Christian Anarchism

Educational level: this is a tertiary (university) resource.
Completion status: this resource is just getting off the ground. Please feel welcome to help!

Course Introduction

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This course (in rudimentary stub-form at this time) is designed to be a basic introduction to Christian Anarchism. It would be appropriate for clergy, seminarians, college students and activists.

Christian anarchism is a movement in political theology that claims Christianity is fundamentally anarchistic.It is an important movement. It is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable, the authority of God as embodied in the teachings of Jesus, and thus rejects the idea that human governments have ultimate authority over human societies. Christian anarchists denounce the state as they claim it is violent, deceitful and, when glorified, idolatrous. Christian anarchists hold that the proper relationship between God and people is the "Reign of God" in which human relationships would be characterized by divided authority, servant leadership, and universal compassion rather than the hierarchical, authoritarian structures normally attributed to religion.

More than any other Bible source, the Sermon on the Mount is used as the basis for Christian anarchism. Most Christian anarchists are pacifists and reject the use of violence, such as war. Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You is often regarded as a key text for modern Christian anarchism.[1]

Course Structure

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Section 1: Introduction

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Definitions: what is Anarchism? What is Christianity? What is Christian Anarchism?

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Anarchism which aligns itself with socially libertarian ideals in the Bible, and the belief in the abolition of the state, which includes all unnecessary hierarchies.

Political theory and taxonomy

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Section 2: Anarchism in Religious History

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Anarchism in The Jewish Tradition

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Anarchism in Jesus and The Sermon on the Mount

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Anarchism in The Early Church

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Anarchism in the context of Christendom

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Woodcut from a Diggers document by William Everard.

Anarchism in the context of the Reformation

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Leo Tolstoy

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Leo Tolstoy wrote extensively about Christian pacifism and anarchism.

Liberation Theology

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The New Monastic Movement

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Interfaith connections

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Section 3: Practical Application/Orthopraxy

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Anarchism and Ethics

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Anarchism and the church

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Religious vs. Non-Religious Anarchism

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More information

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Videos

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  • Coming soon

Audio

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  • Coming soon

Books

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  • Coming soon
  • Coming soon

See also

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References

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  1. Wikipedia: Christian anarchism