Table of Contents
Acknowledgements VII
Introduction - Christian "Anarchism"? 1
Locating Christian Anarchism 1
In political theology 2
In political thought 4
Outlining Christian Anarchism 7
Aims, limits, and originality 7
Technical issues 10
The structure of this book 13
Christian Anarchist "Thinkers" 13
Leo Tolstoy 14
Jacques Ellul 16
Vernard Eller 16
Michael C. Elliott 17
Dave Andrews 17
Key writers in the Catholic Worker movement 18
Writers behind other Christian anarchist publications 21
William Lloyd Garrison 22
Hugh O. Pentecost 23
Nicolas Berdyaev 23
William T. Cavanaugh 24
Jonathan Bartley 24
Christian anarcho-capitalists 24
George Tarleton 25
Supportive thinkers 26
Part I The Christian Anarchist Critique of the State 29
Chapter 1 The Sermon on the Mount: A Manifesto for Christian Anarchism 30
1.1 Resist Not Evil 32
1.1.1 Jesus' three illustrations 32
1.1.2 A purposeful reaction 34
1.1.3 Beyond lex talionis 35
1.1.4 The cycle of violence 37
1.1.5 Overcoming of the cycle of violence 41
1.1.6 Anarchist implications 43
l.2 Judge Not 47
1.3 Love Your Enemies 49
1.4 Swear Not at All 52
1.5 The Golden Rule 55
1.6 Reflections on Other Passages in the Sermon 56
1.6.1 Be not angry 56
1.6.2 Commit no adultery 59
1.6.3 Seek no praise 59
1.6.4 The Beatitudes 59
1.6.5 Worry not about security 60
1.6.6 Be the salt and the light 61
1.7 Fulfilling the Old Law 61
1.8 A Manifesto for Christian Anarchism 65
Chapter 2 The Anarchism Implied in Jesus' Other Teachings and Example 67
2.1 The Old Testament 68
2.1.1 1 Samuel 8 68
2.1.2 Other Old Testament passages 72
2.2 Expectations of a Political Messiah 73
2.3 Jesus' Third Temptation in the Wilderness 75
2.4 Exorcisms and Miracle Healings 77
2.5 Forgive Seventy-Seven Times 78
2.6 Not Judging One Another 80
2.7 Being Servants 82
2.8 The Temple Cleansing 83
2.9 Jesus' Arrest 87
2.10 Jesus'trial 90
2.11 Jesus' Crucifixion 93
2.11.1 Paul's "powers" 93
2.11.2 The defeat of the powers 95
2.11.3 The crucified "messiah" 96
2.11.4 The crux of Jesus' political teaching 97
2.11.5 Taking up the cross 98
2.12 Jesus' Resurrection 100
2.13 Revelation 102
2.14 Allegedly Violent Passages 104
2.15 Jesus' Anarchist Teaching and Example 106
Chapter 3 The State's Wickedness and the Church's Infidelity 107
3.1 The History of Christendom 108
3.1.1 Constantine's temptation of the early church 108
3.1.2 Christendom and beyond 112
3.2 The Modern State and Economy 113
3.2.1 The "state" 113
3.2.2 State violence 115
3.2.3 State deception 117
3.2.4 Economic exploitation 121
3.2.5 The state as idolatry 125
3.3 Church Doctrine in Support of the State 127
3.3.1 Reinterpretations of Jesus' commandments in the Sermon on the Mount 128
3.3.2 Reinterpretations of non-resistance 130
3.3.3 Support for political authority 135
3.4 Deceptive Dogmas 136
3.4.1 Sanctimonious self-righteousness 137
3.4.2 Obscure rituals and beliefs 139
3.4.3 Institutional religion 143
3.5 Awakening to True Christianity 144
Part II The Christian Anarchist Response 146
Chapter 4 Responding to the State 147
4.1 Paul's Letter to Roman Christians Chapter 13 148
4.1.1 Paul's weaknesses 149
4.1.2 The Christian anarchist exegesis: subversive subjection 150
4.1.3 Similar passages in the New Testament 156
4.2 Jesus' Advice on Taxes 157
4.2.1 Caesar's things and God's things 158
4.2.2 The temple tax and fish episode 160
4.3 Pondering the Role of Civil Disobedience 161
4.3.1 Against civil disobedience 161
4.3.2 For (non-violent) civil disobedience 162
4.3.3 Obedience to God 164
4.4 Disregarding the Organs of the State 165
4.4.1 Holding office and voting 165
4.4.2 Paying taxes 166
4.4.3 Conscription and war 166
4.4.4 Other state services 167
4.5 On Revolutionary Methods 167
4.5.1 No compromise with violence 168
4.5.2 Revolution by example 171
Chapter 5 Collective Witness as the True Church 174
5.1 "A New Society Within the Shell of the Old" 175
5.1.1 Repenting and joining the church 175
5.1.2 An economy of care and sacrifice 177
5.1.3 Subversive organisation 180
5.2 A Difficult Mission 183
5.2.1 Dealing with evil in the community 183
5.2.2 Heroic sacrifices by church members 188
5.3 Trust in God 191
5.3.1 A beacon of faith 191
5.3.2 The mysterious growth of a mustard seed 193
Chapter 6 Examples of Christian Anarchist Witness 196
6.1 Pre-Modern Examples 197
6.1.1 Early Christians 197
6.1.2 The Middle Ages and the Reformation 199
6.2 Modern Examples 202
6.2.1 Garrison and his followers 202
6.2.2 Ballon and the Hopedale community 202
6.2.3 Tolstoy's personal example 203
6.2.4 Tolstoyism and Tolstoyan colonies 204
6.2.5 Gandhi: a leader by example 207
6.2.6 The Catholic Worker movement 209
6.2.7 A Pinch of Salt and The Digger and Christian Anarchist 210
6.2.8 Online communities 211
6.2.9 Andrews' community work 212
6.3 Incomplete Examples 212
Conclusion - The Prophetic Role of Christian Anarchism 214
"Christian Anarchists" and "Christian Anarchism" 215
The Kingdom of God in History 217
"Hastening" God's kingdom 217
History's mysterious unfolding 219
The temptation of normal political action 221
Relentless Prophecy at the Margins 225
Love, justice, and social ontology 225
Christian anarchists as prophets 229
Distinguishing church and state 232
Christian Anarchism's Original Contribution 235
Epilogue 240
Bibliography 242
Index 265
