What do you think?
Rate this book
The Confessional County
Product Description: Military strategist presents a biblical way to get out from God's judgment and proactively build the second Christendom at the county level.
Conservative Christians are beginning to admit we lost the culture war. Once a nation digresses from committing public sin to shamelessly celebrating it, God has given our culture over to a collective depraved mind. Strategic withdrawal, once considered alarmist and separatist, is now on the table. For the future of our families and Christian faith in America, many believe it is time to form our own communities.
In The Confessional County, Raymond Simmons does not recommend we form communities, but rather that we form small civilization, "Local Christendom." Our problems are more structural in nature. Autonomous laws and pluralism violate Scripture and put us under His judgment. The Confessional County presents the lost doctrine of social confessionalism. All-of-society, through representative heads, confesses and covenants to the reigning King Jesus.
The Confessional County suggests some Christians move to rural counties to establish Local Christendom. Biblical localism can be leveraged. God recognizes smaller societies as distinct and can bless them, even if they exist under a God-hating nation. Social confessionalism could, by God's grace, secure generational blessings and make the nations jealous.
Conservative Christians are beginning to admit we lost the culture war. Once a nation digresses from committing public sin to shamelessly celebrating it, God has given our culture over to a collective depraved mind. Strategic withdrawal, once considered alarmist and separatist, is now on the table. For the future of our families and Christian faith in America, many believe it is time to form our own communities.
In The Confessional County, Raymond Simmons does not recommend we form communities, but rather that we form small civilization, "Local Christendom." Our problems are more structural in nature. Autonomous laws and pluralism violate Scripture and put us under His judgment. The Confessional County presents the lost doctrine of social confessionalism. All-of-society, through representative heads, confesses and covenants to the reigning King Jesus.
The Confessional County suggests some Christians move to rural counties to establish Local Christendom. Biblical localism can be leveraged. God recognizes smaller societies as distinct and can bless them, even if they exist under a God-hating nation. Social confessionalism could, by God's grace, secure generational blessings and make the nations jealous.
- GenresChristianityCultural
205 pages, Paperback
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 23, 2022
I gave this five stars despite not being sure that I agree with his major premise. Nonetheless, the direction he takes Christians, the way he makes you think through how we can make specific geographical locations Christians, and his allowance for flexibility in application make this book worth your time. More and more Christians are realizing what Ray says in this book, we need to find ways to bring communities under the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes you think this through and then gives you some specific steps to move that direction. The book is worth your time.
I do think this could work in a city setting, though it would be more difficult. It would be interesting to take his principles and try to apply them to say a borough in NYC or a section of Dallas, TX.
I do think this could work in a city setting, though it would be more difficult. It would be interesting to take his principles and try to apply them to say a borough in NYC or a section of Dallas, TX.
July 31, 2023
Simmons outlines a new (but not really new) way of doing missions. Using Biblical and historical arguments, he gives a strong basis for his plan for a confessional county. I don't agree with all his theology, so I question some of his assumptions in some of his arguments, but I found his Biblical arguments to be reasonable and worthy of consideration, even if I disagree with some of his conclusions.
He is humble in his assessment. He is not claiming that this is the only way to do missions or that he was the one to come up with the idea. He cites numerous examples from history where this model was practiced, and he is simply building on the concept and applying it to 21st century America. He also recognizes the potential pitfalls of this model and gives plans on how those might be minimized. And multiple times he states that this way of doing missions is not for everyone, but it is a method that works alongside others for bringing the gospel to the world.
What I really loved about this book is that it caused me to revisit the Bible in a new way. Not to question the Bible's truthfulness, but to question whether I had perhaps missed some themes present there, spurring me on to dive deeper into the Word.
He is humble in his assessment. He is not claiming that this is the only way to do missions or that he was the one to come up with the idea. He cites numerous examples from history where this model was practiced, and he is simply building on the concept and applying it to 21st century America. He also recognizes the potential pitfalls of this model and gives plans on how those might be minimized. And multiple times he states that this way of doing missions is not for everyone, but it is a method that works alongside others for bringing the gospel to the world.
What I really loved about this book is that it caused me to revisit the Bible in a new way. Not to question the Bible's truthfulness, but to question whether I had perhaps missed some themes present there, spurring me on to dive deeper into the Word.
June 11, 2022
This was a fascinating read. I haven't read Dreher's benedict option but generally understand his thesis and disagree with it. Simmons sketches an interesting and encouraging counter plan. Lots of good principles and arguments for comprehensive Christianity and his strategies and plan for building culture and a confessional county seem very reasonable, doable, and Christ centered. However I'm not sure from this work alone I'm convinced of the principle of "land curses" and how to remove them. He does argue his case but it is not an in depth study and is simply an area of scripture I'm not certain on myself.
The three stars are because, first I'm not convinced yet of his overall thesis (which perhaps I will come to understanding later in which case, if he is correct, it is definitely 4 starts). He relies heavily on other authors (Rushdooney and Kuyper to name 2) and there are sections of the book where it feels like you're simply reading quotes rather than the authors own thoughts or argument.
Thankful for Mr Simmons and pray that his own labors towards this end would bear fruit that glorifies the Lord!
The three stars are because, first I'm not convinced yet of his overall thesis (which perhaps I will come to understanding later in which case, if he is correct, it is definitely 4 starts). He relies heavily on other authors (Rushdooney and Kuyper to name 2) and there are sections of the book where it feels like you're simply reading quotes rather than the authors own thoughts or argument.
Thankful for Mr Simmons and pray that his own labors towards this end would bear fruit that glorifies the Lord!
December 23, 2021
I do not share the author's same views on theonomy. That's perhaps the only reason I give this three stars. While the author leverages his teaching and ideas from a theonomic view of the old and new testaments, his practical ideas are not bound to this hermeneutic. I think there's a lot of wisdom here for Christians to glean from. He writes with the same concern as Dreher and Veith in their corresponding books, but does not land in the same spot, and with less inspiration and captivating narration. I would recommend Christians read this book side by side with some of Dreher's and Veith's works, among others for perspective. But what unites The Confessional County with some of these other contrasting views of Christian sociology is the clarion call for deep, genuine, committed Christian communities that are built and fortified to weather the coming storms.
October 12, 2021
A blueprint for the next 100 years. Read up Christians.
April 23, 2022
Paradigm shifting book!
August 11, 2024
Simmons is a military strategist and has some good practical details in the book. However, it is important to note that those details are based on America not Australia. The way our country runs is very different as well as the layout and makeup of our population.
Simmons says, “Even as God’s people seek to change the culture they live in, they are inescapably affected by it, especially over the long haul.” So, he asks, “Do we have ‘banks’ sufficient to hold back the manifold profaneness of our culture?” Because “Christian culture is putting God’s ethics into public action. That is what we are praying for when we pray God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Simmons says, “Even as God’s people seek to change the culture they live in, they are inescapably affected by it, especially over the long haul.” So, he asks, “Do we have ‘banks’ sufficient to hold back the manifold profaneness of our culture?” Because “Christian culture is putting God’s ethics into public action. That is what we are praying for when we pray God’s will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews