Christian libertarianism is the synthesis of Christian beliefs with libertarian political philosophy, with a focus on beliefs about free will, human nature, and God-given inalienable rights.
As with some other forms of libertarianism, Christian libertarianism holds that what is prohibited by law should be limited to various forms of assault, theft and fraud.[1] Other actions that are forbidden by Christianity can only be disciplined by the church, or in the case of children and teens, one's parents or guardians.[citation needed] Likewise, beliefs such as "love your neighbor as yourself" are not imposed on others so long as the non-aggression principle, which Christian libertarians believe to be foundational,[citation needed] has not been violated.[citation needed]
Definition
editAccording to Andrew Sandlin, an American theologian and author, Christian libertarianism is the view that mature individuals are permitted maximum freedom under God's law.[2]
History
editThe origins of Christian libertarianism in the United States can be traced back to 18th-century classical liberalism and 19th-century individualist anarchism.[citation needed] According to Austrian School economist and anarcho-capitalist and paleolibertarian theorist Murray Rothbard, of the three libertarian experiments during the European colonization of the Americas in the mid-17th century, all three were begun by nonconformist Protestant groups.[3]
Martin Luther, one of the principal figures of the Protestant Reformation, is referred to as "libertarian" in the introduction to Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority, published by the Cambridge University Press. The term used here is something quite different from the ruggedly individualist ideology of American-libertarian type of right-libertarianism. The book's editor Harro Hopfl states that libertarian as well as egalitarian and communal motifs were part of the texture of Luther's theology.[4]
English Catholic historian and Liberal statesman Lord Acton posited that political liberty is the essential condition and guardian of religious liberty. The Acton Institute, an American Christian conservative libertarian think tank, is named after him.[5]
People
edit- Justin Amash (Orthodox)
- Nikolai Berdyaev (Orthodox)
- John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton (Roman Catholic)
- James W. Fifield Jr. (Congregationalist)
- Jesus Huerta de Soto (Roman Catholic)
- Gary Johnson (Lutheran)[6]
- John Locke (Anglican, Unitarian)
- Andrew Napolitano (Roman Catholic)
- Albert Jay Nock (Episcopalian)
- Rand Paul (Presbyterian)
- Ron Paul (Baptist)
- Thomas Woods (Roman Catholic)
- Deirdre McCloskey (Episcopalian)
See also
edit
- Christian anarchism
- Christian democracy
- Christian ethics
- Christian existentialism
- Christian pacifism
- Christian socialism
- Christian views on poverty and wealth
- Christianity and politics
- Consistent life ethic
- Constantinian shift
- Cultural mandate
- Geolibertarianism
- Golden and Silver Rules
- Image of God
- Kingship and kingdom of God
- Libertarian Christianity
- Natural-rights libertarianism
- Non-aggression principle
- Original and ancestral sin
- Political ethics
- Political theology
- Religious views on capitalism
- Statolatry
- Two kingdoms doctrine
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Seavey 2016, p. 25.
- ^ Sandlin 1996.
- ^ Rothbard 2011, p. 437.
- ^ Höpfl 1991, p. xii.
- ^ "History of Acton Institute". Acton Institute. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Anon. 2011.
Sources
edit- Anon. (10 November 2011). "Gary Johnson candidate profile". Reason.com. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- Höpfl, Harro, ed. (1991). Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-39303-5.
- Rothbard, Murray N. (2011). "The Origins of Individualist Anarchism in the US". In Edward P. Stringham (ed.). Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4128-0890-3.
- Sandlin, Andrew (October 1996). "The Christian Libertarian Idea". The Christian Statesman. Retrieved 1 September 2020 – via The Forerunner Blog.
- Seavey, Todd (2016). Libertarianism For Beginners. For Beginners Books. ISBN 978-1-939994-67-7.
Further reading
edit- Bandow, Douglas (1988). Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics. Crossway Books. ISBN 0-89107-498-8.