s law, or will we permit domination to prevail? Power itself is not evil; it is God’s gift, meant to be stewarded for His glory and the good of others. But like all gifts, it can be perverted when severed from its source.
Rushdoony’s insights remind us that stewardship dominion is not optional. Families, churches, and societies will always be shaped by some exercise of power. The challenge for the Christian is to wield that power in the pattern of Christ, who is both King and Servant. His authority was expressed not in coercion, but in sacrificial love (Philippians 2:5–11). This means the biblical model of dominion is neither weak nor oppressive. Rather, it’s strong stewardship under God, expressed through service and justice.
Lastly, in a world that fears power because it has so often seen it abused, Christians need to recover a vision of stewardship dominion as God intended. Yes, the earth indeed groans under domination, but it longs for faithful dominion.
And in Christ, that calling is restored… power is no longer the tool of tyranny, but the means by which God’s people manifest His kingdom in every sphere of life.
