By: Jhon

In my experience as a Christian anarchist I feel that most Christians who have become anarchists do so by following their theology to its logical real world conclusions, that is to say they come to realize that Jesus teachings imply some sort of anarchism. But because they are Christians who have become anarchists they often focus on their personal theology and how they as Christians should practice this theology. I think this is great, but as an anarchist who became a Christian I feel I have acquired another perspective.

All my friends are anarchists and I spend my time with them, not with any church. In spending all my time around secular anarchists I have noticed I am in a rather strange position. In being alone in this position I have noticed a huge problem. This problem seems to go rather unnoticed by everyone within these two separate worlds. The problem is simple: these two worlds are separate.

As anarchists we want to end capitalism. As capitalism involves few people ruling over many and implementing economic policies that serve the few and not the many, capitalists need to keep the many convinced that their polices are in the public's best interest. So then, If we want to topple capitalism we need to inform the public that these polices and system are not in their best interest. In other words to have a successful revolution we need the public’s popular support of anarchism or a libertarian socialist economic model.

According to traditional Christian thought, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus lays out a framework of sacrificial love for both God and neighbor. The Gospels of the New Testament are centered on the idea of a God who forsook Heaven to dwell among and restore a fallen creation. Rather than using power to rule in a top-down fashion, God took the form of a servant and chose to embrace the brokenness of the world. Biblical restoration, in essence, starts from the bottom up. This view of the biblical narrative supports a theology of liberation that has influenced black, feminist, womanist, and queer theologies in recent history. This view of a Messiah who stands in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized has provided a foundation for many human rights campaigns and social justice issues, but many theologians who claim to be motivated by a God of liberation have largely glazed over issues of animal exploitation. This lack of concern for the non-human animal world has caused me to ask quite a few questions: Are animals to be considered fellow Creatures deserving of respect? Does a faith that is rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus demand of us a new way of living in relation to non-human animals? Is it possible for one to consider ones self on the side of the oppressed if they consume the flesh of those they seek to liberate? In order to answer these questions we must first look at Jesus’ unique relationship with food.