No, Jesus wasn’t a socialist

But I think *you* should be

As we approach another election, and I bemoan the state of US politics, I thought it could be worth spelling out what I think Christian political goals should be.

I grew up in a right wing, fundamentalist Christian sect, where I was told that the Democratic Party was demonic, and the only thing worse then the democrats were the Socialists (To be fair, I’m not entirely convinced that the Democratic Party doesn’t have a resident demon or two, but if so, the Republicans surely have Legion). I was told that Socialist countries were evil and tyrannical, as if universal health care would be one step towards the killing fields. As David Bentley Hart points out, hating socialism is as American as apple pie:

Only [in America] is the word “socialism” freighted with so much perceived menace. I take this to be a symptom of our unique national genius for stupidity. In every other free society with a functioning market economy, socialism is an ordinary, rather general term for sane and compassionate governance of the public purse for the purpose of promoting general welfare and a more widespread share in national prosperity.

Perhaps you were also indoctrinated to fear the boogyman of Socialism. Despite this upbringing, after studying the Bible, the person of Jesus, and political theories, I proudly call myself a socialist.

I’ve heard many people say Jesus was a socialist, and as much as I’d love to claim him, that’s not actually possible. The political theory of socialism didn’t exist at the time of Jesus, because it was developed as a response to the massive class inequalities created by capitalism.

That being said, Christians do not need to ask “what political theory did Jesus follow?” It isn’t clear what Jesus’ politics were, and his political world was so different from our own that even if we knew, it might not be helpful. Instead, we should look at our world and context, and ask, “What does love require?”

It seems obvious to me that in a world shaped by the extreme inequality of global capitalism, Christian love requires something like socialism.