Religion and Politics

Radical Non-violent Responses

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxejtitAPa1qagyvoo1_400.jpg (25 Feb 12)

Religion & politics

• Religion often politically conservative, but has also inspired rebellion

• Disruptive because relativises human institutions

• Every religion has long traditions of reformers and ‘protestants’

http://www.religlaw.org/index.php?contentId=463&linkId=163&pageId=19 (16 Feb 12)

Christian ‘anarchism’?

• In a nutshell: political arrangement implied in ‘Christianity’ = ‘anarchism’

• Main figures: Tolstoy, Ellul,Day & Catholic Workers, jesusradicals.com, etc

http://writeforgod.stblogs.com/tag/catholic-worker/; http://pieceofmind.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/ellul11.jpg; http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls1hd1QtUs1qlrn6h.jpg (25 Feb 12); http://apos-archive.blogspot.com/2010/03/christian-anarchism-political.html (10/4/12)

Sermon on the Mount

• Clear moral teaching• Addressed to would-be

followers• Don’t resist evil, turn other

cheek, go extra mile• Don’t judge but forgive

(adulteress)• Don’t swear oaths (be truthful)• Don’t hate but love enemies (good

Samaritan)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount (10/4/12);

Political subversion

• Jesus calls to: – challenge political,

economic, religious institutions

– exemplify alternative political relations

• Arrested & crucified

• Hence: public, political, subversive but not violent

http://apos-archive.blogspot.com/2011/07/christian-pacifist-and-anarchist.html (10/4/12)

‘Secularisation’ & ‘resurgence’ of religion in politics

• Enlightenment expectation of ‘secularisation’ (separation of religion & politics)

• But: ‘resurgence’ of religion on politics since 1970s

• Why?– Religion source of basic values & ethics– Linked with ethnicity & culture– Apparent failure of secular ideologies

http://acelebrationofwomen.org/?p=54318 (26 Apr 12)

Non-violence and violence

• Many past & present non-violent religious struggles (Tolstoy, Gandhi, Ploughshares)

• Violent equivalents more visible: spectacular hence higher audiences

http://www.charityandsecurity.org/analysis/PATRIOT_Act_Material_Support_Humanitarian_Exemption (19 Dec 10)

Concluding quote...

“What a fine place this world

would be if Fundamentalist Protestants tried to exemplify the Sermon on the Mount.”

– Peter Maurin, Easy Essays

http://www.catholicworker.org/roundtable/pmbiography.cfm (26 Apr 12)

Dr Alexandre Christoyannopoulos

Loughborough University

http://sites.google.com/site/christoyannopoulos (links to many openly accessible publications)