Christian Anarchism

Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It believes that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are answerable—the authority of God as embodied in the teachings of Jesus. It therefore rejects the idea that human governments have ultimate authority over human societies. Christian anarchists denounce the state, believing it is violent, deceitful and, when glorified, idolatrous.

Christian anarchists hold that the "Kingdom of God" is the proper expression of the relationship between God and humanity. Under the "Kingdom of God", the characteristics of human relationships would horizontal organization, servant leadership, and universal compassion. It denies traditional structures of organized religion, which most Christian anarchists consider hierarchical and or authoritarian structures.

Christian anarchists believe that the state is a fundamentally corrupt institution that is based on violence and coercion. According to them, the Bible teaches that Jesus came to establish a kingdom of peace and justice, not a kingdom of power and authority. The affirm that Christians should follow the example of Jesus by living in peace and non-violence, and by refusing to participate in the structures of the state.

Some of the most famous Christian anarchists include Leo Tolstoy, Dorothy Day, Jacques Ellul, and Vernard Eller. Mahatma Gandhi, who promoted Satyagraha, the non-violent resistance to the state, followed the teachings of Leo Tolstoy, so much so that the community that he called the community he set up in South Africa “Tolstoy Farm.” It was an ashram that Gandi started during his South African movement in 1910 that served as the headquarters of the campaign of satyagraha against discrimination against Indians in Transvaal.

The goal of Christian anarchism is to create a society based on mutual aid, cooperation, and love.

Christian anarchism is a minority movement within Christianity, but it has a long and rich history. It continues to attract new adherents who are looking for a way to live out their faith in a way that is consistent with the teachings of Jesus.