Early Christians' Views On War, Power, and Politics
Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009
by Aaron Taylor
Aaron Taylor
Over the past year, I've written some things that have gotten me into trouble with a lot of religious people. One one level, I feel sorry that I have to offend so many people, especially people that I love and respect. On another level, I feel a sense of righteous indignation (at least I hope it's righteous indignation and not something else) that what passes for Christianity today in the Western world is so far from what Jesus, the Apostles, and the early Church had in mind.
The Early Church and the World, Professor C. J. Cadoux writes: Up to the reign of Marcus Aurelius at least [161-180 C.E.], no Christian would become a soldier after his baptism.
Early Christianity was little understood and was regarded with little favor by those who ruled the pagan world. . . . Christians refused to share certain duties of Roman citizens. . . . They would not hold political office. (On the Road to CivilizationA World History, A. K. Heckel and J. G. Sigman, 1937, pp. 237-8)
The Encyclopedia of Religion states: The early church fathers, including Tertullian and Origen, affirmed that Christians were constrained from taking human life, a principle that prevented them from participating in the Roman army. In his book A careful review of all the information available goes to show that, until the time of Marcus Aurelius [Roman emperor from 161 to 180 C.E.], no Christian became a soldier; and no soldier, after becoming a Christian, remained in military service.The Rise of Christianity (London, 1947), E. W. Barnes, p. 333.
The book The Early Christian Attitude to War says: Inasmuch as they [Jesus teachings] ruled out as illicit all use of violence and injury against others, clearly implied [was] the illegitimacy of participation in war . . . The early Christians took Jesus at his word, and understood his inculcations of gentleness and non-resistance in their literal sense. They closely identified their religion with peace; they strongly condemned war for the bloodshed which it involved.
They refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defence of the empire. . . . it was impossible that the Christians, without renouncing a more sacred duty, could assume the character of soldiers, of magistrates, or of princes.History of Christianity (New York, 1891), Edward Gibbon, pp. 162, 163.
The behavior of the [early] Christians was very different from that of the Romans. . . . Since Christ had preached peace, they refused to become soldiers.Our World Through the Ages.
And The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon, states: [Early Christians] refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defence of the empire. . . . It was impossible that the Christians, without renouncing a more sacred duty, could assume the character of soldiers.
The Catholic Herald of London stated: The first Christians . . . took Jesus at His word and refused to be conscripted into the Roman army even if the penalty was death. Would the whole of history have been different if the Church had stuck to its original stand? . . . If the churches of today could come out with a joint condemnation of war . . . , which would mean that every member would be bound in conscience to be, like the Christians, a conscientious objector, peace might indeed be assured. But we know that this will never happen.
Early Christianity was little understood and was regarded with little favor by those who ruled the pagan worldChristians refused to share certain duties of Roman citizensThey would not hold political office. --- On the Road to Civilization, A World History (Philadelphia, Chicago, etc; 1937) Albert K. Heckel and James G. Sigman, pp 237, 238.
Zealous Christians did not serve in the armed forces or accept political offices.-- World History, The Story of Mans Achievements (River Forest, Ill; 1962) Habberton, Roth and Spears, p. 117.
While among Romans it was considered the highest honor to possess the privileges of Roman citizenship, the Christians announced that they were citizens of heaven. They shrank from public office and military service.-- Persecution of the Christians in Gaul, A.D. 177 by F.F.G. Guizot, former prime minister of France, Vol. III of The Great Events by Famous Historians (New York; 1905), Rossiter Johnson, ed, p. 246.
The Christians were strangers and pilgrims in the world around them; their citizenship was in heaven; the kingdom to which they looked was not of this world. The consequent want of interest in public affairs came thus from the outset to be a noticeable feature in Christianity. Christianity and the Roman Government (London; 1925), E. G. Hardy, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, p. 39.
The emperors disliked Christianity because it seemed unpatriotic and un-Roman.The Course of Civilization, Volume One, (New York; 1961), p. 144.
It's time for a Reformation!
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Aaron D. Taylor is the author of "Alone with a Jihadist: A Biblical Response to Holy War." Check out his blog at http://www.aarondtaylor.blogspot.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)You have raised some interesting points, Aaron. Not being well versed in historical Christianity--other than what I read in the Bible--I can't argue with your logic. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, is filled with wars upon wars and some sanctioned by God. But you're right in that when Jesus came along, Christianity denouced war and politics. In the present day, Christians are forced into service by law--and the Bible does tell us to obey the laws of the land.Stalemate.Thanks for sharing this interesting history with us.Sandra
I appreciate your thoughts. I would add a caveat though. The Bible does tell us to obey the laws of the land, but when it comes to whether we should obey Christ or Uncle Sam, Christians are to choose Christ. There is a higher law. I don't believe it's a stalemate. As far as the Old Testament, Scripture is clear that we are to imitate and obey Jesus. Period. Besides, the Old Testament wars were for national Israel under the Old Covenant. They have nothing to do with wars today.
You raise some interesting points, Aaron. You knew I'd have to comment on this!I recently was reading a book where the author stated that there was even greater political division in the days that Jesus walked the Earth than today. There were Jews who were tax collectors and Jews who were zealots: One group supported the (Roman) government to the point of collecting taxes for it. The other hated the government so much, they would secretly kill those who supported it.The amazing thing is that Jesus had BOTH in his group of 12 disciples, yet he refrained from making any political statements (that we have record of) except for "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's."I often wonder if Jesus didn't take political sides, why we as Christians today feel like it is our God-given duty to do so. After all, Jesus' Kingdom is "not of this World", right? There were certainly injustices being carried out in those days with the blessing of the government that were every bit as bad as anything going on today, but Jesus made no political protest.Sometimes I wonder if Christianity today is anything at all like the Christianity of those days.
You raise a very interesting point Bruce, and an accurate one at that. If we want to make the situation even more complicated, we also have to consider the cleansing of the temple, which would have been considered a highly political act in Jesus' day. No matter how hard we try, we just can't put Jesus in a box!
Unless it came to an absolute either-or, most followers would remain patriotic. Yet if it truly was God or Country in the absolute sense, most followers would choose God.
"Which is more likely? That the early Church closest in time to the lives of Jesus and the Apostles, started out in error but then gradually came to the truth around the time of Constantine--or the other way around?"Well asked! An extremely interesting article, and my own research concurs with yours. I'm in your camp on this one. Being a Christian can make for a difficult life...in the world of men. But these choices do two things: They make a kinder, gentler world of humanity, and they bring us into the reward to come after the mortal world. Personally, I believe in the depth of my heart that Jesus did not stand for warring mentality.Anonymous Rex
Aaron I stand wholehertedly where you stand. luke3:14 (KJV) commanded all christians to do noviolence whetherto our enemy or our friend whetherto a criminal or to a friendly soldier .Vhrist can never dump the bible and pick AK47 heads to war and statr snuffing life out of people if He were to be here today (John 10:100 so as a representative of Christ Jesus I support life to all and sundry both criminals and friends.It is hard but that is what we are to do.we should not be fulfilloing the will of satan as christians by helping hin to kill, spoil and destroy.Colin aduah Christians drop all your weapons and pick up your Bible ,lets go out and make disciples of all nations both enemey nation and friendly nation .Thank you so much.Nigeria
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