“The code of rugged individualism was a social fact,” writes C. Bradley Thompson, “not some idealized myth.”

“It began with a man, his axe, and his gun. American pioneers did not have medicare, medicaid, unemployment insurance, social security, food stamps, public housing, government schools, or Amtrak.”

“Shockingly (at least to us in the 21st Century) they lived their lives free of meddling government officers, inspectors, regulators, teachers, and social workers.”

“They cleared the land, they built homes, factories, hospitals, stores, roads, bridges, ships, schools, universities, opera houses, museums, and all other assets of a developing industrial nation, and they did it without the approval or assistance of government bureaucrats ” (A New Textbook of Americanism, 139 ff).

In this session of the Americanism Book Study we discuss Thompson’s understanding of the values that made America possible and that can restore her to prosperity and stability.

Listen to the podcast in the player below, or view the video here.

ABOUT THE BOOK STUDY:

The Americanism Book Study met from October 23rd to December 19th, 2021 to discuss A New Textbook of Americanism.

The goals of the group were to help our viewers:

-Meet Christians who care about individual rights and capitalism.
-Sharpen skills in defending America’s unique principles.
-Explore connections between Christianity and Ayn Rand’s political work.

This series of meetings laid the foundation for a larger discussion series, called the Objectivism Book Study. This latter project aims to provide a robust Christian response to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Why Christians Should Reconsider Ayn Rand

About Us (For the New Christian Intellectual)

Ayn Rand and Christianity?

Christianity + Western Civilization

The Plunder of the Egyptians

Americanism Book Study (Sign Up Page and Replays)

Objectivism Book Study (Sign Up Page and Replays)

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