Luxemburg and Christian Communism

[benhur]

Here's an interesting article on this. Luxemburg believed that communism was an extension and consummation of Christianity.

http://nonviolentjesus.blogspot.com/2008/10/spirit-of-christian-communism-rosa.html


What are your thoughts?

[Tower of Bebel]

Luxemburg believed that communism was an extension and consummation of Christianity.
Where does it say such a thing? I also think that her definition of early christianity is derived from Kautsky who said that the early christians were even some sort of revolutionaries.

[Decolonize The Left]

Where does it say such a thing? I also think that her definition of early christianity is derived from Kautsky who said that the early christians were even some sort of revolutionaries.

They were. To paraphrase Nietzsche, early Christianity engaged in a huge, foundational, shift in value-systems. The previous 'eye for an eye' was flipped into 'turn the other cheek.' And so on and so forth...

Christianity, if you look at it's value system, is nothing more than (as Nietzsche called it) the 'slave morality' version previous value systems. In other words, where in previous value systems 'strong' characteristics and attributes, Christianity emphasizes, what he termed as, 'weak' characteristics and attributes (humility, submission, meekness, etc...).

Aside from this interpretation of Christianity, it is easy to see how enormous and (in one sense) revolutionary, this belief-system was in its creation. If you consider that the actual mythical stories were merely updated versions of pagan myths, etc... then the real revolutionary character of Christianity was in its value system.

- August

[Hit The North]

August:
then the real revolutionary character of Christianity was in its value system. So where did this value system come from? Moreover, how important were these values in explaining the actual conduct of Christians, especially those forces which really made Christianity a world power: namely, the imperial Roman state?

[Kappie]

So where did this value system come from?From the heads of the revolutionaries.
Moreover, how important were these values in explaining the actual conduct of Christians, especially those forces which really made Christianity a world power: namely, the imperial Roman state?Those values were fairly important to early Christians. They even, if you can take the Book of Acts as anything resembling a reliable source (debatable), took those values to mean forming collective communes wherein all property was to be shared equally among the group. There is the story in said Book of Acts of the chastizing of Ananias for failing to share some income he had earned with the rest of the community.

Also, the early Christians were known for being non-violent (part of why they did not take part in the First Jewish Revolt) as well as being willing to even die rather than violate their beliefs or values (there was a bit of a martyr complex among the early Christians). Of course, when ye olde Imperial Romans converted to Christianity, they reshaped it to suit their own ends and it had little to any of the original values of the early church, and rather quickly took a meek, complacent and rather communist belief structure and turned into another tool of oppression (of which the Romans were rather fond). Although they did continue to preach the values of meekness, complacency, subservience to authority, etc., to the masses, as it was quite useful for the leaders. After all, the poor oppressed masses should take joy in their poverty and oppressed state, because that means they will inherit the Kingdom of God! (This sort of thing continues in the modern day, of course)