Pages from A Christian Anarchist Critique of Violence - From Turning the Other Cheek to a Rejection of the State.pdf (237.82 kB)
Download fileA Christian anarchist critique of violence: From turning the other cheek to a rejection of the state
chapter
posted on 2017-11-10, 12:03 authored by Alexandre ChristoyannopoulosAlexandre ChristoyannopoulosJesus’ Sermon on the Mount is seen by many Christians as a moving summary of his message to the community of Christian disciples. For Christian anarchist thinkers like Tolstoy, Ellul, Elliott, and Andrews among others, it also contains Jesus’ most poignant statement on violence – his call to turn the other cheek – a statement which, they argue, cannot but ultimately imply a condemnation of the state for its theoretical and practical monopoly over the allegedly legitimate use of
violence. This paper offers an overview of this radical political exegesis, thus showing why, for Christian anarchists, the very core of Christianity cannot but imply a form of (non-violent) anarchism.
History
School
- Social Sciences
Department
- Politics and International Studies