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]
Definitions: what is Anarchism? What is Christianity? What is Christian Anarchism?[edit | edit source]
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.
