The New Geneva Christian Leadership Academy 
 
Advancing the Kingdom of Christ through Scholarship, Leadership and Action

Constitutional  Philosophy
COURSE NOTES
 

General Instructions and Course Overview:

Mission: This course, as with most of the courses at New Geneva,  is primarily structured as a workshop/discussion class, which includes lectures, readings, research, analysis and tactical brainstorming. After being instructed and stimulated from the course reading materials, and with guidance from the professor, each student will be challenged to actually use the learned material for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. Carefully planned strategy and logistical effects based tactics is the goal of this course.

 
Requirements: Each student is to show an in-depth understanding of the material presented, and must be able to produce a series of carefully written works accurately analyzing government policy in order to dispute erroneous modern governmental polity in light of the Covenant structure.

Reading & Resource Materials:    Primary Source Documents
                                                      Discipling the Nations 

Assignment: Throughout the course students will be asked to research certain topics, discuss them and take careful notes on the reading material. There will be one final exam paper on any topic covered in the class using primary and secondary resources in order to debate and argue a certain premise. The work must be polished and publishable on the New Geneva Blog site, and should be no less than 500 words.


Course Schedule

Segment 1


Class Discussion: Introduction to the course material, goal and purpose
Topics: Sovereignty, Magestry, Contract, Constitution, Covenant , Law, Oath, revelation vs Natural Law

Reading Assignments: Discipling The Nations (DTN) : Read Introduction & Chapters 1
Answer Review Questions, Read the U.S. Constitution


CD Lecture: Rev. Morecraft on Natural Law
Watch DVD: I Smell a Rat

→ Careful Notation is to be taken for each listening assignment
Segment 2
Class Discussion:
Discuss Chapter 1 from DTN, Natural Law vs The Revelation of God, The Structure of the Covenant, The Law of God as Supreme, Fundamental Principles of Government.

Research Project: Locate, Print, and review the original state charters from the 1600 and 1700s.

Reading Assignments : DTN Chapters 2&3 ; Answer Questions
Read and analyze the Mayflower Compact
(Note the titles given to the document before it was termed the Mayflower compact)

Listen to Lectures: MP3 Eidsmoe 7
 

Segment 3
Class Discussion:
°
Discuss Chapter 2&3 from DTN, Discuss the original state charters, Analyze the Mayflower compact, Discuss the relevance of God's Law to Government.

Reading Assignments: DTN Chapter 4 ; Answer Questions

Research Project: Locate, Print, and review the original state preambles of all 50 state constitutions.

Listen to Lectures: MP3 Eidsmoe 8

 

Segment 4
Class Discussion:
°
Discuss Chapter 4 from DTN. Begin to identify more of the problems. Begin to plan a reconstructive strategy of re-education. Discuss the Social Benefits of God's Law.

Reading Assignments:  Read the Magna Carta, identify Biblical Principles of law and government and be ready to discuss them.

Listen to Lectures: MP3 Eidsmoe 9-10

 

Segment 5
Class Discussion: Magna Carta, Dooms of Alfred, The Body of Liberties of 1636-41
Links:
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/masslib.html    

Reading Assignments: DTN Chapter 5-6 ; Answer Questions
 

Segment 6
Class Discussion: Chapter 5-6 DTN

Research Project: Review and Analyse the Fairfax Resolves.
Listen to the 2 Lectures by R.J. Rushdoony. Take notes

Reading Assignment: The Right of Revolution *

Resource: The Founder's Constitution/Index
 

Segment 7
Class Discussion: The Right of Revolution

Reading Assignment: DTN Chapters 7-8
DeBoer's
Christian Resistence *

Listen to Lectures: MP3 Eidsmoe 11

 

Segment 8
Class Discussion: DTN Chapters 7-8 ; History of Law

Reading Assignment: DTN Chapters 9
Listen to Lectures: MP3 Eidsmoe 12
 

Segment 9
Class Discussion: DTN Chapter 9 ; Romans 13 ; Lex Rex ;
Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos
(
A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrants) 

Reading Assignment: DTN Chapters 10-12
Listen to CD Lecture: Samuel Rutherford & Lex Rex
 

Segment 10
Class Discussion: DTN Chapter 10-12 ; Discuss strategies and Tactics
Final Essay