125-416: The Christian left is a range of Christian political and social movements that largely embrace social justice principles and uphold a social doctrine or social gospel based on their interpretation of the teachings of Christianity . Given the inherent diversity in international political thought, the term Christian left can have different meanings and applications in different countries. While there
250-672: A Leninist by a blog post in The Economist in 2014, Francis said: "The communists have stolen our flag. The flag of the poor is Christian. Poverty is at the center of the Gospel." He added that communism came "twenty centuries later". In 2024, Pope Francis argued that Christians and Marxists, socialists, and communists shared a common mission and expressed support for the Marxist-Christian dialogue group Dialop. Christian communists may or may not agree with various parts of Marxism, such as on
375-479: A secular theory of socialism in The Communist Manifesto . Starting in the late 19th century and early 20th century, some began to take on the view that genuine Christianity had much in common with a leftist perspective. From St. Augustine of Hippo 's City of God through St. Thomas More 's Utopia , major Christian writers had expounded upon views that socialists found agreeable. Of major interest
500-877: A Christian perspective. Igal Halfin of Tel Aviv University argues the Marxist ethos that aims for unity reflects the Christian universalist teaching that humankind is one and that there is only one god who does not discriminate among people. In 1914 the American socialist leader Eugene Debs declared that "Pure communism was the economic and social gospel preached by Jesus Christ, and every act and utterance which may properly be ascribed to him conclusively affirms it". He argued that subsequently Christ's words have been co-opted and diluted by individuals to serve their own ends. Early 20th century science fiction author and socialist Olaf Stapledon stated that "Marxism and Christianity spring from
625-568: A Government, by its very nature, must put in the place of the highest, eternal, religious law (not written in books but in the hearts of men, and binding on every one) its own unjust, man-made laws, the object of which is neither justice nor the common good of all but various considerations of home and foreign expediency. More than any other Bible source, the Sermon on the Mount is used as the basis for Christian anarchism . The foundation of Christian anarchism
750-465: A September 1962 sermon, Martin Luther King Jr. , a democratic socialist and social gospel advocate, said that "no Christian can be a communist". He stated that "basic philosophy of Christianity is unalterably opposed to the basic philosophy of communism", citing what he saw as rampant secularism and materialism in communism as evidence that communism "leaves out God". He further said that "for
875-579: A faith-based social activism, promoted by movements such as Christian socialism . In the United States during this period, Episcopalians and Congregationalists generally tended to be the most liberal, both in theological interpretation and in their adherence to the Social Gospel. In Canada, a coalition of liberal Congregationalists, Methodists, and Presbyterians founded the United Church of Canada , one of
1000-481: A form of communism. In the words of historians Max Stanton and Rod Janzen, the Hutterites "established in their communities a rigorous system of Ordnungen, which were codes of rules and regulations that governed all aspects of life and ensured a unified perspective. As an economic system, Christian communism was attractive to many of the peasants who supported social revolution in sixteenth century central Europe", such as
1125-569: A now lost egalitarian social order. Several historians view the early Christian Church, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (specifically the omnia sunt communia reference in Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32-35), as an early form of communism. Among Christian communists, the view is that communism was just Christianity in practice and Jesus was a communist. Later historians across several centuries supported
1250-538: A number of values, some of which may or may not be held by different Christian movements and individuals. As the unofficial title of a loose association of believers, it provides a clear distinction from the more commonly known Christian right , or religious right, and from its key leaders and political views. The Christian left does not hold the notion that left-leaning policies, whether economic or social, stand in apparent contrast to Christian beliefs. The most common religious viewpoint that might be described as left-wing
1375-419: A preacher. And what I'm doing in this struggle, along with many others, grows out of my feeling that the preacher must be concerned about the whole man. The Christian left generally approaches homosexuality differently from some other Christian political groups. This approach can be driven by focusing on issues differently despite holding similar religious views, or by holding different religious ideas. Those in
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#17328481132951500-593: A religious perspective. Several Christian groups formerly practised common ownership and others continue to do so. They may or may not have explicitly used the English term communist for self-identification. Extant groups include: Historically, many groups have practised Christian communism, and may or may not be extant, depending on the case, including: Both Christian communism and liberation theology stress orthopraxy in Christianity over orthodoxy . A narrative of
1625-622: A revolutionary's life and behaviour". Castro saw a similarity to his goals with the goals of Christ: "Christ multiplied the fish and the loaves to feed the people. That is precisely what we want to do with the Revolution and socialism", adding that, "I believe Karl Marx could have subscribed to the Sermon on the Mount ". Ho Chi Minh, who was venerated as a communist general in Vietnam, although of his Confucianism -origin family, he has well-disposed on Christianity . He said: "The good side of Confucianism
1750-580: A stance is relevant and important. Adhering to the standard of " turning the other cheek ", which they believe supersedes the Old Testament law of " an eye for an eye ", the Christian left sometimes hearkens towards pacifism in opposition to policies advancing militarism . The medieval Waldensians sect had a leftist character. Some among the Christian left, as well as some non-religious socialists, find support for anarchism , communism , and socialism in
1875-741: A threat to their status and power. The church was sometimes seen as part of the establishment. Revolutions in the United States , France and Russia were in part directed against the established churches, or rather their leading clergy, and instituted a separation of church and state . In the 19th century, some writers and activists developed the school of thought of Christian socialism , which infused socialist principles into Christian theology and praxis. Early socialist thinkers such as Robert Owen , Henri de Saint-Simon based their theories of socialism upon Christian principles. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels reacted against these theories by formulating
2000-412: A wide variety of ways in which thinkers have conceived of the relationship between Christianity and politics , with many arguing that Christianity directly supports a particular political ideology or philosophy. Along these lines, various thinkers have argued for Christian communism , Christian socialism , Christian nationalism , Christian anarchism , Christian libertarianism , Christian democracy ,
2125-425: Is social justice , or care for impoverished and oppressed minority groups . Supporters of this trend might encourage universal health care , welfare provisions, subsidized education, foreign aid , and affirmative action for improving the conditions of the disadvantaged. With values stemming from egalitarianism , adherents of the Christian left consider it part of their religious duty to take actions on behalf of
2250-507: Is a communist, Francis responded: "As for whether or not I'm a communist: I am sure that I have not said anything more than what the Church's social doctrine teaches ... maybe the impression of being a little more 'of the left' has been given, but that would be a misinterpretation." In 2013, he said: "The ideology of Marxism is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don't feel offended." When asked about being labeled
2375-645: Is a frequently mentioned interpretation of the Book of Daniel , frequently interpreted by secular scholars as a second-century diatribe against Antiochus IV Epiphanes , who persecuted the Jews and provoked the revolt of the Maccabees . The Book of Revelation contains even more vehement imagery, which many secular scholars believe was directed against the Roman empire. The empire, or the city of Rome itself, are identified by these scholars as
2500-446: Is a rejection of violence, with Leo Tolstoy 's The Kingdom of God Is Within You regarded as a key text. Tolstoy takes the viewpoint that all governments who wage war, and churches who in turn support those governments, are an affront to the Christian principles of nonviolence and nonresistance . Christians have interpreted Romans 13:1–7 to mean they should support the state and wield
2625-526: Is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10), it seems natural for Christians to oppose a social system founded—as Christian communists argue—entirely on the love of money. Capitalism is heavily based in the collection of usury , which was condemned for centuries by the Church based in numerous scriptures. Christian opposition to the emergence of such an interest-based system largely delayed capitalist development and capitalism did not gather popular support until John Calvin endorsed capitalist practice from
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#17328481132952750-665: Is a thoroughly valid term", the prefect Cardinal Ratzinger rejected certain forms of Latin American liberation theology for focusing on institutionalized or systemic sin and for identifying Catholic Church hierarchy in South America as members of the same privileged class that had long been oppressing Indigenous populations from the arrival of Pizarro onward. While the theology of Pope Francis has been described as critical of capitalism and sympathetic to socialism, Francis has expressed varying interpretations of Marxism in particular. In 2013, Pope Francis said: "The ideology of Marxism
2875-467: Is full of revolutions. The prophets are people with a message of revolution. Jesus of Nazareth takes the revolutionary message of the prophets. And we also will continue trying to change the world and make revolution. Those revolutions failed, but others will come". The participants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rebellion, a syncretic Christian- Shenic theocratic kingdom, are viewed by
3000-474: Is implicit in the Christian doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Christians are always to begin with a bias in favor of a movement which protests against unfair treatment of the poor, but surely Christianity itself is such a protest. The Communist Manifesto might express a concern for the poor and the oppressed, but it expresses no greater concern than the manifesto of Jesus, which opens with
3125-683: Is involved with the politics of the Republican Party in the United States. Lutheranism is influential in the politics of the Nordic countries . The Church of Denmark , the Church of Iceland , and the Church of Norway are all Lutheran state churches, while the Church of Sweden was a state church until 2000. Calvinism was the official religion of the Netherlands while the Dutch Reformed Church
3250-415: Is much overlap, the Christian left is distinct from liberal Christianity , meaning not all Christian leftists are liberal Christians and vice versa . In the United States, the Christian left usually aligns with modern liberalism and progressivism , using the social gospel to achieve better social and economic equality. Christian anarchism , Christian communism , and Christian socialism are subsets of
3375-411: Is required that our patients may be induced to submit willingly to the treatment prescribed by the physicians, and not only this, but that they may be grateful also for the cure. For if any one when he is bound becomes restive (which it is in his power to be), he makes the mischief worse; and if he should pay no heed to the words which cut like steel, he inflicts another wound by means of this contempt, and
3500-446: Is said to have absorbed ideals from Christianity. Nicaraguan Sandinista activist, priest and former Minister for Culture Ernesto Cardenal was a proponent of the idea of Christian communism, saying "Christ led me to Marx...for me, the four Gospels are all equally Communist. I’m a Marxist who believes in God, follows Christ and is a revolutionary for his Kingdom". He later said "The Bible
3625-419: Is the (Catholic and progressive evangelical) consistent life ethic , which sees opposition to capital punishment , militarism , euthanasia , abortion and the global unequal distribution of wealth as being related. It is an idea with certain concepts shared by Abrahamic religions as well as some Buddhists , Hindus , and members of other religions. The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago developed
3750-506: Is the cultivation of personal ethics. The good side of Christianity is noble benevolence. The good side of Marxism is the dialectical method. The good side of Sun Yat-sen is that his thinking is suitable to the conditions in Vietnam . Do Confucius , Jesus , Marx and Sun Yat-sen not all have the same good side? They all sought the happiness for the people, and prosperity for the society. If today, they were still alive, if they were gathered in
3875-470: Is to get a better idea, and we have it in our democracy. ... We have it in our Christianity." The theology of Pope Francis has been described as critical of capitalism , and Pope Francis has been viewed as having some sympathy to socialist causes, with his frequent criticism of capitalism and of neoliberalism . In 2016, Francis said that the capitalist world economy is "[f]undamental terrorism, against all of Humanity". When questioned on whether or not he
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4000-787: Is typically limited. Conservatism in Europe and the Americas is heavily influenced by Christianity. The Christian right within evangelical Christianity has formed many of its political views on social issues such as abortion , homosexuality and public education from passages in both the Old Testament and the New Testament . In the Epistle to the Romans , chapter 13:1-7, Paul instructs Roman Christians to submit to government. See also 1 Peter 2:13-17 and Titus 3:1 for parallels. Mainstream theologians and
4125-464: Is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don't feel offended." When asked about being labeled a Leninist by a blog post in The Economist in 2014, Francis said: "The communists have stolen our flag. The flag of the poor is Christian. Poverty is at the center of the Gospel." He added that communism came "twenty centuries later". In 2024, Pope Francis argued that Christians and Marxists, socialists, and communists shared
4250-601: The Antichrist . Anglicanism was developed when King Henry VIII established the Church of England as the state church of the Kingdom of England. The Church of England is still closely involved in British politics and disputes sometimes take place over its role. The Hawaiian Kingdom also had an Anglican church as its official state church, the Church of Hawaii in the late 19th century. Southern Baptism leans heavily conservative and
4375-584: The Bible suggests that the first Christians, including the Apostles in the New Testament , established their own small communist society in the years following Jesus' death and resurrection. Many advocates of Christian communism and other communists , including Karl Kautsky , argue that it was taught by Jesus and practised by the apostles themselves. This is generally confirmed by historians. There are those who hold
4500-779: The Cathari (1209-1229), and the Teutonic Knights and their supporters fought against non-Catholics (including Eastern Orthodox Christians ) in the Baltic Sea area (1147-1410). In Spain , the Crusader mindset continued for several centuries after the last crusade in the Middle East, in the form of the Reconquista , a series of wars (711-1492) fought to recover the Iberian Peninsula from
4625-561: The Chinese Communist Party as proto-communists. Soong Ching-ling , a Methodist , was recognized in China with the title of Honorary President of the People's Republic of China . Christian communists typically regard biblical texts in Acts 2 and Acts 4 as evidence that the first Christians lived in a communist society . Scholars generally agree that the Acts of the Apostles and
4750-446: The Christian left have interpreted passages in Acts to mean that an ideal society would be based on Christian socialism or Christian communism . However, passages that have far greater influence for Christians who actively care for the poor are the words of Jesus, usually found in red in most bibles, which appear to give priority to the poor as a Christian obligation. There are some intentional Christian communities that, inspired by
4875-400: The Christian right have interpreted Romans 13:1–7 to mean Christians should support the state and wield the sword when necessary, as God has instituted the idea of governments to be his main tool to preserve social order. The first Jewish Christian communities, as described in the Acts of the Apostles , were organized along a principle of communal ownership of goods. Some expressions of
5000-457: The Church militant . The Latin word Christianitas originally meant the body of all Christians conceived as a political body, or the territory of the globe occupied by Christians, something akin to the English word Christendom . Apocalyptic texts were reinterpreted. The idea of a Christian empire continued to play a powerful role in Western Europe even after the collapse of Roman rule there;
5125-799: The Fatherland Front in Austria, the Iron Guard in Romania, and the Rexist Party in Belgium. Christian communism Christian communism is a theological view that the teachings of Jesus compel Christians to support religious communism . Although there is no universal agreement on the exact dates when communistic ideas and practices in Christianity began, many Christian communists argue that evidence from
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5250-562: The Gospel of Luke were written by the same person. In Luke 12:33, Jesus commands his disciples to sell what they have and give alms, and in Luke 14:33 says that no one can be his disciple who has not forsaken all his possessions. Some historians confirm the view that a form of communism was taught by Jesus and practised by the apostles. "All who believed were together and had all things in common ; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute
5375-517: The Radical Reformation and Jacoub Hutter, but respect and adhere to government authority. The Bruderhof , another church community in the Anabaptist tradition, respects the god-given authority of the state, while acknowledging that their ultimate allegiance is to God. Separation of church and state is a prominent idea in liberalism , so direct influence of Christianity in liberal politics
5500-602: The Whore of Babylon , and the Roman emperor becomes the Beast or Antichrist . Both divine punishment and economic and military catastrophe are prophesied against " Babylon ", which most scholars agree is John's code name for Rome. No call to arms is contained within the Christian apocalypse. Instead, the calamities that doom the oppressive regime represented by these allegorical figures are expected from divine intervention alone. Nevertheless, if
5625-480: The bishop of Milan forbade Emperor Theodosius the Eucharist until he repented, and Theodosius complied. Early Christians were described by Celsus as those who refused military service and would not accept public office, nor assume any responsibility for the governing of cities. Origen confirms this description and adds that Christians do more for the good of the empire by forming an "army of piety" that prays for
5750-588: The divine right of kings , or tsarist autocracy . Others believe that Christians should have little interest or participation in politics or government, or none at all. Early Christianity was most prominent in the Roman Empire , where it was illegal to practice Christianity and persecution of Christians took place. The first state to recognize Christianity as its official religion was the Kingdom of Armenia in 301. Christianity gained prominence in Roman politics during
5875-527: The libertarian philosophy . The governing maxim for many natural-rights libertarians , including those of faith, is the non-aggression principle , which forbids the initiation of force but does not preclude the restrained, proportional use of defensive or disciplinary violence against the initiator. It has been compared to the Golden Rule and its converse, the Silver Rule . Christian libertarians often defend
6000-475: The socialist Christian left. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels , authors of the Communist Manifesto , both had Christian upbringings; however, neither were devout Christians. As with any section within the left–right political spectrum , a label such as Christian left represents an approximation, including within it groups and persons holding many diverse viewpoints. The term left-wing might encompass
6125-477: The 14th century. Pehr Götrek translated The Communist Manifesto into Swedish the same year it was published in German. He made changes in it from his Christian influence, such as changing the now famous quote, Workers of the world, unite! to Folkets röst, guds röst! ( Vox populi, vox Dei , or "People's voice is God's voice"). He also wrote several works criticising the developing capitalist society from
6250-458: The Bible or with theological debate. Some people contend that Marxism borrowed its main ideas from Christianity and Judaism and reconstructed them as secular ideology, but I think that is extremely simplistic – the relationship is much more complex." About Karl Marx 's famous quote about religion being the " opium of the people ", he argues it has been largely misinterpreted, and that at that time opium
6375-487: The Bible seriously." Christian communism does not depend merely on the principles of the early apostles, and Christian communists argue that anti-capitalist ideals are deeply rooted in the Christian faith. While modern capitalism had not yet formed in the time of Jesus, his message was overwhelmingly against the love of money and greed, and in support of the poor. Christian communists see the principles of Christ as staunchly anti-capitalist in nature. Since "the love of money
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#17328481132956500-715: The Book of Acts but were persecuted by the Catholic Church and retreated to Piedmont . Around 1300, the Apostolic Brethren in northern Italy were taken over by Fra Dolcino , who formed a sect known as the Dulcinians , which advocated ending feudalism, dissolving hierarchies in the church, and holding all property in common. The Peasants' Revolt in England has been an inspiration for "the medieval ideal of primitive communism", with
6625-553: The Christian left have not only a different focus on issues from other Christian political groups, but different religious ideas as well. For example, some members of the Christian left may consider discrimination and bigotry against homosexuals to be immoral, but they differ on their views towards homosexual sex. Some believe homosexual sex to be immoral but unimportant compared with issues relating to social justice, or even matters of sexual morality involving heterosexual sex. Others assert that some homosexual practices are compatible with
6750-399: The Christian left who have similar ideas as other Christian political groups but a different focus may view Christian teachings on certain issues, such as the Bible's prohibitions against killing or criticisms of concentrations of wealth, as far more politically important than Christian teachings on social issues emphasized by the religious right , such as opposition to homosexuality. Others in
6875-427: The Christian life. Such members believe common biblical arguments used to condemn homosexuality are misinterpreted, and that biblical prohibitions of homosexual practices are actually against a specific type of homosexual sex act, i.e. pederasty , the sodomizing of young boys by older men. Thus, they hold biblical prohibitions to be irrelevant when considering modern same-sex relationships. A related strain of thought
7000-466: The Christian values of returning good for evil , Christian anarchists neither support, nor participate in, the state. Christian eschatology and various Christian anarchists, such as Jacques Ellul , have identified the State and political power as the Beast in the Book of Revelation . Apocalyptic texts frequently coach radical criticism of existing regimes under the form of allegory ; this, at least,
7125-499: The Church's societal roles may be to promote righteousness in service and humble obedience to God, equal liberty is the highest or only political value. The state's raison d'être is to prevent rights violations, to quarantine or punish justly, and ideally to restore offenders so they can again peaceably dwell and participate in civil society . After the onset of fascism in the 1920s and 1930s, several fascist movements adopted Christian ideas. Notable Christian fascist movements include
7250-625: The German Peasants' War, and Engels came to view Anabaptists as proto-communists . Criticism of the idea of private property continued into the Enlightenment era of the 18th century through such thinkers as the deeply religious Jean-Jacques Rousseau . Raised a Calvinist , Rousseau was influenced by the Jansenist movement within the Catholic Church. The Jansenist movement originated from
7375-513: The Gospels, for example Mikhail Gorbachev citing Jesus as "the first socialist". The Christian left is a broad category that includes Christian socialism, as well as Christians who would not identify themselves as socialists. For much of the early history of anti-establishment leftist movements, such as socialism and communism , which was highly anti-clerical in the 19th century, some established churches were led by clergy who saw revolution as
7500-453: The Greco-Roman gods appeared on the legionary standards. Military service involved oaths of loyalty that might contradict Catholic teachings even if they did not invoke pagan gods. The duties of Roman military personnel included law enforcement as well as defense, and as such Roman soldiers were sometimes obliged to participate in the persecution of Christians themselves. Sexual licentiousness
7625-516: The Lord". The Christian New Testament instead begins with the story of Jesus , crucified as a criminal who had offended both the Jewish priesthood and the Roman imperial authorities. At least to outward appearances, Jesus was at the periphery of political life and power in the Roman province of Judea . The Catholic Church is deeply intertwined with the history of European politics. It developed alongside
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#17328481132957750-623: The Muslim Moors . The Reformation caused a political backlash in the Holy Roman Empire. In response, the Diet of Worms was assembled, and promotion of Lutheranism was made illegal. The English Reformation was deeply influenced by English politics. When the church refused to grant an annulment to the marriage of Henry VIII , he formed the Anglican tradition through the Church of England under
7875-424: The United States has sought to discipline Catholic politicians that take pro-choice stances on abortion , most notably President Joe Biden . Conservative, moderate, and liberal Catholics all have a major presence in the United States. Catholics historically have had a wide variety of positions on issues of war and peace. The historical peace churches are now the chief exponents of Christian pacifism , but this
8000-437: The United States, members of the Christian Left come from a spectrum of denominations : Peace churches , elements of the Protestant mainline churches, Catholicism , and some evangelicals . Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Inspired by his Christian beliefs and
8125-598: The application of reason . Several groupings in the English Civil War supported this idea, especially Gerrard Winstanley 's Diggers , who espoused clear communistic and agrarianist ideals. Oliver Cromwell and the Grandees' attitude to these groups was at best ambivalent and often hostile. Thomas Müntzer led a large Anabaptist communist movement during the 16th-century German Peasants' War , which Friedrich Engels analysed in The Peasant War in Germany . The Hutterites believed in strict adherence to biblical principles and church discipline, and practised
8250-428: The belief that "Scripture has various meanings", which in their view allow Western conservative theologians "to prevent the Bible from revealing its own subversive message", and that "use the Biblical text ... to defend the status-quo of a pre-revolutionary situation", as summarized by Andrew Kirk. Miranda said: "I am not introducing the Bible to Marx. ... I only wish to understand what the Bible says. ... We want to take
8375-491: The benefit of others, constitutes a violation of his or her human dignity as an image-bearer of God. Thus, most forms of taxation and all laws that prevent or distort free and nonviolent exchange are unacceptable. The classical doctrine of original or ancestral sin furthermore suggests to Christian libertarians that political (and for some left-libertarians , economic) power ought to be democratically distributed and decentralized to guard against government oppression and
8500-485: The books are properly read in this way, they seem to evidence deep hostility to the Roman government, no doubt a reaction to the persecution of Christians by the Roman state. An emerging tradition of political thought, Christian libertarians maintain that state intervention to promote piety or generosity can be unethical and counterproductive. Coercion by threat of violence robs otherwise moral acts of their virtue, inspires resentment and disrespect even for just laws on
8625-577: The church in the East. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III as the Emperor of the Romans, establishing a precedent of interdependence of the church with the Carolingian Empire , and eventually, the Holy Roman Empire . The church also maintained strong influence over the other kingdoms of Europe. Secular rulers would support missionary efforts in order to enlarge their realms. Bishops and abbots were not only church leaders, but often also large land-owning princes and thus vassals of secular feudal lords. The line dividing church and state interests
8750-448: The communist there is no divine government or no absolute moral order, there are no fixed, immutable principles." Nevertheless, King acknowledged that "although communism can never be accepted by a Christian, it emphasizes many essential truths that must forever challenge us as Christians." He added: "Communism in society is a classless society. Along with this goes a strong attempt to eliminate racial prejudice. Communism seeks to transcend
8875-424: The despotic leaders in Southern and Central America allied themselves with the communist opposition. However, it developed independently of and roughly simultaneously with Black theology in the U.S. and should not be confused with it. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided that while liberation theology is partially compatible with Catholic social teaching, certain Marxist elements of it, such as
9000-455: The doctrine of perpetual class struggle, are against Church teachings. A number of movements of the past had similarities to today's Christian left: Christianity and politics The relationship between Christianity and politics is a historically complex subject and a frequent source of disagreement throughout the history of Christianity , as well as in modern politics between the Christian right and Christian left . There have been
9125-453: The emissaries to distribute to each according to his need". Various authors, including Thomas Wharton Collens, José Porfirio Miranda [ es ] , and José Míguez Bonino , describe biblical sources supporting a common-property society. Bonino wrote: "Is it altogether absurd to re-read the resurrection today as a death of the monopolies, the liberation from hunger, or a solidary form of ownership?" Bonino and Miranda argue against
9250-589: The first Christian church as described in Acts 2 and 4, share all their possessions in an effort to put into action Christ's command to love God and neighbour. The Simple Way , the Bruderhof communities , and the Hutterites are all inspired, to some degree, by the model of church community described in Acts. More common expressions of Christian love and commitment to the poor are churches of all denominations that fund localised soup kitchens, charity shops and shelters for
9375-420: The first true Christian left denominations. Later in the 20th century, liberation theology was championed by such writers as Gustavo Gutierrez and Matthew Fox . To a significant degree, the Christian left developed out of the experiences of clergy who went to do pastoral work among the working class, often beginning without any social philosophy but simply a pastoral and evangelistic concern for workers. This
9500-461: The homeless as well as mission programs overseas. In Roman Catholic circles the doctrine of preference for the poor has been important since 1979 and it still drives the church's practice of hospitality to those in any kind of need. Not only does the action of Governments not deter men from crimes; on the contrary, it increases crime by always disturbing and lowering the moral standard of society. Nor can this be otherwise, since always and everywhere
9625-468: The idea for the consistent life ethic in 1983. Sojourners is particularly associated with this strand of thought. Liberation theology is a theological tradition that emerged in the developing world , primarily in Latin America . Since the 1960s, Catholic thinkers have integrated left-wing thought and Catholicism, giving rise to Liberation theology. It arose at a time when Catholic thinkers who opposed
9750-464: The institution of private property by pointing to the many Biblical injunctions against theft, to the voluntary nature of faith and the sharing of goods in early Christian communities, and to the fact that Jesus never advocated the redistribution of income and wealth by political means. According to Christian libertarianism, to seize the life, liberty, or legitimately acquired property of an individual by coercion, even for that person's well-being or for
9875-504: The intention to heal only becomes the occasion of a worse disorder. For it is not possible for any one to cure a man by compulsion against his will. While Christian libertarians disagree over whether and to what extent agents of the state possess the moral authority to intervene in the lives of citizens, government involvement is generally viewed with skepticism and suspicion. As with the Christian left, war and nation-building are common targets of ethical scrutiny from Christians espousing
10000-490: The law, show their authority to be great, and prevent them even against their will from following their own devices: but in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion. For neither has authority of this kind for the restraint of sinners been given us by law, nor, if it had been given, should we have any field for the exercise of our power, inasmuch as God rewards those who abstain from evil by their own choice, not of necessity. Consequently much skill
10125-540: The most orthodox Catholic bishops who tried to reform the Catholic Church in the 17th century to stop secularization and Protestantism . One of the main Jansenist aims was democratizing to stop the aristocratic corruption at the top of the Church hierarchy. In Christian Europe , communists were believed to have adopted atheism. In Protestant England, communism was too close to the Catholic communion rite , hence socialist
10250-483: The name of the Holy Roman Empire bears witness to its claims to sanctity as well as to universal rule. An apocryphal apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius , written during the seventh century, depicts a saintly Last Roman Emperor who holds his earthly kingdom in anticipation of Christ's return. According to Pseudo-Methodius, the Last Emperor will wage war in the last days against God's enemies, including Gog and Magog and
10375-459: The natural human tendency to corruption. In opposition to centralized political authority, Christian libertarians frequently cite the eighth chapter of the Biblical book of 1 Samuel (1 Kings LXX ), in which God tells the prophet Samuel that the children of Israel have rejected Him by demanding a king to reign over them, and He describes the many ways such a king will oppress the people. While one of
10500-523: The nature of contemporary social struggles is developed via materialist analysis utilizing historiographic concepts developed by Marx. A concrete example are the Paraguayan landless movement Sin Tierra , who engage in direct land seizures and the establishment of socialized agricultural cooperative production in asentamientos . The contemporary Paraguayan Sin Tierra operate in a very similar manner as that of
10625-561: The necessity of total social change" denoted themselves communists . This branch of socialism produced the communist work of Étienne Cabet in France and Wilhelm Weitling in Germany. Weitling was the leader of the Christian communist League of the Just whose stated goal was "the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth, based on the ideals of love of one's neighbor, equality and justice ". This
10750-510: The nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi , he led targeted, nonviolent resistance against Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination. In 1957, King and other civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The group was created to harness the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct nonviolent protests in the service of civil rights reform. The group
10875-492: The one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." The slogan "Each according to his abilities" has biblical origins. Acts 11:29 states: "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea." Additionally, the phrase " To each according to his needs " has a biblical basis in Acts 4:35, which says "to
11000-449: The oppressed. Matthew 25:31–46 , among other verses, is often cited to support this view. As nearly all major religions contain some kind of requirement to help others , adherents of various religions have cited social justice as a movement in line with their faith. The term social justice was coined in the 1840s by Luigi Taparelli , an Italian Catholic scholar of the Society of Jesus , who
11125-454: The part of the coerced, and has a spiritually deleterious effect upon the coercers. As John Chrysostom , late 4th-century Church Father and Archbishop of Constantinople , writes in his work On the Priesthood (Book II, Section 3), For Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin. Secular judges indeed, when they have captured malefactors under
11250-493: The political rule of the crown. Politics is addressed directly or indirectly in several parts of the Bible. Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13-14 say that all should follow the authority of government, as government authority is instituted by the authority of God. The Hebrew Bible contains a complex chronicle of the Kings of Israel and Judah , written over the course of many generations by authors whose relationships and intimacy with
11375-447: The priest John Ball of the revolt being an inspirational figure to later revolutionaries, and having allegedly declared that "things cannot go well in England, nor ever will, until all goods are held in common." In the 16th century, English writer Thomas More , who is venerated in the Catholic Church as a saint , portrayed a society based on common ownership of property in his treatise Utopia , whose leaders administered it through
11500-402: The proceeds to all, as any had need. ... Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ... There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it
11625-554: The radical, revolutionary dimension of Christianity." Latin American liberation theology influenced parts of the evangelical movement and Catholic bishops in the United States. Its purported use of " Marxist concepts " led in the mid-1980s to an admonition by the Vatican 's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). While stating that "in itself, the expression 'theology of liberation'
11750-567: The reading of early church communities as communistic in structure. From the High Middle Ages in Europe, various groups supported Christian communist and rural communalist ideas, and these ideas were also occasionally adopted by reformist Christian sects. An early 12th century proto-Protestant group originating in Lyon known as the Waldensians held their property in common in accordance with
11875-601: The reformation era Diggers. For Camilo Torres Restrepo , the founder of a Colombian guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army , developing this orthopraxis meant celebrating the Catholic Eucharist only among those engaged in armed struggle against the army of the Colombian state while fighting alongside them. In Australia, the academic Roland Boer has attempted to synthesize Calvinism and Marxism. In
12000-572: The reign of Constantine the Great , who favored Christianity and legalized its practice in the empire in 313. Christians were also appointed to government positions at this time. In 380, Trinitarian Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire by Theodosius I . The first major instance of Christianity wielding power in politics took place in 390. After the Massacre of Thessalonica ,
12125-456: The rulers of the several kingdoms fluctuated widely in both intimacy and respect. Some historical passages of the Hebrew Bible contain intimate portrayals of the inner workings of the royal households of Saul , David and Solomon . The accounts of subsequent monarchs are frequently more distanced and less detailed and frequently begin with the judgment that the monarch "did evil in the sight of
12250-400: The same emotional experience". Fidel Castro believed, "Christ chose the fishermen because he was a communist", In his book "Fidel and Religion", Castro states that there is a "great coincidence between Christianity's objectives and the ones we Communists seek, between the Christian teachings of humility, austerity, selflessness, and loving thy neighbour and what we might call the content of
12375-411: The same place, I believe they would certainly be living together in perfect harmony, as good friends. I strive to be their little student". He also using the language of Christianity and quoting some Bible stories to encourage the spirit of Catholics in Vietnam in the fight against France and America , as well as calling for unity between Catholics and followers of other religions. Ho Chi Minh Thought
12500-482: The separation is absolute and the church has no right to interfere in the affairs of the state any more than the state in the church. This viewpoint is still held by the most religiously conservative Anabaptist groups, such as the Amish , Old Order Mennonites , Conservative Mennonites , and Old Order River Brethren . Not all Anabaptist churches subscribe to anarchist ideologies. The Hutterite church traces its roots back to
12625-571: The status of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and persisted through the Middle Ages as one of the most powerful political forces in Europe. In 2015, Pope Francis stated that Catholics have a duty to participate in politics to improve the world. The Catholic Church does not officially take political stances and encourages followers to come to their own political decisions, but it also states that these decisions must be made in accordance with natural law . The Catholic Church in
12750-470: The superficialities of race and color, and you are able to join the Communist Party whatever the color of your skin or the quality of your blood, the quality of blood in your veins. ... No one can deny that we need to be concerned about social justice. ... Karl Marx arouses our conscience at this point. ... So with this passionate concern for social justice, Christians are bound to be in accord. Such concern
12875-406: The sword when requested, as God has sanctified the state to be his main tool to preserve social order. Christian anarchists do not share this interpretation of Romans 13 but given Paul's declaration to submit to authorities they do not attempt to overthrow the state. However anarchists still describe the state as an evil power executing wrath and vengeance . As wrath and vengeance are opposite to
13000-429: The view that the early Christian Church , such as the one described in the Acts of the Apostles , was an early form of communism or Christian socialism . The view is that communism was just Christianity in practice and Jesus was the first communist. Christian communism was based on the concept of koinonia , which means common or shared life, which was not an economic doctrine but an expression of agape love. It
13125-474: The way a socialist or communist society should be organized. Christian communists also share some of the political goals of Marxists, for example replacing capitalism with socialism, which should in turn be followed by communism at a later point in the future. The young Louis Althusser and Denys Turner are among Christian or Christianity-influenced philosophers who asserted the coherence of Christianity and Marxism. Althusser said: "I became communist because I
13250-522: The well-being of the emperor and the safety of the empire. It has been argued that Christianity made a significant positive contribution to the development of modern democracy. Christianity dominated European politics in the Middle Ages. During the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the Pope effectively served as the political leader of the region. The Byzantine Empire continued to be the center of
13375-492: The words: 'The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captive, recovering the sight of the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' ... We won't have to worry ... [about] communism. ... It can never be defeated with ammunition. It can never be defeated with missiles. ... The only way that we can defeat communism
13500-439: Was Catholic. I did not change religion, but I remained profoundly Catholic. I don't go to church but this doesn't matter; you don't ask people to go to church. I remained a Catholic, that is, an internationalist universalist. I thought that inside the Communist Party there were more adequate means to realize universal fraternity." In 1960s Communist Czechoslovakia , dialogue between Marxist and Christian philosophers and theologians
13625-701: Was also referred to by the League as the "new Jerusalem". In the earliest years of the Mormon movement , Joseph Smith promoted the law of consecration and the concept of the United Order . Today, some Mormon fundamentalist groups still apply this principle. Christian socialism was one of the founding threads of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom and is said to begin with the uprising of John Ball and Wat Tyler in
13750-511: Was an important supporting factor in the rise of feudalism . This ideal returned in the 19th century with monasticism revival and the rise of religious movements wanting to revive the early Christian egalitarianism. Because they were accused of atheism due its association with Marxism , they preferred communalism to describe their Christian communism. The early Church Fathers , like their non- Abrahamic religious predecessors, maintained that human society had declined to its current state from
13875-408: Was an issue that first came to light during the Roman Empire. Soldiers in the Roman military who converted to Roman Catholicism were among the first who had to face these issues. Catholics in the Roman military had to confront a number of issues, that go beyond the obvious one about whether war could be reconciled with the Christian religion. Paganism saturated Roman military institutions. Idols of
14000-482: Was both valued and denounced for its medicinal qualities and its addictive potential. He said: "That ambivalence over religion is really what is embodied in Marx's metaphor, rather than the notion that it is just a drug that dulls the senses and makes you forget your suffering." About Christian communism, he said: "The Christian communist tradition is what really interests me and keeps me involved with religion. I am fascinated by
14125-573: Was co-organized at Charles University by Milan Machovec in Czech and German, with notable participants including Ernst Bloch and Erich Fromm . Roland Boer, the son of a Presbyterian minister, said: "There is a tradition within Marxism of engagement with religion that is usually characterised as atheistic and disinterested, but I argue there is a continuous stream of major Marxist figures who have written on questions of religion and engaged specifically with
14250-406: Was considered to be a moral hazard to which military personnel were exposed. See Imperial cult (ancient Rome) . The conversion of Constantine I transformed the relationship of the Christian churches with the Roman military even as it transformed the relationship of the churches with the Roman state. A strongly contrary idea, sometimes called " caesaropapism ", identified the now Catholic Empire with
14375-464: Was distributed to each as any had need." Among those historians who support the Christian communist view, Montero offers anthropological evidence that the practices recounted in Acts 4:32–35 were historical and were practised widely and taken seriously during at least the first two centuries of Christianity. Other biblical evidence of anti-capitalistic belief systems include Matthew 6:24 , which said: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate
14500-554: Was inspired by the crusades of evangelist Billy Graham , who befriended King, as well as the national organizing of the group in Friendship, founded by King allies Stanley Levison and Ella Baker . King led the SCLC until his death. As a Christian minister, King's main influence was Jesus Christ and the Christian gospels, which he would almost always quote in his religious meetings, speeches at church, and in public discourses. King's faith
14625-484: Was inspired by the writings of Thomas Aquinas . The Christian left holds that social justice, renunciation of power, humility, forgiveness, and private observation of prayer (as in Matthew 6:5–6 ) as opposed to publicly mandated prayer, are mandated by the Gospel . The Bible contains accounts of Jesus repeatedly advocating for the poor and outcast over the wealthy, powerful, and religious. The Christian left maintains that such
14750-617: Was not always clear. The church also ruled its own territory directly in the form of the Papal States . The most notable instances of the church exercising influence over the kingdoms were the Crusades , when it called the Christian kingdoms to arms to fight religious wars . Some Crusades aimed to recover and secure Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims (1095-1291); other Crusades attacked
14875-593: Was particularly true among the Methodists and Anglo-Catholics in England, Father Adolph Kolping in Germany and Joseph Cardijn in Belgium. Some Christian groups were closely associated with the peace movements against the Vietnam War as well as the 2003 Invasion of Iraq . Religious leaders in many countries have also been on the forefront of criticizing any cuts to social welfare programs. In addition, many prominent civil rights activists were religious figures. In
15000-598: Was strongly based in Jesus' commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself , loving God above all, and loving your enemies, praying for them and blessing them. His nonviolent thought was also based in the injunction to turn the other cheek in the Sermon on the Mount , and Jesus' teaching of putting the sword back into its place (Matthew 26:52). In his famous " Letter from Birmingham Jail ", King urged action consistent with what he describes as Jesus' "extremist" love, and also quoted numerous other Christian pacifist authors, which
15125-645: Was the extremely strong thread of egalitarianism in the New Testament . Other common leftist concerns such as pacifism , social justice , racial equality , human rights , and the rejection of excessive wealth are also expressed strongly in the Bible . In the late 19th century, the Social Gospel movement arose (particularly among some Anglicans , Lutherans , Methodists and Baptists in North America and Britain ,) which attempted to integrate progressive and socialist thought with Christianity to produce
15250-498: Was the preferred term. Friedrich Engels argued that in 1848, when The Communist Manifesto was published, socialism was respectable in Europe while communism was not. The teachings of Jesus are frequently described as socialist, especially by Christian socialists, such as Terry Eagleton . The Owenites in England and the Fourierists in France were considered respectable socialists, while working-class movements that "proclaimed
15375-523: Was the state church. The United Methodist Church advocates political activism among Methodists. Methodists in the United States tend to lean conservative or moderate. Anabaptism adheres to a two kingdom concept. This is the belief that the kingdom of heaven or of Christ (the Church) is different and distinct from the kingdoms of this world. It essentially means the separation of church and state but differs from other Protestant approaches in their belief that
15500-498: Was the voluntary sharing of goods amongst the community. Acts 4 :35 records that in the early Christian Church in Jerusalem "[n]o one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but shared everything in common ." The pattern helped the early Christians to survive after the siege of Jerusalem and was taken seriously for several centuries. While it later disappeared from church history , it remained within monasticism and
15625-464: Was very usual for him. In another sermon, he stated: Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the Gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest commitment. You know, actually all that I do in civil rights I do because I consider it a part of my ministry. I have no other ambitions in life but to achieve excellence in the Christian ministry. I don't plan to run for any political office. I don't plan to do anything but remain
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