Christian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine
anarchismAnarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state, as compulsory government, to be unnecessary, harmful, and/or undesirable, and favors the absence of the state ....
with
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. Christian anarchists believe that
freedomFreedom is the right to act according to ones will without being held up by the power of others. From a philosophical point of view, it can be defined as the capacity to determine your own choices...
is justified
spiritThe English word "spirit" has many differing meanings and connotations, but commonly refers to a supernatural being or essence — transcendent and therefore metaphysical in its nature: the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as "the non-physical part of a person"...
ually through the teachings of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. This has caused them to be critical of
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
and Church authority. Some believe all individuals can directly communicate with God, which negates the need for a system of clergy.
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
's
The Kingdom of God Is Within YouThe Kingdom of God Is Within You is the non-fiction magnum opus of Leo Tolstoy and was first published in Germany in 1894, after being banned in his home country of Russia...
is a key text in modern Christian anarchism. Christian anarchism is closer to communist anarchism than to individualist anarchism, except for some strains of Christian anarchism that appeared in America which are more individualistic.
The Life and Teaching of Jesus
More than any other text, the four
GospelA gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80...
s are used as the basis for Christian anarchism.
Dorothy DayDorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, distributist, anarchist, and devout Catholic convert...
,
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
,
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
and others constantly refer back to the words of Jesus in their social and political texts. For example, the title "The Kingdom of God is Within You" is a direct quote of Jesus from
LukeThe Gospel of Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension...
.
Dorothy DayDorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, distributist, anarchist, and devout Catholic convert...
and the
Catholic Worker MovementThe Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ." One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on...
particularly favored the
Works of MercyThe Works of Mercy or Acts of Mercy are actions and practices which the Roman Catholic Church considers expectations to be fulfilled by believers, and which are also recognized as spiritual aids amongst members of other denominations of Christianity...
(
MatthewThe Gospel of Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth...
), which were a recurring theme in both their writing and art.
Many Christian anarchists say that Jesus opposed the use of government power, even for supposedly good purposes like welfare. They point to , which says: "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over the people; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves ‘Benefactors.’ But you are not to be like that."
Jesus antagonised the ‘system’ ruled by Satan: "He sent me forth to preach a release to the captives, to send the crushed ones away with a release." (Luke 4:18,19, John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11, 17:16, 18:36). He was against human leadership (Matthew 23:8-12), and he refused to be made king (Matthew 4:8-10 John 6:15).
The first Christians opposed the primacy of the State: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men” (Acts 4:19, 5:29, 1 Corinthians 6:1-6); "Stripping the governments and the authorities bare, he exhibited them in open public as conquered, leading them in a triumphal procession by means of it.” (Colossians 2:15). Eschatology identifies the State with the wild beast (Revelation chapters 13, 14, 17) and predicts an end to oppression: "The meek ones will possess the earth." (Psalms 37:10,11,28).
The anarchist attitude comes from the
Old TestamentIn Christianity, the Old Testament is the collection of books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. These works correspond to the Hebrew Bible , with some variations and additions. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the comparable texts are known as the Septuagint, from the...
:
NimrodNimrod means "Rebellion"; was a Biblical Mesopotamian king mentioned in the Table of Nations. The term Nimrod when vague or general is applied to the means of hunter, normally to a person...
was disapproved for becoming a dominator (Genesis 10:8,9).
AbrahamAbraham is the founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Midianites and Edomite peoples, as described in the book of Genesis. He is widely regarded as the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and Muslims....
, who left civilization to life in tents, conflicted with Nimrod. (Jewish tradition Gen. R. Pesik. R.).
MosesMoses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
led the Hebrews out of captivity to live in the desert (Exodus 3:7,10), and the big nation remained three centuries without king: “In those days there was no king in Israel. As for everybody, what was right in his own eyes he was accustomed to do." (Judges 17:6, 21:25).
Gideon- Religion :* Gideon , an Israelite judge, appearing in the Book of Judges* Gideon , a figure in the Book of Mormon* Gideons International, distributor of copies of the Bible- Media :...
refused to be made king: "
JehovahJehovah is a transliteration of , a vocalized Hebrew variant of the tetragrammaton that occurs 6518 times in the Ben Chayyim Hebrew Text of 1525 A.D., on which the Old Testament of the King James Bible is based...
is the one who will rule over you." (Judges 8:23), and his son described the state as parasites (Judges 9:8-21).
SamuelSamuel is a leader of ancient Israel in the Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible....
then warned the Hebrews against the evils of a kingdom (1 Samuel 8:5-18). The prophets disapproved domination (Ecclesiastes 8:9, Jeremiah 25:34, Ezekiel 34:10, 45:8, Hosea 13:10,11), and a
God's kingdom of freedomThe Kingdom of God or Reign of God is a foundational concept in the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam....
was envisioned (Isaiah 2:4, 65:22).
The early Church
Some of the early Christian communities seem to have practiced certain features of anarchism. For example, the Jerusalem group, as described in
ActsThe Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book of the New Testament. It is commonly referred to as Acts and outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
, shared their money and labor equally and fairly among the members. From the earliest period, women and men seem to have shared religious duties equally, though the public offices, such as missionary work and Temple observances, seem to have been held exclusively by men.
However, it may be noted in Romans 16:1-2: "i commend to you Pheobe our sister, who is a servant (diakonos)of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also"
Referring here to Pheobe, the word rendered "servant" being in the Greek 'diakonos' (dee-ak'-on-os), the parallel English word being deaconess, and in the context of the above quote, this denotes a servant who is given servants to manage, in effect, a deaconess,one who delegates, a manager, though in most ways, Christianity did not differ from any of the other Jewish sects active in the ancient world.
Some, such as
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
and
Keith AkersKeith Akers is an American advocate of nonviolence, simple living and Christian vegetarianism.Akers graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1971 with B. A. in philosophy and was a professional computer programmer for many years. He is very active in the vegetarian community, as former president of...
, have claimed that a "shift" away from Jesus' practices and teachings of nonviolence,
simple livingSimple living is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the "more is better" pursuit of wealth and consumption...
and freedom occurred in the theology of
Paul of TarsusPaul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, ...
, see also
Paul of Tarsus and JudaismThe relationship between Paul of Tarsus and Judaism continues to be the subject of much scholarly research, as it is thought that Paul played an important role in the relationship between Christianity and Judaism as a whole....
. These individuals suggest that Christians should look at returning to pre-"
Pauline ChristianityPauline Christianity is a term used to refer to a branch of Early Christianity associated with the beliefs and doctrines espoused by Paul the Apostle through his writings. Most of orthodox Christianity relies heavily on these teachings and considers them to be amplifications and explanations of the...
". Although there is some evidence that egalitarian
Jewish ChristiansJewish Christians or Messianic Jew is a term with two meanings, a historical one and a contemporary one.The historical term refers to Early Christians of or attracted to Jewish culture...
existed shortly after Jesus's death, possibly including the
EbionitesThe Ebionites were a Jewish-Christian sect that insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites, which they interpreted in light of Jesus' expounding of the Law. They regarded Jesus as the Messiah but not as divine...
, the majority of Christians soon followed a more hierarchical religious structure, particularly after the
First Council of NicaeaThe First Council of Nicaea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325 CE...
(see also
First seven Ecumenical CouncilsIn the history of Christianity, the first seven Ecumenical Councils, from the First Council of Nicaea to the Second Council of Nicaea , represent an attempt to reach an orthodox consensus and to establish a unified Christendom. The East-West Schism, formally dated to 1054, was still almost three...
).
As the Christian community grew and spread, some prominent members began to advocate
legalismLegalism, in Christian theology, is a sometimes-pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on law or codes of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigor, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of...
and strict
obedienceObedience, in human behavior, is the quality of being obedient, which describes the act of carrying out commands, or being actuated.ef>Abate, Frank R. . . The Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus...
to church
doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings" or "instructions", taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
. This type of religious authority and adherence has been compared to the theological economy of Israelite sacrificial religion in the
second TempleThe Second Temple was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE. During this time, it was the center of Jewish worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the korbanot...
period which
Jesus directly attacked in throwing the money changers out of the Temple districtThe narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in all four Gospels in the New Testament. It occurs near the end of the Synoptic Gospels and near the start in the Gospel of John...
.
Other Christians say that Paul's teachings emphasized congregational autonomy, servant-like leadership within the churches, prohibitions on one-man rule even in a local church, and other practices which contrast with this claim. Evidence of this interpretation can be found in
GalatiansThe Epistle to the Galatians, also known as Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
3:28 .
The conversion of the Roman Empire
After the conversion of the emperor Emperor Constantine, Christianity was legalised under the
Edict of MilanThe Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine I and Licinius that proclaimed religious toleration in the Roman Empire...
in 313 bringing an end to the persecution of Christians. Some Christian anarchists argue that this merger of Church and state marks the beginning of the "
Constantinian shiftConstantinian shift is a term used by Anabaptist and Post-Christendom theologians to describe the political and theological aspects of the 4th-century process of Constantine's legalization of Christianity. The term was popularized by the Mennonite theologian John H...
", in which Christianity gradually came to be identified with the will of the ruling elite and, in some cases, a religious justification for the exercise of power.
Antinomianism
Some Christian anarchists self-identify as
antinomian, often meaning that they do not consider themselves subject to a moral law given by religious or other authorities, but most frequently applying to the Old Testament.
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was a pioneer settler in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Netherlands, and the unauthorized minister of a dissident church discussion group. Hutchinson held Bible meetings for women that soon had great appeal to men as well...
was among the early Christian anarchists in America in the 1600s, holding to a belief in the form of, or similar to,
individualist anarchismIndividualist anarchism refers to several traditions of thought within the anarchist movement that emphasize the individual and his/her will over any kinds of external determinants such as groups, society, traditions, and ideological systems. Individualist anarchism is not a single philosophy but...
, upholding the right of individuals to determine their own lives. Many base their beliefs upon an interpretation of the simple principles and historic messages of Jesus, such as the
Sermon on the MountIn the Gospel of St. Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount is a compilation of Jesus' sayings, epitomizing his moral teaching. According to chapters , Jesus of Nazareth gave this sermon on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd. Matthew groups Jesus' teachings into five discourses, of which...
, while others hold a
higher criticalHistorical criticism or higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that investigates the origins of a text: as applied in biblical studies it investigates the books of the Bible and compares them to other texts written at the same time, before, or recently after the text in question...
view of the Bible, allowing for more lenient interpretation.
Opponents of Christian anarchism, ranging from Jewish to Catholic to certain Protestant sects, have criticized the anarchist viewpoint for what they view as rejection of the "inerrant Word of God" and also of church leadership. They believe that there is a need for a law to maintain order, while anarchists claim that good people do not require a law. See also
Biblical law in ChristianityBiblical law in Christianity generally refers to a discussion of the applicability of Biblical law in a Christian context. This is also referred to as Mosaic Law, God's Law or Divine Law, and refers to the statements or principles of law and ethics contained in the Pentateuch or Torah , the first...
.
Mysticism
The
spiritualitySpirituality is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity....
of a Christian anarchist can be as diverse as in any Christian tradition. For Christian anarchists who have their roots in the New Testament their spirituality may be described as
mysticalChristian mysticism refers to the practice and experiential knowledge of deep prayer involving the person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. This approach and lifestyle is distinguished from more "mainstream" forms of Christian practice by its aim and depth of devotion...
but is also very orthodox. In both
Christian monasticismChristian Monasticism is a practice that began to develop early in the history of the Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures. It has come to be regulated by religious rules Christian Monasticism...
and
lay spiritualityIn religious organizations, the laity comprises all persons who are not clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the term lay priest...
certain elements of anarchism which, while being present in normative Christianity, move more to the forefront.
Thomas MertonThomas Merton was a 20th century American Catholic writer. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist and student of comparative religion. He wrote more than 70 books, mostly on spirituality, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Merton was a keen...
, for instance, in his introduction to a translation of the
Sayings of the Desert Fathers describes these early monastics as "Truly in certain sense 'anarchists,' and it will do no harm to think of them as such."
It is also written that "As of the 4th century A.D., the desert lands of Egypt saw the beginning of the longest-living anarchic society of all time: that of the Christian anachorites."
Directly, anarchists have borrowed from Quakerism the method of facilitation and meetings known as consensus decision making. This technique, which forms a fundamental part of Quaker worship, is used in most anarchist meetings.
Other anarchists would hold to the syncretisms of Christianity and the
New AgeThe New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature...
movement, which describes a broad movement of the late 20th century and contemporary
Western cultureWestern culture refers to cultures of European origin.The term "Western culture" is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies...
. It is characterized by an
eclecticEclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
and individual approach to spiritual exploration, such as mixing Christian principles with
meditationMeditation is used here as a broad term for practices done by a sole practitioner without much, if any, external aide, often for the purpose of self-transformation...
and
yogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
practices from the
EastThe term Eastern world refers very broadly to the various cultures, social structures and philosophical systems of "the East", namely Asia and Eastern Europe ....
. One could describe
SpiritualitySpirituality is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity....
as anarchic if it is seen as being based on individual freedom and choice rather than keeping within rigid boundaries.
Pacifism and nonviolence
Many Christian anarchists, such as
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
and
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
, are pacifists opposing the use of both proactive (offensive) and reactive (defensive) physical force. Hennacy believed that adherence to Christianity meant being a pacifist and, due to governments constantly threatening or using force to resolve conflicts, this meant being an anarchist. These
individualAs commonly used, individual refers to a person or to any specific object in a collection. In the 15th century and earlier, and also today within the fields of statistics and metaphysics, individual means "indivisible", typically describing any numerically singular thing, but sometimes meaning "a...
s believe
freedomPolitical freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression.The opposite of a free society is a totalitarian state, which highly restricts political freedom in order to regulate almost every aspect of behavior...
will only be guided by the grace of God if they show compassion to others and
turn the other cheekTurning the other cheek is a phrase in Christian doctrine that refers to responding to an aggressor without violence. The phrase originates from the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament.In the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:...
when confronted with violence. The links between other philosophies of Christian anarchists are also deeply tied to pacifism, more so than their equivalents in secular anarchism and state-sponsored churches.
A few of the key historic messages many Christian anarchists practice are the principles of
nonviolenceNonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. As such, nonviolence is an alternative to passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it...
,
nonresistanceNonresistance discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of nonviolence. Strict practitioners of nonresistance refuse to retaliate against an opponent or offer any form of self-defense. The teachings of Jesus Christ, especially the Sermon on the Mount, greatly influenced Leo...
and
turning the other cheekTurning the other cheek is a phrase in Christian doctrine that refers to responding to an aggressor without violence. The phrase originates from the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament.In the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:...
, which are illustrated in many passages of the
New TestamentThe New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament, both terms being associated with Supersessionism...
and
Hebrew BibleThe Hebrew Bible is a term referring to the books of the Jewish Bible as originally written mostly in Biblical Hebrew with some Biblical Aramaic...
(e.g. the sixth commandment,
Exodus 20:13 and
Deuteronomy 5:17, "You shall not murder").
Simple living
Christian anarchists, such as
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
, often follow a
simple lifestyleSimple living is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the "more is better" pursuit of wealth and consumption...
, for a variety of reasons, which may include environmental awareness or reducing taxable income.
States and state control
The most common challenge for the Biblical literalists is integrating the passage in
Romans 13:1–7 where Paul defends obedience to "governing authorities", arguing that "there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Christian anarchists who subscribe to Paul's teachings argue that this chapter is particularly worded to make it clear that organizations like the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
cannot qualify as governing authorities because they are not "approved" of God and do not recognize Him in word or action. If it could, then, according to Paul, "they [Christians] would have praise from the authorities" for doing good. Instead the early Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire for doing good, and became
martyrA martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce a belief, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s. Further, the "governing authorities" that are legitimate in the passage were never given the authority to make laws, merely to enforce the
natural lawNatural law or the law of nature is a theory that posits the existence of a law whose content is set by nature and that therefore has validity everywhere. The phrase natural law is opposed to the positive law of a given political community, society, or nation-state, and thus can function as a...
s against "doing harm to a neighbor" in verses 8-10 (see
tortTort law is a body of law that addresses, and provides remedies for, civil wrongs not arising out of contractual obligations. A person who suffers legal damages may be able to use tort law to receive compensation from someone who is legally responsible, or liable, for those injuries...
and
contractIn law, a contract is a binding legal agreement that is enforceable in a court of law. That is to say, a contract is an exchange of promises for the breach of which the law will provide a remedy....
law). This interpretation makes all
statuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a country, state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law and the regulations issued by...
laws of states illegitimate, except as they restate Biblical moral precepts. Some Christians subscribe to the belief that God did not establish all authorities on the earth.
A different interpretation of Romans 13 which is used to support Christian anarchism grants that the passage commands submission to all governing authorities, but points out that this does not equate to a vindication of those authorities. Vernard Eller articulates this position by restating the passage this way: "Be clear, any of those human [authorities] are where they are only because God is allowing them to be there. They exist only at his sufferance. And if God is willing to put up with ... the Roman Empire, you ought to be willing to put up with it, too. There is no indication God has called
you to clear it out of the way or get it converted for him. You can't fight an Empire without becoming
like the Roman Empire; so you had better leave such matters in God's hands where they belong." This was the position held by French philosopher and Christian anarchist
Jacques EllulJacques Ellul was a French philosopher, law professor, sociologist, lay theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society" and the intersection between Christianity and politics, such as Anarchy and Christianity —arguing that anarchism and Christianity...
.
Ernst Kaseman, in his
Commentary on Romans, has challenged the usual interpretations of Romans 13 in light of German Lutheran Churches using this passage as justification to support the Nazi holocaust. Others hold that Romans 13 teaches submission to the state while not encouraging or even condoning Christian participation in the workings of the state. According to this view Jesus submitted to the state while still refusing its means.
Another passage of the New Testament also appears to require some amount of harmonization with the ideals espoused by Christian anarchism. Hebrews 13:17 commands Christians to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority", without referencing to any circumstantial qualifications as to when this command applies.
There are other Christians, such as
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
, who do not see the need to integrate Paul's teachings in Romans 13:1–7 into their anarchist way of life. Ammon Hennacy believed "Paul spoiled the message of Christ"
http://www.catholicworker.com/ah_leave.htm.
Tax resistance
Some Christian anarchists resist taxes in the belief that their government is engaged in immoral, unethical or destructive activities, such as
warWar is a reciprocated, armed conflict, between two or more non-congruous entities, aimed at reorganising a subjectively designed, geo-politically desired result...
, and paying taxes inevitably funds these activities.
Adin BallouAdin Ballou was a prominent proponent of pacifism, socialism and abolitionism, and the founder of the Hopedale Community...
wrote that if the act of resisting taxes requires physical force to withhold what a government tries to take, then it is important to submit to taxation.
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
, who, like Ballou also believed in
nonresistanceNonresistance discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of nonviolence. Strict practitioners of nonresistance refuse to retaliate against an opponent or offer any form of self-defense. The teachings of Jesus Christ, especially the Sermon on the Mount, greatly influenced Leo...
, managed to resist taxes without using force.
Opponents cite that Jesus told his followers to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's," (Matthew 22:21) but that another interpretation for the passage is that it argues against material attachment.
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism in the Christian tradition has a long history commencing in the first centuries of
ChurchChristian Church and church Christian Church and church Christian Church and church (Greek kyriakon, "thing belonging to the Lord"; also ekklesia (Latinized as ecclesia, "assembly") are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a place of worship. In the phenomenological sense there...
with the
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers were Hermits, Ascetics and Monks who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt, beginning around the third century. They were the first Christian hermits, who abandoned the cities of the pagan world to live in solitude. These original desert hermits were Christians fleeing the...
and
Desert MothersMary of Egypt is revered as the patron saint of penitents, most particularly in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.-Life:...
who abandoned the "world of men" for intimacy with the
GodThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Each of the persons is understood as having the one...
of Jesus Christ. Vegetarianism amongst
hermitA hermit is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion from society....
s and
Christian monasticsA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
in the Eastern Christian and Roman Catholic traditions remains common to this day as a means of simplifying one's life, and as a practice of
asceticismAsceticism describes a life-style characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
. Many Christian anarchists, such as Tolstoy and Hennacy, extend their belief in nonviolence and compassion to all living beings through
vegetarianismVegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as...
or
veganismVeganism is a diet and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans endeavor not to use or consume animal products of any kind. The most common reasons for becoming a vegan are ethical commitment or moral conviction concerning animal rights,...
.
The Doukhobors
The origin of the
DoukhoborThe Doukhobors or Doukhabors , earlierDukhobortsy are a Christian group of Russian origin.The Doukhobors were one of the sects - later defined as a religious philosophy, ethnic group, social movement, or simply a "way of life" - known generically as Spiritual Christianity. The origin of the...
s dates back to 16th and 17th century
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The Doukhobors ("Spirit Wrestlers") are a radical Christian sect that maintains a belief in
pacifismPacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
and a communal lifestyle, while rejecting secular government. In 1899, the Doukhobors fled repression in Tsarist Russia and migrated to Canada, mostly in the provinces of
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of and a population of 1,023,810 , mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina...
and
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
. The funds for the trip were paid for by the Quakers and Russian novelist
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
. Canada was suggested to Leo Tolstoy as a safe-haven for the Doukhobors by anarchist
Peter KropotkinPeter Alexeyevich Kropotkin was a geographer, a zoologist, and one of Russia's foremost anarchists. One of the first advocates of anarchist communism, Kropotkin advocated a communist society free from central government. Because of his title of prince, he was known by some as "the Anarchist...
who, while on a speaking tour across the country, observed the religious tolerance experienced by the Mennonites.
Catholic Worker Movement
Established by
Peter MaurinPeter Maurin was a Catholic social activist who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement with Dorothy Day in 1933.- Biography :...
and
Dorothy DayDorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, distributist, anarchist, and devout Catholic convert...
in the early 1930s, The
Catholic Worker MovementThe Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ." One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on...
is a Christian movement dedicated to nonviolence and
simple livingSimple living is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the "more is better" pursuit of wealth and consumption...
. Over 130 Catholic Worker communities exist in the United States where "houses of hospitality" care for the homeless. The
Joe Hill HouseThe Joe Hill House was a Catholic Worker Movement house of hospitality in Salt Lake City, Utah co-founded in 1961 by Ammon Hennacy and Mary Lathrop...
of hospitality (which closed in 1968) in Salt Lake City, Utah featured an enormous twelve feet by fifteen foot mural of Jesus Christ and
Joe HillJoe Hill, born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, and also known as Joseph Hillström was a Swedish-American labor activist, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World . He was executed for murder after a controversial trial...
.
The Catholic Worker Movement has consistently protested against war and violence for over seven decades. Many of the leading figures in the movement have been both anarchists and pacifists. Catholic Worker
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
defined Christian anarchism as:
Maurin and Day were both baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church and believed in the institution, thus showing it is possible to be a Christian anarchist and still choose to remain within a church. After her death, Day was proposed for sainthood by the Claretian Missionaries in 1983.
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
granted the Archdiocese of New York permission to open Day's "cause" in March 2000, calling her a
Servant of GodServant of God is a title given to individuals who are members of different religions, but in general usage the phrase "servant of God" is used as a description of a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In early Christianity, as is still the case in the Eastern Orthodox...
.
Student Christian Movement
Streams within the
World Student Christian FederationThe World Student Christian Federation is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement...
, an international ecumenical network, follow anarchistic principles of Biblical interpretation, including non-creedal faith expressions, radical
social justiceSocial justice is a notion used to describe a society with a greater degree of economic egalitarianism through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution, policies aimed toward achieving that which developmental economists refer to as equality of opportunity and...
activism, non-hierarchical decision-making structures and commitment to resisting oppression and imperialism. Some member movements, or Student Christian Movements, openly embrace a Christian anarchist ethic and structure, for instance the
Student Christian Movement of CanadaThe Student Christian Movement of Canada is a youth-led ecumenical network of student collectives based in spirituality, issues of social, economic, and environmental justice, and building autonomous local communities on campuses across the country...
which makes decisions by consensus, adheres to a decentralized, autonomous structure and opposes hierarchies.
Anarchist quotations
Petr ChelčickýPetr Chelčický was a Christian and political leader and author in 15th century Bohemia from about 1420–60.-Chelčický's background:...
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
David LipscombDavid Lipscomb was an important minister, editor, and educator in the American Restoration Movement and one of the leaders of that movement, which, by 1906, had formalized a division into the Church of Christ and the Christian Church . James A...
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
Jacques EllulJacques Ellul was a French philosopher, law professor, sociologist, lay theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society" and the intersection between Christianity and politics, such as Anarchy and Christianity —arguing that anarchism and Christianity...
Nicolas Berdyaev
Bible passages cited by Christian anarchists
- My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).
- We are to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
- To seek rule by man is to reject the rule of God (1 Samuel 8).
- Christians struggle against governments, rulers, and spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12).
- Honest people are too busy making an honest living to accept political power, so only the corruptible will accept political power (Judges 9:7-15 The Parable of the Trees).
- The devil offers all kingdoms to Jesus in return for worshipping him.(Matthew 4:8-10).
- So I saw all this, and applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun; all the things wherein man has power over man to afflict him. (Ecclesiastes 8:9)
- And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule (Gr. archo) over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you...." (Mark 10:42-43a)
- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (Gr. Archos), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
List of key individuals
The following people may be considered key figures in the development of Christian anarchism. This does not mean that they were all Christian anarchists themselves (see :Category:Christian anarchists).
Adin Ballou:
Adin BallouAdin Ballou was a prominent proponent of pacifism, socialism and abolitionism, and the founder of the Hopedale Community...
(1803–1890) was founder of the Hopedale Community in what is now Hopedale, Massachusetts, and a prominent 19th century exponent of pacifism, socialism and
abolitionismAbolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and emancipate slaves in western Europe and the Americas. The slave system aroused little protest until the 18th century, when rationalist thinkers of the Enlightenment criticized it for violating the rights of man, and Quaker and other evangelical...
. Through his long career as a
UnitarianUnitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity ....
minister, he tirelessly sought social reform through his radical Christian and socialist views. Tolstoy was heavily influenced by his writings.
Henry David Thoreau:
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist...
(1817–1862) was an American author,
pacifistPacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
, nature lover,
tax resisterTax resistance is the refusal to willingly pay a tax because of opposition to the institution that is imposing the tax, or to some of that institution’s policies....
and individualist anarchist. He was an advocate of
civil disobedienceCivil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical violence. It is one of the primary methods of nonviolent resistance...
and a lifelong
abolitionistAbolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and emancipate slaves in western Europe and the Americas. The slave system aroused little protest until the 18th century, when rationalist thinkers of the Enlightenment criticized it for violating the rights of man, and Quaker and other evangelical...
. Though not commonly regarded as a Christian anarchist, his essay
Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. It argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of...
does include many of the Christian anarchist ideals.
William B. Greene: William B. Greene (1819–1878), an
individualist anarchistIndividualist anarchism refers to several traditions of thought within the anarchist movement that emphasize the individual and his/her will over any kinds of external determinants such as groups, society, traditions, and ideological systems. Individualist anarchism is not a single philosophy but...
based in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was a Unitarian minister, and the originator of a Christian Mutualism, which he considered a new dispensation, beyond God’s covenant with Abraham. His 1850
Mutual Banking begins with a discussion (drawn from the work of
Pierre LerouxPierre Leroux , French philosopher and political economist, was born at Bercy, now a part of Paris, the son of an artisan....
) of the Christian rite of communion as a model for a society based in equality, and ends with a prophetic invocation of the new Mutualist dispensation. His better-known scheme for mutual banking, and his criticisms of usury should be understood in this specifically religious context. Unlike his contemporaries among the
nonresistantsNonresistance discourages physical resistance to an enemy and is a subdivision of nonviolence. Strict practitioners of nonresistance refuse to retaliate against an opponent or offer any form of self-defense. The teachings of Jesus Christ, especially the Sermon on the Mount, greatly influenced Leo...
, Greene was not a pacifist, and served as a Union Army colonel in the American Civil War.
Leo Tolstoy:
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
(1828–1910) wrote extensively on his anarchist principles, which he arrived at via his Christian faith, in his books
The Kingdom of God is Within YouThe Kingdom of God Is Within You is the non-fiction magnum opus of Leo Tolstoy and was first published in Germany in 1894, after being banned in his home country of Russia...
,
What I Believe (aka My Religion), The Law of Love and the Law of Violence, and
Christianity and Patriotism which criticised government and the Church in general. He called for a society based on compassion, nonviolent principles and freedom. Tolstoy was a
pacifistPacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
and a
vegetarianVegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as...
. His vision for an equitable society was an anarchist version of
GeorgismGeorgism, named after Henry George , is a philosophy and economic ideology that holds that everyone owns what they create, but that everything found in nature, most importantly land, belongs equally to all of humanity. Georgism is also referred to as geoism, by those who feel a more generic term is...
, which he mentions specifically in his novel
ResurrectionResurrection , first published in 1899, was the last novel written by Leo Tolstoy.The book is the last of his major long fiction works published in his lifetime. Tolstoy intended the novel as an exposition of injustice of man-made laws and the hypocrisy of institutionalized church...
.
Nikolai Berdyaev:
Nikolai BerdyaevNikolai Alexandrovich Berdyaev was a Russian religious and political philosopher.-Early Life and Education:...
(1874–1948), the Orthodox Christian philosopher has been called the philosopher of freedom and is known as a Christian existentialist. Known for writing "the Kingdom of God is anarchy" he believed that freedom ultimately comes from God, in direct opposition to anarchists such as
Mikhail BakuninMikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism.Born in the Russian Empire to a family of Russian nobles, Bakunin spent his youth as a junior officer in the Russian army but resigned his commission in 1835...
, who saw God as the enslaver of humanity (symbolically; Bakunin was an
atheistAtheism can be either the rejection of theism,or the position that deities do not exist.In the broadest sense, it is the absence of belief in the existence of deities....
). Christian anarchists claim Man enslaves Man, not God.
Léonce Crenier:
Léonce CrenierLéonce Crenier was a Catholic monk who promoted the theological/political concept of Precarity.-Early years:Léonce Crenier was born in Ceton, a small village of the diocese of Séez, in Savoie, France, July 31, 1888...
(1888–1963) first rejected religion, becoming an anarcho-communist when he moved to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from rural
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
in 1911. In 1913 he visited his sister in
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
where he stayed for several years. During this period he suffered a debilitating and agonising illness. Receiving the attentions of a particularly caring nurse, he survived, despite the gloomy predictions of the doctors. Converting to Catholicism, he became a
monkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. He is particularly known for his concept of
precarityThe word precarity literally meant "precariousness", but is now used to mean existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare...
, and was influential on Dorothy Day.
Ammon Hennacy:
Ammon HennacyAmmon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
(1893–1970) wrote extensively on his work with the Catholic Workers, the IWW, and at the
Joe Hill HouseThe Joe Hill House was a Catholic Worker Movement house of hospitality in Salt Lake City, Utah co-founded in 1961 by Ammon Hennacy and Mary Lathrop...
of Hospitality. He was a practicing anarchist,
draft dodgerA draft dodger is a term, usually pejorative, that refers to a person who avoids the conscription policies of the nation in which he or she is a citizen or resident by leaving the country, going into hiding, or other attempts at fraudulent means...
, vegetarian, and tax resister. He also tried to reduce his tax liability by taking up a lifestyle of simple living and bartering. His autobiography
The Book of Ammon describes his work in nonviolent, anarchist, social action, and provides insight into the lives of Christian anarchists in the United States of the 20th century. His other books are
One Man Revolution in America and
The Autobiography of a Catholic Anarchist.
Dorothy Day:
Dorothy DayDorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist, distributist, anarchist, and devout Catholic convert...
(1897–1980) was a journalist turned social activist (she was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World) and devout member of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
. She became known for her social justice campaigns in defense of the poor, forsaken, hungry and homeless. Alongside
Peter MaurinPeter Maurin was a Catholic social activist who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement with Dorothy Day in 1933.- Biography :...
, she founded the
Catholic WorkerThe Catholic Worker is a monthly newspaper published by the Catholic Worker Movement community in New York City. The newspaper was started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to make people aware of church teaching on social justice. Day said the word "Worker" in the paper's title referred to "those...
Movement in 1933, espousing nonviolence, and hospitality for the impoverished and downtrodden. Dorothy Day was declared
Servant of GodServant of God is a title given to individuals who are members of different religions, but in general usage the phrase "servant of God" is used as a description of a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In early Christianity, as is still the case in the Eastern Orthodox...
when a cause for sainthood was opened for her by Pope John Paul II.
Jacques Ellul:
Jacques EllulJacques Ellul was a French philosopher, law professor, sociologist, lay theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society" and the intersection between Christianity and politics, such as Anarchy and Christianity —arguing that anarchism and Christianity...
(1912–1994) was a French thinker, sociologist, theologian and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books against the "technological society", and some about Christianity and politics, like
Anarchy and Christianity (1991) asserting that anarchism and Christianity are socially following the same goal.
Thomas J. Hagerty:
Thomas J. HagertyThe Reverend Friar Thomas J. Hagerty was an American Roman Catholic priest from New Mexico, and one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World .-Biography:...
was a
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
priest from New Mexico, USA, and one of the founding members of the
Industrial Workers of the WorldThe Industrial Workers of the World is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a...
(IWW). Hagerty is credited with writing the IWW Preamble, assisting in the composition of the Industrial Union Manifesto and drawing up the
first chart of industrial organization. He was ordained in 1892 but his formal association with the church ended when he was suspended by his archbishop for urging miners in Colorado to revolt during his tour of mining camps in 1903. Hagerty is not commonly regarded as a Christian anarchist in the
TolstoyanThe Tolstoyans are followers of the philosophical and religious views of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy . Tolstoy's views were formed by rigorous study of the Gospel teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly, The Sermon on the Mount...
tradition but rather an
anarcho-syndicalistAnarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Syndicalisme is a French word, ultimately derived from the Greek, meaning "trade unionism" hence, the "syndicalism" qualification. Syndicalism is an alternative co-operative economic system...
. Christian anarchists like Dorothy Day and Ammon Hennacy have been members of the
Industrial Workers of the WorldThe Industrial Workers of the World is an international union currently headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. At its peak in 1923 the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a...
and found common cause with the
axiomIn traditional logic, an axiom or postulate is a proposition that is not proved or demonstrated but considered to be either self-evident, or subject to necessary decision...
"an injury to one is an injury to all."
Philip Berrigan:
Philip BerriganPhilip Francis Berrigan was an internationally renowned American peace activist, Christian anarchist and former Roman Catholic priest...
was an internationally renowned
peace activistA peace activist is a political activist who advocates for a peaceful resolution of political disputes. Peace activists are part of the peace movement.Dr. Lawrence S...
and
Roman CatholicCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
priest. He and his brother
Daniel BerriganDaniel Berrigan, SJ is a poet, American peace activist, and Roman Catholic priest. Daniel and his brother Philip were for a time on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for committing acts of vandalism including destroying government property.-History:Daniel Berrigan was born in Virginia,...
were on the
FBI Ten Most Wanted FugitivesThe FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949, during a game of Hearts between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to...
list for illegal
nonviolentNonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. As such, nonviolence is an alternative to passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it...
actions against war.
Ivan Illich:
Ivan IllichIvan Illich was an Austrian philosopher, Roman Catholic priest and critic of the institutions of contemporary western culture and their effects of the provenance and practice of education, medicine, work, energy use, and economic development.-Personal life:Illich was born in Vienna to a Croatian...
was a libertarian-socialist social thinker, with roots in the Catholic Church, who wrote critiques of technology, energy use and compulsory education. In 1961 Illich founded the Centro Intercultural de Documentación (CIDOC) at Cuernavaca in Mexico, in order to "counterfoil" the Vatican's participation in the "modern development" of the so-called Third World. Illich's books
Energy and Equity and
Tools for Conviviality are considered classics for
social ecologistsSocial Ecology is a philosophy developed by Murray Bookchin in the 1960s.It holds that present ecological problems are rooted in deep-seated social problems, particularly in dominatory hierarchical political and social systems. These have resulted in an uncritical acceptance of an overly...
interested in
appropriate technologyAppropriate technology is technology that is designed with special consideration to the environmental, ethical, cultural, social and economical aspects of the community it is intended for...
, while his book
Deschooling SocietyDeschooling Society is a book that brought Ivan Illich to public attention. It is a critical discourse on education as practised in "modern" economies. Full of detail on programs and concerns, the book's assertions remain as radical today as they were at the time...
is still revered by activists seeking alternatives to compulsory schooling. Ivan's view on Jesus as an anarchist is highlighted
here.
Vernard Eller: Vernard Eller is a member of the
Church of the BrethrenThe Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight people led by Alexander Mack, a miller, in Schwarzenau , Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas. The first of its churches...
and author of
Christian Anarchy: Jesus' Primacy Over the Powers (1987)
http://www.hccentral.com/eller12/index.html.
Tripp York:
Tripp YorkFred 'Tripp' York is a professor of religion, a Christian anarchist, and a novelist. His writings span a wide range of subjects including: animals, martyrdom, politics, and violence.York belongs to the Mennonite tradition that has a 500 year old history of Christian pacifism...
is a Mennonite theologian whose work centers specifically around the implications of an anarchistic Christianity. His book
The Purple Crown: The Politics of Martyrdom advocates for an anarchistic witness predicated on the martyrs. His book
Living on Hope While Living in Babylon: The Christian Anarchists of the 20th Century details key Christian anarchists in the 20th century in relation to the political philosophy of anarchism as well as Martin Luther King, Jr's triple axis of evil (materialism, racism, and militarism).
Fyodor Dostoevsky:
Fyodor DostoevskyFyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer, essayist and philosopher, known for...
in many respects can be considered to have believed in Christian anarchism/autonomy. His greatest novel
The Brothers KaramazovThe Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which was published as a serial in The Russian Messenger and completed in November 1880...
postulates the idea that all men should be monks and that everyone is responsible for everyone else. Also, that belief in God can only be found through the practice of active love.
Anarchist organizations
- Ecclesia
- Life and Labor Commune
The Life and Labor Commune was a Tolstoyan agricultural commune founded in 1921 and disbanded as a state run collective farm in 1937. The commune was founded near Moscow but was later resettled on the outskirts of Siberia...
- Plowshares Movement
The Plowshares Movement is an anti-nuclear weapons movement that gained notoriety in the early 1980s when several members damaged government property and were subsequently convicted....
- Tolstoyan Moscow Society
The Tolstoyans are followers of the philosophical and religious views of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy . Tolstoy's views were formed by rigorous study of the Gospel teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly, The Sermon on the Mount...
See also
- Anarchism and Islam
- Anarchism and Orthodox Judaism
While there is no organized Orthodox Jewish anarchist movement, various anarchistic ideas are common in the works of many Kabbalists and Hasidic teachers. Since the antiquity, some Jewish mystical groups were based on anti-authoritarian or radically communal principles, somewhat similar to the...
- Catholic Worker Movement
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ." One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on...
- Christian communism
Christian communism is a form of religious communism based on Christianity. It is a theological and political theory based upon the view that the teachings of Jesus Christ compel Christians to support communism as the ideal social system...
- Christian libertarianism
Christian libertarianism should not be confused with libertarian Christianity.Christian libertarianism is a term used by people to describe the synthesis of their Christian beliefs with their libertarian political philosophy...
- Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel. The term "Christian Socialism" is used...
- Christian vegetarianism
Christian vegetarianism is a minority Christian belief based on extending the compassionate teachings of Jesus, the twelve apostles and the early church to all living beings through vegetarianism or veganism...
- Christian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise....
- Diane Drufenbrock
Sister Diane Joyce Drufenbrock , also known as Sister Madeleine Sophie, is a Franciscan nun of the School Sisters of St. Francis and Christian socialist. She was the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party USA in the United States presidential election, 1980, and has served as that...
- Early Christianity
Early Christianity is commonly known as the Christianity of the roughly three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus and the First Council of Nicaea in 325....
- Gnosticism
Gnosticism refers to diverse, syncretistic religious movements in antiquity consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god, the demiurge; this being is frequently identified with the...
- Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a school of theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism. Its theologians consider sin the root source of poverty, the sin in...
- Nonconformism
Nonconformism refers to the Protestant Christians of England and Wales who refused to "conform", or follow the governance and usages of the Church of England.- Origins and use :...
- Peace churches
Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. The term historic peace churches refers specifically to three church groups: Church of the Brethren, Mennonites , and Religious Society of Friends .The peace churches agree that Jesus advocated nonviolence...
- Plain people
Plain people are Christian groups characterized by separation from the world and simple living, including plain dress. These group include Amish, Old Order, Conservative and Old Colony Mennonites, Old German Baptist Brethren, the Hutterites, and Old Order River Brethren and at one time Quakers, the...
- Precarity
The word precarity literally meant "precariousness", but is now used to mean existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare...
- Postmodern Christianity
Postmodern Christianity is an outlook of Christianity that is closely associated with the body of writings known as postmodern philosophy. Although it is a relatively recent development in the Christian religion, some Christian postmodernists assert that their style of thought has an affinity with...
- Render unto Caesar
- Self-ownership
Self-ownership is the concept of property in one's own person, expressed as the moral or natural right of a person to be the exclusive controller of his or her own body and life. According to G...
- Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton was a 20th century American Catholic writer. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist and student of comparative religion. He wrote more than 70 books, mostly on spirituality, as well as scores of essays and reviews. Merton was a keen...
- Weak theology
- "Fool for Christ": Christian ascetic
Asceticism describes a life-style characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
and non-conformist tradition within Eastern ChristianityEastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
, see also "HermitA hermit is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion from society....
", and "Stylite".
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, written by Richard Bach, is a fable in novella form about a seagull learning about life and flight, and a homily about self-perfection. First published in 1970 as "Jonathan Livingston Seagull — a story", it became a favorite throughout the United States...
- Simone Weil
Simone Weil , was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist.-Biography:...
: French philosopher, social activist, and Christian mystic of Jewish heritage; Weil died under forced exile in Britain during World War II at 34 years of age. Her major works, including "Oppression and Liberty", "Gravity and Grace", and "Waiting for God" were all published post-humously and to great acclaim. Since her death in 1944 her thought has steadily grown in influence. Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, a great proponent of Catholic Social TeachingCatholic social teaching is a body of social doctrine developed by several popes of the Catholic Church since the end of the Nineteenth Century on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state....
, counted Simon Weil as one of his major early influences.
- New Monasticism
New Monasticism, or Neomonasticism, is a modern day iteration of a long tradition of Christian monasticism that has recently developed within certain Christian communities.-Origins:The origin of the new monastic movement is difficult to pinpoint...
- Order of Watchers
The Order of Watchers is a community of hermits of the French Protestant tradition founded in 1923 by theologian Wilfred Monod....
: A French Protestant community of HermitA hermit is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion from society....
s.
- God: Sole Satisfier
Sole Satisfier is a term in Christian theology which refers to God as the only one who can satisfy human beings.The terminology is based on the teachings of St...
- Jan Tyranowski
Jan Tyranowski - Catholic layman, student of Discalced Carmelite spirituality, and central figure in the spiritual formation of the young Karol Wojtyla, who became Pope John Paul II. He was the youth leader and student mentor of Karol Wojtyla's university parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka, in the...
, solitary, mystic, and student in the teachings of John of the CrossSaint John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Alvarez, was a major figure of the Catholic Reformation, a Spanish mystic, and Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, a small village near Ávila.Saint John of the Cross was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered, along with Saint...
. He was a central figure in the spiritual formation of young Karol Wojtyła, who became pope John Paul II.
- The Mormon Worker
The Mormon Worker is an independent bi-monthly newspaper currently published in Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah. The paper was started in late 2007 by active members of the LDS church who hope to connect the ideas of the radical left with core ideas from the Mormon faith such as cooperation,...
Further reading
- Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy , was a Russian writer widely regarded as among the greatest of novelists. His masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina represent in their scope, breadth and vivid depiction of 19th-century Russian life and attitudes, the peak of realist...
(1894). The Kingdom of God is Within YouThe Kingdom of God Is Within You is the non-fiction magnum opus of Leo Tolstoy and was first published in Germany in 1894, after being banned in his home country of Russia...
http://www.kingdomnow.org/withinyou.html
- David Lipscomb
David Lipscomb was an important minister, editor, and educator in the American Restoration Movement and one of the leaders of that movement, which, by 1906, had formalized a division into the Church of Christ and the Christian Church . James A...
(1866-1867). On Civil Government: Its Origin, Mission and Destiny and The Christian's Relation to It.
- Ammon Hennacy
Ammon Hennacy was an American pacifist, Christian anarchist, vegetarian, social activist, member of the Catholic Worker Movement and a Wobbly. He established the "Joe Hill House of Hospitality" in Salt Lake City, Utah and practiced tax resistance.-Biography:Hennacy was born in Negley, Ohio to...
(1994). The Book of Ammon.
- E. Glenn Hinson (1996). The Early Church
- Dave Andrews
Dave Andrews is an Australian Christian anarchist author, speaker, social activist, community developer, and a key figure in the Waiter's Union, an inner city Christian community network working with Indigenous Australians, refugees and people with disabilities in Australia...
(1999). Christi-Anarchy: Discovering a radical spirituality of compassion.
- Jaroslav Pelikan
Jaroslav Jan Pelikan was one of the world's leading scholars in the history of Christianity and medieval intellectual history.-Early years:Pelikan was born in Akron, Ohio, to a Slovak father and a Serbian mother...
(2003). Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition.
- Tripp York
Fred 'Tripp' York is a professor of religion, a Christian anarchist, and a novelist. His writings span a wide range of subjects including: animals, martyrdom, politics, and violence.York belongs to the Mennonite tradition that has a 500 year old history of Christian pacifism...
(2007-2009). The Purple Crown: The Politics of Martyrdom and Living on Hope While Living in Babylon: The Christian Anarchists of the 20th Century.
External links
- Jesus Radicals
- Jesus Manifesto: Christian Anarchism and New Monasticism
- CatholicAnarchy.org
- Psalters
- The Apostles Creed
- Jesus Is an Anarchist (PDF), James Redford, June 1, 2006; or in HTML
HTML, which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. It provides a means to create structured documents by denoting structural semantics for text such as headings, paragraphs, lists etc as well as for links, quotes, and other items. It allows images...
: http://www.geocities.com/vonchloride/anarchist-jesus.html
- The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Leo Tolstoy Free e-text English translation
- Tolstoy's Legacy for Mankind: A Manifesto for Nonviolence, Part 1
- Tolstoy's Legacy for Mankind: A Manifesto for Nonviolence, Part 2
- Totalitarian Daydreams and Christian Humanism
- Kenneth Rexroth, Communalism: From Its Origins to the Twentieth Century
- Student Christian Movement
- "Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" University of Virginia Library
- prayer-i58 Christian-based anti-capitalist network
- "Paul, anarchiste éclairé", by Dr Yves MARIS
- When the State is Ultimate
- Vine and Fig Tree Christian Anarchist Homepage
- group of anarcho christians in google groops
- Articles on Christian Anarchism