The Tolstoyan movement is a social movement based on the philosophical and religious views of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910). Tolstoy's views were formed by rigorous study of the ministry of Jesus , particularly the Sermon on the Mount .
73-570: Tolstoy expressed "great joy" that groups of people "have been springing up, not only in Russia but in various parts of Europe, who are in complete agreement with our views." However, the author also thought it was a mistake to create a specific movement or doctrine after him, urging individuals to listen to their own conscience rather than blindly follow his. In regard to a letter he received from an adherent, he wrote: To speak of "Tolstoyism," to seek guidance, to inquire about my solution of questions,
146-518: A doctorate is a terminal academic degree that legally confers said authority within its respective field. For more information, see Doctor (title) . Christian socialism Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism , endorsing socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus . Many Christian socialists believe capitalism to be idolatrous and rooted in
219-719: A neo-Thomistic sociologist and Catholic social theorist, when distinguishing between the conservative and Christian democratic views on labour issues, used Christian Socialists for the latter; most Christian democrats avoid using socialism , which is occasionally mainly used by conservatives who attempt to discredit their Christian democratic opponents by using a word with Marxist connotations. Christian democratic parties under various names were formed in Europe and Latin America after World War II. Some, such as in Germany and Italy, became
292-977: A Land Baby , 1863), Frederick James Furnivall (co-creator of the Oxford English Dictionary ), and Francis Bellamy (a Baptist minister and the author of the Pledge of Allegiance in the United States). Elements that would form the basis of Christian socialism are found in the Old Testament , as well as the New Testaments . They include Deuteronomy 15:1–5 , Ezekiel 18:7 , Isaiah 58:2–7 , James 2:14 , James 5:1–6 , Job 31:16–25, 28 , John 11:10–11 , Leviticus 25: 35–38 , Luke 4:18 , Matthew 6:24 , Matthew 19:23–24 , Matthew 25:40–46 , Proverbs 28:3–28 , and Proverbs 31:9 . The Old Testament had divided perspectives on
365-466: A branch of law contains various doctrines, which in turn contain various rules or tests . The test of non-occurrence of crucial event is part of the doctrine of frustration which is part of contract law . Doctrines can grow into a branch of law ; restitution is now considered a branch of law separate to contract and tort . The title of Doctor in fact means "one with the authority to establish doctrine in his or her respective field of study";
438-511: A form of communism to secular observers. In the words of historians Max Stanton and Rod Janzen, the Hutterites "established in their communities a rigorous system of Ordnungen, which were codes of rules and regulations that governed all aspects of life and ensured a unified perspective. As an economic system, Christian communism was attractive to many of the peasants who supported social revolution in sixteenth century central Europe", such as
511-698: A major political force. Liberation theology is a synthesis of Christian theology and socio-economic analyses that emphasizes "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples", as well as "the oppressed and maimed and blind and lame", and bring the "good news to the poor". Beginning in the 1960s after the Second Vatican Council , it became the political praxis of Latin American liberation theologians , such as Gustavo Gutiérrez , Leonardo Boff , and Jesuits like Juan Luis Segundo and Jon Sobrino , who popularized
584-638: A schism prior to the events described in the New Testament. This schism led to interethnic and interreligious conflict between the two groups. Luke 6:20–21 shows Jesus narrating the Sermon on the Plain . It reads: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied." Christian socialists cite James the Just , the brother of Jesus, who criticizes
657-418: A thief. And one who might clothe the naked and does not—should not he be given the same name? The bread in your hoard belongs to the hungry; the cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked; the shoes you let rot belong to the barefoot; the money in your vaults belongs to the destitute. All you might help and do not—to all these you are doing wrong." John Chrysostom declared his reasons for his attitude towards
730-530: Is tactical doctrine in which a standard set of maneuvers, kinds of troops and weapons are employed as a default approach to a kind of attack. Examples of military doctrines include: The Cold War saw the enunciation of several strategic doctrines designed to contain Soviet expansion. Carter Doctrine was announced in 1980 by American President Jimmy Carter after the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. It declared that any Soviet aggression towards
803-416: Is a body of interrelated rules (usually of common law and built over a long period of time) associated with a legal concept or principle. For example, the doctrine of frustration of purpose now has many tests and rules applicable with regards to each other and can be contained within a "bubble" of frustration . In a court session a defendant may refer to the doctrine of justification. It can be seen that
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#1732779891746876-573: Is a great and gross error. There has not been, nor is there any "teaching" of mine. There exists only the one eternal universal teaching of the Truth, which for me, for us, is especially clearly expressed in the Gospels ...I advised this young lady to live not by my conscience, as she wished, but by her own. Tolstoyans ( Russian : Толстовцы , Tolstovtsy ) identify themselves as Christians , but do not generally belong to an institutional Church . Tolstoy
949-449: Is exalted in honour. Amos emphasizes the need for justice and righteousness that is described as conduct that emphasizes love for those who are poor and to oppose oppression and injustice towards the poor. The prophet Isaiah , to whom is attributed the first thirty-nine chapters of the Book of Isaiah known as Proto-Isaiah, followed upon Amos' themes of justice and righteousness involving
1022-585: Is no universal agreement on the exact date when Christian communism was founded, Christian communists say that evidence from the Bible suggests that the first Christians, including the Apostles in the New Testament as described in the Acts, established their own communist society in the years following Jesus' death and resurrection. Advocates of Christian communism, including other communists, such as Karl Marx , Friedrich Engels , and Karl Kautsky , argue that it
1095-539: Is opposed to religion ... when the organised Socialist working class tramples upon the Capitalist Class it will not be trampling on a pillar of God's Church but upon a blasphemous defiler of the Sanctuary, it will be rescuing the faith from the impious vermin who make it noisome to the really religious men and women." In France, Philippe Buchez began to characterize his philosophy as Christian socialism in
1168-477: The Encyclopædia Britannica , socialism is a "social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work isolated, but live in cooperation with one another. Furthermore, everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to
1241-828: The Bloomsbury Group and were important in the early history of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom . Founded by Vida Dutton Scudder in 1911, herself influenced by the Fabian Society, the Episcopal Church Socialist League and its successor, the Church League for Industrial Democracy, sought to ally Christian doctrine with the plight of the working class as a part of the larger social gospel movement that
1314-804: The English Civil War and the period of the Commonwealth of England (1642–1660), the Diggers espoused a political and economic theory rooted in Christianity that bears a strong resemblance to modern socialism, particularly its anarchist and communist strains. Some scholars believe the Munster Rebellion may have formed an early socialist state. In "Religion and the Rise of Socialism", historian Eric Hobsbawn argued that
1387-631: The German Peasants' War , and Friedrich Engels came to view Anabaptists as proto-communists . Other earlier figures viewed as Christian socialists include the 19th-century writers F. D. Maurice ( The Kingdom of Christ , 1838), John Malcolm Forbes Ludlow ( The Christian Socialist , 1850), Adin Ballou ( Practical Christian Socialism , 1854), Thomas Hughes ( Tom Brown's School Days , 1857), John Ruskin ( Unto This Last , 1862), Charles Kingsley ( The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for
1460-504: The Hutterites are found in the book of the Acts . All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions were his own, but they shared everything they had. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought
1533-533: The Psalms include many references to social justice for the poor. Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! ... He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn
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#17327798917461606-682: The Sermon on the Mount . Tolstoy takes the Christian pacifist viewpoint that all governments who wage war, and churches who in turn support those governments, are an affront to the Christian principles of nonviolence and nonresistance . Although Tolstoy never used Christian anarchism in The Kingdom of God Is Within You , reviews of this book following its publication in 1894 appear to have coined
1679-692: The Whiteway Colony in Gloucestershire and Stapleton Colony in Yorkshire, both of which are still going today. Although given Whiteway soon abandoned Tolstoy's principles, it has been regarded by many, including Gandhi who visited in 1909, as a failed Tolstoyan experiment. Johannes van der Veer was the key figure in the Dutch Tolstoyan movement, and Tolstoy directly addressed van der Veer's anti-war stances in an 1896 essay. In
1752-483: The early church in Jerusalem "[n]o one claimed that any of their possessions was their own"; this pattern, which helped Christians survive after the siege of Jerusalem , was taken seriously for several centuries, and was an important factor in the rise of feudalism . While it would later disappear from church history except within monasticism , it experienced a revival since the 19th century. Christian socialism
1825-512: The sin of greed . Christian socialists identify the cause of social inequality to be the greed that they associate with capitalism. Christian socialism became a major movement in the United Kingdom beginning in the 19th century. The Christian Socialist Movement, known as Christians on the Left since 2013, is one formal group, as well as a faction of the Labour Party . According to
1898-451: The "modern working-class socialist movement has developed an overwhelmingly secular, indeed often militantly anti-religious ideology." At the same time, he and other historians cited examples where this was not the case, particularly Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, where E. P. Thompson and Stephen Yo said a form of ethical socialism dominated the labour movement . A prominent example of Christian socialism, or socialist Christianity,
1971-419: The 1820s and 1830s. A variety of socialist perspectives emerged in 19th-century Britain, beginning with John Ruskin . Edward R. Norman identifies what he describes as the three "immediate intellectual sources" for mid-century Christian socialism: Samuel Taylor Coleridge , Thomas Carlyle , and Thomas Arnold . The United States also has a Christian socialist tradition. In Utah, it developed and flourished in
2044-944: The 1970s, emphasizing evangelism and social responsibility . Theologies of liberation have developed in other parts of the world, such as black theology in the United States and South Africa, Palestinian liberation theology , Dalit theology in India, and Minjung theology in South Korea. Communism and socialism have been condemned by Pope Pius IX , Pope Leo XIII , Pope Pius X , Pope Benedict XV , Pope Pius XI , Pope Pius XII , Pope John XXIII , Pope Paul VI , and Pope John Paul II . Many of these popes, Leo XIII and Pius XI in particular, have also condemned unregulated capitalism. Pope Benedict XVI condemned both ideologies, while distinguishing them from democratic socialism , which he praised. The views of Pope Francis on
2117-445: The 2008 United Nations peacekeeping operations' "Capstone Doctrine" which speaks to integrated civilian and military operations. By definition, political doctrine is "[a] policy, position or principle advocated, taught or put into effect concerning the acquisition and exercise of the power to govern or administrate in society." The term political doctrine is sometimes wrongly identified with political ideology. However, doctrine lacks
2190-647: The American West, were fierce advocates for the miners laboring in the Mountain states . The influential Victorian era art critic John Ruskin expounded theories about social justice in Unto This Last (1860). In it, he stated four goals that might be called socialist even though Ruskin did not use the term. Although Norman says Ruskin was not "an authentic Socialist in any of its various nineteenth-century meanings", as his only real contact with
2263-723: The Christian socialists came through the Working Men's College , he influenced later socialist thinking, especially the artist William Morris . The painters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were influenced and sponsored by Ruskin. Morris was a leader of the Socialist League founded in December 1884. The Fabian Society was founded in 1884, with Beatrice Webb and Sydney Webb being among its leading members. The Fabians influenced members of
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2336-514: The Church must destroy a system of society which inevitably creates and perpetuates unequal and unfair conditions of life. These unequal and unfair conditions have been created by competition. Therefore competition must cease and cooperation take its place." Although anarchists have traditionally been skeptical of or vehemently opposed to organized religion , some anarchists have provided religious interpretations and approaches to anarchism, including
2409-523: The First World War after he read his book, The Gospel in Brief . He carried this book with him everywhere and recommended it to others. In particular, the pacifism of Tolstoy was very influential. Alexander Fodor wrote: We know that [Tolstoy's] pacificism, his advocacy of passive resistance to evil through nonviolent means, has had incalculable influence on pacificist movements in general and on
2482-456: The Lord. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. When you reap in your harvest in
2555-644: The Netherlands two colonies were started, a short-lived one at Bussum in North Holland and a more successful one at nearby Blaricum . The reasons attributed to the failure of Tolstoyan communities across Europe have included the personal incompatibility of the participants and a general lack of practical agricultural experience. One of the prominent followers of Tolstoy was the celebrated philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein . His interest in Tolstoy began in
2628-570: The New Testament that is an important component of Christian socialism is Luke 10:25–37 that follows the statement "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" with the question "And who is my neighbour?" In the Parable of the Good Samaritan . Jesus gives the response that the neighbour includes anyone in need, even people we might be expected to shun. The Samaritans and Jews claim descension from different Tribes of Israel , which had faced
2701-760: The Persian Gulf would be considered a danger to the essential interests of the United States. This led to the creation of significant American military installations in the area and the formation of the Rapid Deployment Force . The proclamation reinforced the previous Truman Doctrine and Eisenhower Doctrine and to some extent it rejected the Nixon Doctrine . See also Reagan Doctrine . In modern peacekeeping operations , which involve both civilian and military operations, more comprehensive (not just military) doctrines are now emerging such as
2774-415: The actional aspect of ideology. It is mainly a theoretical discourse, which "refers to a coherent sum of assertions regarding what a particular topic should be" (Bernard Crick). Political doctrine is based on a rationally elaborated set of values, which may precede the formation of a political identity per se . It is concerned with philosophical orientations on a meta-theoretical level. A legal doctrine
2847-622: The author's influence in his country of birth. However, with Vladimir Chertkov (1854–1936) as a key promoter of Tolstoy's ideas, a movement started over the 1890s. The movement continued to grow after the writer's death and was at its strongest in the years immediately following the revolutions of 1917 with agricultural communities established in the provinces of Smolensk , Tver , Samara , Kursk , Perm and Kiev . The Tolstoyan communities that proliferated between 1917 and 1921 were eventually wiped out or stripped of their independence as collectivisation and ideological purges got under way in
2920-463: The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. During the New Testament period and beyond, there is evidence that many Christian communities practised forms of sharing, redistribution, and communism. Some of the Bible verses that inspired the communal economic arrangements of
2993-485: The essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system . The etymological Greek analogue is " catechism ". Often the word doctrine specifically suggests a body of religious principles as promulgated by a church. Doctrine may also refer to a principle of law, in the common-law traditions, established through a history of past decisions. Examples of religious doctrines include: Roman Catholic and Orthodox doctrine generally comes from
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3066-413: The field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. ... When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again. ... When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this. Some of
3139-523: The first part of the 20th century, playing an important part in the development and expression of radicalism. Part of a larger, nationwide movement in many American Protestant churches, Christian socialism in Utah was particularly strong, and dedicated Christian socialist ministers, such as Episcopal Church bishop Franklin Spencer Spalding of Utah and Congregational minister Myron W. Reed in
3212-442: The form of economic justice and social welfare . It opposes an individualist worldview and approves state intervention in the economy in defence of human dignity. Because of its close association with Catholicism, Christian democracy differs from Christian socialism by its emphasis on traditional church and family values , its defence of private property, and by its opposition to excessive state intervention. Salvatore Talamo,
3285-640: The formation of his own philosophy of nonviolence from both Jainism and Hinduism . Leon Trotsky summed up Tolstoy's social philosophy, on the basis of his writings, in five "programmatic theses": The vegetarian movement started in Europe in the 19th century. The first Vegetarian Society was founded in Manchester in 1847. Tolstoy became a prominent influence on the movement. He became vegetarian, along with his two daughters, in 1885. His relevant essay The First Step (1891), and others were promoted by vegetarian societies internationally. His vegetarianism
3358-535: The idea that glorification of the state is a form of sinful idolatry . Christian anarchists say anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels , that it is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately 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
3431-459: The indifferent rich. Basil wrote a sermon on the Parable of the Rich Fool in which he states: "Who is the covetous man? One for whom plenty is not enough. Who is the defrauder? One who takes away what belongs to everyone. And are not you covetous, are you not a defrauder, when you keep for private use what you were given for distribution? When some one strips a man of his clothes we call him
3504-674: The issue of poverty. One part of the Biblical tradition held that poverty was judgment of God upon the wicked while viewing prosperity as a reward for the good, stating in the Proverbs 13:25 that "[t]he righteous have enough to satisfy their appetite, but the belly of the wicked is empty." There are other sections that instruct generosity to the have-nots of society. Mosaic Law instructs followers to treat neighbours equally and to be generous to have-nots. You shall not oppress your neighbour ... but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am
3577-484: The key components of religiosity . He divides doctrine into four categories: content, frequency (degree to which it may occupy the person's mind), intensity and centrality. Each of these may vary from one religion to the next, within that religious tradition. In this sense, doctrine is similar to Charles Glock 's "belief" dimension of religiosity. The term also applies to the concept of an established procedure to execute an operation in warfare . The typical example
3650-596: The late 1920s. Colonies, such as the Life and Labor Commune , relocated to Siberia to avoid being liquidated. Several Tolstoyan leaders, including Yakov Dragunovsky (1886-1937), were put on trial and then sent to the Gulag prison camps. In England John Coleman Kenworthy of the Brotherhood Church established a colony at Purleigh , Essex in 1896. This community closed a few years later but its residents spawned
3723-522: The money from their sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Basil of Caesarea , the Church Father of the Eastern monks who became Bishop of Caesarea , established a complex around the church and monastery that included hostels, almshouses, and hospitals for infectious diseases. During the great famine of 368, Basil denounced against profiteers and
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#17327798917463796-531: The philosophical and social views and programs of Mahatma Gandhi , Martin Luther King , and Cesar Chavez . Another prominent follower of Tolstoy's teachings was Dorothy Day , an American social activist, and a founder of the pacifist Catholic Worker Movement . Doctrine Doctrine (from Latin : doctrina , meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as
3869-736: The phrase " preferential option for the poor ". This expression was used first by Jesuit Father General Pedro Arrupe in 1968, and the World Synod of Catholic Bishops in 1971 chose as its theme " Justice in the World " for the Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops . The Latin American context produced evangelical advocates of liberation theology, such as Rubem Alves , José Míguez Bonino , and C. René Padilla , who called for integral mission in
3942-474: The poor as necessary for followers of God, denouncing those who do not do these things. Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. ... [C]ease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. The Book of Sirach , one of the deuterocanonical or biblical apocrypha books of the Old Testament, denounces
4015-544: The production of a good is entitled to a share in it. Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members. ... Early Christian communities also practised the sharing of goods and labour, a simple form of socialism subsequently followed in certain forms of monasticism . Several monastic orders continue these practices today." The Hutterites believe in strict adherence to biblical principles and church discipline, and practices common ownership of nearly all property, resembling
4088-463: The pursuit of wealth. He who loves gold will not be justified, and he who pursues money will be led astray by it. Many have come to ruin because of gold, and their destruction has met them face to face. It is a stumbling block to those who are devoted to it, and every fool will be taken captive by it. The teachings of Jesus are frequently described as socialist, especially by Christian socialists, such as Terry Eagleton . Acts 4:32 records that in
4161-414: The rich and position of attitude towards wealth. He said: "I am often reproached for continually attacking the rich. Yes, because the rich are continually attacking the poor. But those I attack are not the rich as such, only those who misuse their wealth. I point out constantly that those I accuse are not the rich, but the rapacious; wealth is one thing, covetousness another. Learn to distinguish." During
4234-462: The rich and powerful against the poor. According to this view, socialism was not anti-religion but was opposed to those who would use it to support capitalism and the status quo . James Connolly is credited with setting the groundwork for Christian socialism in Ireland. Connolly, who wrote a story for the Christian socialist journal Labour Prophet , said: "It is not Socialism but Capitalism that
4307-528: The rich intensely and in strong language in the Epistle of James . Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up for treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out; and
4380-434: The slogan " no gods, no masters ". Christian anarchists often believe Romans 13 is taken out of context, emphasizing that Revelation 13 and Isaiah 13 , among other passages, are needed to fully understand Romans 13 text. Christian communism is a form of religious communism based on Christianity and the view that the teachings of Jesus compel Christians to support communism as the ideal social system . While there
4453-471: The state, believing it is violent, deceitful, and idolatrous when glorified. The foundation of Christian anarchism is a rejection of violence, with Leo Tolstoy 's The Kingdom of God Is Within You regarded as a key text. Tolstoy sought to separate Russian Orthodox Christianity —which was merged with the state—from what he believed was the true message of Jesus as contained in the Gospels, specifically in
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#17327798917464526-488: The term. Christian anarchists hold that the Reign of God is the proper expression of the relationship between God and humanity. Under the Reign of God, human relationships would be characterized by divided authority, servant leadership , and universal compassion—not by the hierarchical, authoritarian structures that are normally attributed to religious social order. Most Christian anarchists are pacifists who reject war and
4599-471: The use of violence. More than any other Bible source, the Sermon on the Mount is used as the basis for Christian anarchism. Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You is often regarded as a key text for modern Christian anarchism. Critics of Christian anarchism include both Christians and anarchists. Christians often cite Romans 13 as evidence that the state should be obeyed, while secular anarchists do not believe in any authority including God as per
4672-448: The vegetarians usually highlighted the physical strength and sporting abilities of vegetarians. Mohandas Karamchand (later Mahatma) Gandhi set up a cooperative colony called Tolstoy Farm near Johannesburg , South Africa, having been inspired by Tolstoy's ideas. The colony comprising 1,100 acres (4.5 km) was funded by the Gandhian Hermann Kallenbach and placed at the disposal of the satyagrahis from 1910. Ernest Howard Crosby
4745-428: The writings of the Church Fathers , which has been clarified in various Ecumenical councils . Short versions can be found in brief statements of Christian doctrine , in prayer books. Longer versions take the form of catechisms . Protestants generally reject Christian tradition and instead derive their doctrine solely from the Bible . According to sociologist Mervin Verbit , doctrine may be understood as one of
4818-412: Was Keir Hardie , a founder of the Labour Party in Britain, who said he learnt his "Socialism in the New Testament", where he said he found what he described as his "chief inspiration". Those socialists argued that socialism was the embodiment of the teachings of Jesus , and that it would also rescue the church from Mammon , which they said caused it to have lost its way and become corrupt by siding with
4891-486: Was a harsh critic of the Russian Orthodox Church , leading to his excommunication in 1901. Tolstoyans tend to focus more on following the teachings of Jesus , rather than on his miracles or divinity . They attempt to live an ascetic and simple life , preferring to be vegetarian , non-smoking, teetotal and chaste . Tolstoyans are considered Christian pacifists and advocate nonresistance in all circumstances. Tolstoy's understanding of what it means to be Christian
4964-489: Was a notable Tolstoyan in the United States. He was a supporter of the Christian Commonwealth Colony in Columbus, Georgia , which was established in 1896 by a number of Christian socialists and comprised 932 acres (3.77 km). The residents were also influenced by the views of Henry George and Edward Bellamy . In Russia censorship meant that many of Tolstoy's non-fiction works in the 1880s and 1890s were published abroad first, either in Russian or in translation, delaying
5037-577: Was defined by the Sermon on the Mount and summed up in five simple propositions: They do not support or participate in the government which they consider immoral, violent and corrupt. Tolstoy rejected the state (as it only exists on the basis of physical force) and all institutions that are derived from it – the police, law courts and army. Thus, many now regard them as Christian anarchists . Historically, Tolstoy's ideas have had some influence on anarchist thought, specifically on anarcho-pacifism . They were also cited as an inspiration by Mahatma Gandhi in
5110-415: Was one of the founding threads of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom and is said to begin with the uprising of Wat Tyler and John Ball in the 14th century. In the New Testament, Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, the poor, the sick, and the prisoners. Matthew 25:31–46 is a major component of Christianity and is considered the cornerstone of Christian socialism. Another key statement in
5183-402: Was part of a Christian philosophy of non-violence that he developed. At that time, vegetarian restaurants were few, and they often served as meeting spaces for Tolstoyans, and other social reformers. The movement was mostly ovo-lacto vegetarian at the time. According to the medical science at the time, mostly influenced by German medicine, vegetarianism was seen as unhealthy. On the other hand,
5256-541: Was taking hold of many urban churches across the United States in the early 20th century. In the November 1914 issue of The Christian Socialist , Spalding stated: "The Christian Church exists for the sole purpose of saving the human race. So far she has failed, but I think that Socialism shows her how she may succeed. It insists that men cannot be made right until the material conditions be made right. Although man cannot live by bread alone, he must have bread. Therefore,
5329-476: Was taught by Jesus and practised by the apostles themselves. This is generally agreed by historians. The link was highlighted in one of Marx's early writings, which stated that "[a]s Christ is the intermediary unto whom man unburdens all his divinity, all his religious bonds, so the state is the mediator unto which he transfers all his Godlessness, all his human liberty." The political movement of Christian democracy espouses some values of Christian socialism in
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