primitivism

CALL: Must I Be Anarchist?

by Amaryah Armstrong 26 December 2011

(Or, Why Are All the Anarchists Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?)
Editor’s Note: This piece is part one of a series of call and response between Amaryah Armstrong and Nekeisha Alexis-Baker as they consider what possibilities Christian anarchy can provide for marginalized peoples. The conversation grows out of friendship and mutual respect for each other, and [...]

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Anarcho-primitivism vs. Peace, Justice, and the Christian Left

by Andy Lewis 7 December 2010

In recent years the connections between an anarcho-primitivist critique and the Christian faith have been the focus of numerous gatherings, conferences and discussions. Jesus Radicals has been the on-line center for discussion regarding these connections for nearly six years now, and while the forums were never totally focused on an anarcho-primitivist critique, discussion relating to [...]

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The Greening of the Catholic Worker

by Eric Anglada 6 December 2010

I. Past
Amidst the tumult of the Depression-era there arose, particularly among Catholics, a voice that sought to relieve the ills of the nation and to create a third way beyond the industrialist foundations of both capitalism and communism. Go back to the land, it said firmly and insistently, for the city was the source of [...]

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Analyzing Avatar: A Review Essay

by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker 14 February 2010

By the time I decided to see James Cameron’s Avatar, I had already heard enough about the film to be unsure whether it would be worth the time, effort and petroleum to see it. People’s comments about the film ranged from praise for its groundbreaking 3D animation; to criticism of its racist portrayal of the [...]

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shalom and pre-historic utopia

by Sarah Lynne 11 February 2010

“They grow no food, raise no livestock, and live without rules or calendars… What do they know that we’ve forgotten?”
This is an excerpt from the beginning of a National Geographic article on the Hadza, a small hunter-gatherer tribe in northern Tanzania. Reading this challenged the usual assumptions I’ve had celebrating civilization. As I read about [...]

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Free-for-All Jesus Radicals conference media

by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker 27 December 2009

We’re happy to report that we have video recordings from the anarchism and Christianity conference to share—and they are free. Thanks to videographer and producer Ljuba Miltsova (Cation Productions), you can see this year’s presentations by Layla AbdelRahim (“A Lullaby for the Planet: Undressing Ourselves for a Viable Parenthood”) and John Zerzan (“Anarcho-Primitivism versus [...]

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International: Anti-civilized Swedes

by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker 5 November 2009

I was really interested to hear about an upcoming anti-civilization discussion that is taking place next week in Gothenburg. Although I am not sure how far along the anarcho-primitivism/anti-civ conversation is in Swedish circles, or how much Christians are a part of the discussion, it was interesting to see that even people in [...]

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Anti-civ resource list

by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker 23 October 2009

During the gathering in Philadelphia, many of the speakers mentioned resources that have shaped their anti-civilization theology and practice in a Christian perspective. We’ve included a list of some of those writings in the book discussion section of the forum for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the “anarcho-primitivist” analysis.

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Report Back: Gathering Around the Unhewn Stone

by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker 21 October 2009

Energizing. Transforming. Eye-opening. Disrupting. Like most symbols, these words don’t begin to capture the experience I had at the Gathering Around the Unhewn Stone conference over the weekend. Simply put Ched Myers gives one of the most devastating critiques of civilization and he digs deep into the Christian story to do it. His presentations were [...]

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Why I am not a primitivist

by Mark Van Steenwyk 11 September 2008

I’m very sympathetic to the house church or “simple church” model. As far as structures and models go, it is a great ecclesial starting point. I think every would-be church planter should start with simple and move towards complexity after honest and thoughtful logistical and theological reflection.
Conventional wisdom used to be that house churches and [...]

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