Anarchism – Secular and Christian
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority. True anarchism is the alternative to governmental authority, and advocates for the replacement of the state with stateless societies and voluntary free associations. As a historically left-wing movement, anarchism is placed on the farthest left of the political spectrum, usually described as the libertarian wing of the socialist movement (libertarian socialism).
While secular anarchists reject belief in any authority including God, “Christian anarchists” claim anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. Whereas some Kingdom Christians are overtly committed to “Christian anarchism,” others are influenced, perhaps unknowingly, by anarchist thinkers and cite them in their works. In any case, Kingdom Christian interpretations of Christ's teachings mirror the Anarchist ideology. Like Christian Anarchists, Kingdom Christians are generally against war, participation in government (i.e., serving as magistrates, policemen, or soldiers, and voting), and the use of violence (“non-resistance”).
This article will demonstrate how Kingdom Christianity is influenced by anarchists like Dave Andrews (b. 1951), Adin Ballou (1803-1890), Vernard Eller (1927-2007), Jacques Ellul (1912-1944), William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879), Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921), Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865), Lysander Spooner (1808-1887), and, most importantly, Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910).