Socialism and/or Christianity: F.M. Dostoevsky’s Influence on S. Lagerlöf's Novel Antichrist’s Miracles

In the 1880s. F.M. Dostoevsky was perceived in Sweden as a revolutionary writer, therefore there was great attention to his political views, which influenced among others S. Lagerlf, who read Dostoevsky in Swedish, Danish and, possibly, in French. In the novel Antichrists Miracles (1897) S. Lagerlf talks about Italy, a Catholic country where the church has much more power than in Protestant lands. In this regard, Lagerlf actualizes F.M. Dostoevskys reflections on the connection between the state and the church, presented in Brothers Karamazov and other novels. The key question that interests both F.M. Dostoevsky and S. Lagerlf is whether people can build the kingdom of Christ on earth when Christ said: My kingdom is not of this world. F.M. Dostoevsky examines this problem in most detail in the unfinished article Socialism and Christianity , which S. Lagerlf could not read, but she was undoubtedly familiar with Dostoevskys thoughts on this matter put into the mouths of Zosima and Prince Myshkin. In S. Lagerlf's novel Antichrists Miracles , the main character becomes a socialist, though he dreamed of becoming a priest in childhood, like Alyosha Karamazov. A fake image of Christ with the words My kingdom is only on earth becomes a banner of socialism in Lagerlf's novel. This image works wonders but only related to earthly goods. At the end of the novel, Lagerlf comes to the conclusion (put into the mouth of the Pope) that this image should not be destroyed, but the earth should be reconciled with heaven. This conclusion is consistent with Dostoevskys ideas about the universal church realized on earth.

“A Power which He Refused”

In Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan, as in other early modern treatises, a philosophical defense of the secular is coupled with a theological defense. In the case of Hobbes, his philosophical argument is made in parts I and II of Leviathan, and his theological argument is made in parts III and IV. The latter parts of Leviathan are of no interest to most late modern readers, but to early modern readers the opposite was the case. Many iconic texts in European history may owe most of their influence to forms of reasoning, and to blocs of text, that interest late modern readers the least. This chapter offers a reading of the Leviathan which centers upon Jesus’ words to Pilate: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” It is demonstrated here, for the first time, that there is more in Leviathan about the kingdom of Christ being “not of this world” than there is about Hobbes’s notorious “war of every one against every one”.

ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: A TRAINING OF KINGDOM WORKERS

Christian adult learners are to be trained to demonstrate Christlikenessand become agents of change in the society where there is the decadence of morality and godliness. Sadly, many Christian institutions that engage in adult education are not preparing their students to function as agents of change in a corrupt society. Instead, most Christian institutions have concentrated on the development of adult learners both intellectually and theologically. The purpose of adult Christian education is to train workers for the kingdom of Christ. Upon completing their training, adult Christians are to be sent to the world as transformation and development agents. They are to engage in good moral conduct as the redeeming salt and light of the world and respond to violence and injustice in society. Therefore, adult learners teachers should be aware that adult Christians teaching and training should not focus mainly on training intellectuals but must also include moral education and spirituality.

Martin Bucer’s Kingdom of Christ

Martin Bucer’s Kingdom of Christ [De Regno Christi] was written while he was in exile in England. It served as advice to King Edward VI (ruled 1547–53) on how to pursue more effectively reform of the English Church and commonwealth, and as constructive criticism of what had been done. The treatise was a summary of Bucer’s thinking on the relationship between church and society, and on how the Gospel should influence every aspect of life, resulting in the establishment of the rule of Christ in this world. The treatise is in two books; the first describes what constitutes the Kingdom of Christ, the second is a plan of action built on fourteen laws for reform of church and all of society. Though it is not a theological treatise in a narrow sense, the work makes substantial contributions to the doctrine of the church, church–state relations, and the conduct of the Christian life (especially church or Christian discipline).

Baptists, Fifth Monarchists, and the Reign of King Jesus

This article outlines the rise of the Fifth Monarchists, a religiously inspired and politically motivated movement which came to prominence in the 1650s and believed the execution of Charles I cleared the way for King Jesus to return and reign with the saints from the throne of England. The imminent establishment of the Kingdom of Christ on earth was of great interest to Baptists, some of whom were initially drawn to the Fifth Monarchy cause because Fifth Monarchy theology provided a political route to a reformed society in England. While Baptists in the 1650s greatly desired to advance the cause of King Jesus the increasingly revolutionary methods employed by the Fifth Monarchists were at odds with their understanding of the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom, thus exposing differences in their respective eschatologies. Finally, observing the ambitious zeal of the Fifth Monarchist programme Baptists disavowed the anarchic revolutionary approach and distanced themselves from the movement. This breach, regarded as apostasy by the Fifth Monarchists, came at a fortunate time for the Baptist cause before the revolution was stamped out and the leaders arrested. The rise and fall of the Fifth Monarchists, however, helped Baptists to clarify the nature and methods of their approach to establishing the kingdom of Christ among the saints on earth, and is therefore worthy of consideration for those wishing to understand the beginning of the Baptists in England and the nature of apocalyptic during the interregnum.