Christian Socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two things as being interconnected, perhaps because one derives from the other. Broadly speaking, this category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel. The term "Christian Socialism" is used in this sense by organizations such as the Christian Socialist Movement (CSM), a specifically Christian grouping affiliated with the British Labour Party. The term also pertains to such earlier figures as the nineteenth century writer Frederick Denison Maurice (The Kingdom of Christ, 1838) and Francis Bellamy — Baptist minister and author of the United States' Pledge of Allegiance.
Christian socialists draw parallels between what some have characterized as the egalitarian and anti-establishment message of Jesus, who certainly spoke against the religious authorities of his time, and the egalitarian, anti-establishment, and sometimes anti-clerical message of most contemporary socialisms. Some Christian Socialists have gone as far as to become active Communists. This phenomenon was most common among Christian missionaries in China who became supportive of the struggle of the Chinese Communist Party in the 1930s and 1940s.
Christian Socialism can also refer to the politics of certain Roman Catholic political parties, particularly in the German-speaking world, such as the contemporary Christian Social Union in Bavaria or Karl Lueger's anti-Semitic Christian Social Party in Austria-Hungary circa 1900; generally, these have been rather conservative parties, whose politics would not typically be considered socialist, despite the name. The term Christian democrat is more often applied to these parties.
Christian socialist parties
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Last updated: 06-01-2005 16:21:30
