Anarchy and Christianity
Anarchy and Christianity

Author: Jacques Ellul

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2011-05-18

Total Pages: 127

ISBN-13: 1606089714

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Jacque Ellul blends politics, theology, history, and exposition in this analysis of the relationship between political anarchy and biblical faith. While he clarifies the views of each and how they can be related, his aim is not to proselytize either anarchists into Christianity or Christians into anarchy. On the one hand, suggests Ellul, anarchists need to understand that much of their criticism of Christianity applies only to the form of religion that developed, not to biblical faith. Christians, on the other hand, need to look at the biblical texts and not reject anarchy as a political option, for it seems closest to biblical thinking. After charting the background of his own interest in the subject, Ellul defines what he means by anarchy: the nonviolent repudiation of authority. He goes on to look at the Bible as the source of anarchy (in the sense of nondomination, not disorder), working through Old Testament history, Jesus' ministry, and finally the early church's view of power as reflected in the New Testament writings.

Christian Anarchism
Christian Anarchism

Author: Alexandre Christoyannopoulos

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Published: 2022-02-17

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 1845406621

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Christian anarchism has been around for at least as long as “secular” anarchism. Leo Tolstoy is its most famous proponent, but there are many others, such as Jacques Ellul, Vernard Eller, Dave Andrews or the people associated with the Catholic Worker movement. They offer a compelling critique of the state, the church and the economy based on the New Testament.

Christian Anarchy
Christian Anarchy

Author: Vernard Eller

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 1999-02-23

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 1579102220

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A far-ranging study of the Christian relationship to the state and all wordly powers, this book is as provocative as its unusual title. Christian AnarchyÓ says Vernard Eller, is the faith in God's primacy as sovereign Lord and orderer of history which is given such weight that all the big claims of self-confident human scheming and power-play become sheer distraction.

That Holy Anarchist
That Holy Anarchist

Author: Mark Van Steenwyk

Publisher: Mark Van Steenwyk

Published: 2012-06-25

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 0615659810

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In That Holy Anarchist, Mark Van Steenwyk explores the relationship between Christianity and anarchism. The name of Jesus is invoked by those in power as well as those resisting that power. What were the politics of Jesus and how can they continue to inform us as we struggle for justice?

Christian Anarchist
Christian Anarchist

Author: William Marling

Publisher: NYU Press

Published: 2022-02-15

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1479810088

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A biography of a remarkable figure, whose politics prefigured today’s social justice, ecology, and gender equality movements Ammon Hennacy was arrested over thirty times for opposing US entry in World War 1. Later, when he refused to pay taxes that support war, he lost his wife and daughters, and then his job. For protesting the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he was hounded by the IRS and driven to migrant labor in the fields of the West. He had a romance with Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker, who called him a “prophet and a peasant.” He helped the homeless on the Bowery, founded the Joe Hill House of Hospitality in Salt Lake City, and protested the US development of nuclear missiles, becoming in the process one of the most celebrated anarchists of the twentieth century. To our era, when so much “protest” happens on social media, his actual sacrifices seem unworldly. Ammon Hennacy was a forerunner of contemporary progressive thought, and he remains a beacon for challenges that confront the world and especially the US today. In this exceptional biography, William Marling tells the story of this fascinating figure, who remains particularly important for the Catholic Left. In addition to establishing Hennacy as an exemplar of vegetarianism, ecology, and pacificism, Marling illuminates a broader history of political ideas now largely lost: the late nineteenth-century utopian movements, the grassroots socialist movements before World War I, and the antinuclear protests of the 1960s. A nuanced study of when religion and anarchist theory overlap, Christian Anarchist shows how Hennacy’s life at the heart of radical libertarian and anarchist interventions in American politics not only galvanized the public then, but offers us new insight for today.

Tolstoy's Political Thought
Tolstoy's Political Thought

Author: Alexandre Christoyannopoulos

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-08-29

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1000650987

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), besides writing famous novels such as War and Peace, also wrote on political issues, especially later in his life, putting forward a political philosophy which might be termed 'Christian anarchism'. This book provides a comprehensive overview of Tolstoy’s political thought. It outlines in a systematic way Tolstoy’s thought, which was originally articulated unsystematically in diverse, often informal writing, such as pamphlets, letters, and speeches, as well as books, and in his novels, where Tolstoy’s thinking is put forward implicitly through the novels’ characters. The book sets out the basic themes of Tolstoy’s political thought: his acceptance of the teachings of Jesus, his criticism of the way in which Jesus’ teachings have been relayed by the church through traditional creeds and dogma, his passionate rejection of political violence by both the state and those working for reform, his plea for a nonviolent response to violence and injustice, and his call for society to forego its institutional shackles and enact a community of peace, love, and justice. The book also includes background information on the Russia of Tolstoy’s time, including the religious context, and a discussion of how Tolstoy’s political thought has been received by his admirers, who included Gandhi, and his critics.

Living on Hope While Living in Babylon
Living on Hope While Living in Babylon

Author: Tripp York

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2009-04-23

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 1498275044

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Though Christendom has come to an end, it appears that old habits die hard. Jesus promised his followers neither safety nor affluence, but rather that those who come after him should expect persecution. Christian discipleship and tribal nationalism, however, despite the legal separation of church and state, continue to be co-opted into the nation-state project of prosperity and security. This co-option has made it difficult for the church to recognize her task to be a prophetic witness both for and against the state. That only a small pocket of Christians bear witness against such an accommodation of Christian practice is disconcerting; and yet, it breeds hope. In Living on Hope While Living in Babylon, Tripp York examines a few twentieth century Christians who lived such a witness, including the Berrigan brothers, Dorothy Day, and Eberhard Arnold. These witnesses can be viewed as anarchical in the sense that their loyalty to Christ undermines the pseudo-soteriological myth employed by the state. While these Christians have been labeled pilgrims, revolutionaries, nomads, subversives, agitators, and now, anarchists, they are more importantly seekers of the peace of the city whose chief desire is for those belonging to the temporal cities to be able to participate in the eternal city--the city of God. By examining their ideas and their actions, this book will attempt to understand how the politics of the church--an apocalyptic politic--is necessary for the church to understand her mission as bearer of the gospel.

Anarchy and the Kingdom of God
Anarchy and the Kingdom of God

Author: Davor Džalto

Publisher: Fordham University Press

Published: 2021-06-15

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 0823294404

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“Perhaps the best book on Christian anarchism since Jacques Ellul . . . a timely and valuable addition to resurgent interest in political theology.”—Eric Gregory, Princeton University Anarchy and the Kingdom of God reclaims the concept of “anarchism” both as a political philosophy and a way of thinking of the sociopolitical sphere from a theological perspective. Through a genuinely theological approach to the issues of power, coercion, and oppression, Davor Džalto advances human freedom—one of the most prominent forces in human history—as a foundational theological principle in Christianity. That principle enables a fresh reexamination of the problems of democracy and justice in the age of global (neoliberal) capitalism.

Jesus and the Abolitionists
Jesus and the Abolitionists

Author: Terry Stokes

Publisher: Broadleaf Books

Published: 2024-05-28

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Isn't anarchy just chaos? How could it possibly relate to Christianity? Countless people, including (and sometimes especially) those from religious backgrounds, are exploring radical ideas. The pandemic, the Black liberation movement, climate disaster--all these concerns are leading us to ask, "Does our system actually work? Is capitalism ethical? Is this the only way to build a society?" Questions like these led author and pastor Terry Stokes to the political philosophy of anarchy. Now, we all have a scary picture in our minds about anarchy: that it calls for chaos, violence, and disorder. But anarchy actually calls for the end of rulership, not violence in the streets. Anarchy seeks to empower small communities of people to take care of their own needs at the local level, thereby making the state obsolete. It's all about constructing societies in which people are placed above profit and systems are built on ethics of justice and equality. To Stokes, that sounded a whole lot like the building blocks of Christian faith. In Jesus and the Abolitionist, Stokes introduces readers to the ancient practice of anarchy and how it intersects with Christian beliefs and values. We see how beliefs about God, humanity, divine-human interaction, the Bible, and more can be illuminated and faithfully reformulated through an anarchist lens. This view, which Stokes calls anarchist Christianity, seeks to abolish tyrannical systems that do not recognize the changing values of our times and that disempower the people. Stokes's vision of an anarchist Christian future charts a caring theology and practice of living, one based in our voluntary cooperation, the goodness of all people, and faith in God. We can build an ethical world--one built on structures of care--and anarchy might just be the unlikely key.

Dalit Theology and Christian Anarchism
Dalit Theology and Christian Anarchism

Author: Revd Dr Keith Hebden

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Published: 2013-06-28

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1409481476

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A second generation of emerging Dalit theology texts is re-shaping the way we think of Indian theology and liberation theology. This book is a vital part of that conversation. Taking post-colonial criticism to its logical end of criticism of statism, Keith Hebden looks at the way the emergence of India as a nation state shapes political and religious ideas. He takes a critical look at these Gods of the modern age and asks how Christians from marginalised communities might resist the temptation to be co-opted into the statist ideologies and competition for power. He does this by drawing on historical trends, Christian anarchist voices, and the religious experiences of indigenous Indians. Hebden's ability to bring together such different and challenging perspectives opens up radical new thinking in Dalit theology, inviting the Indian Church to resist the Hindu fundamentalists labelling of the Church as foreign by embracing and celebrating the anarchic foreignness of a Dalit Christian future.