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Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Mark Purcell for facilitating this exchange and, along with John Heathershaw, for comments on earlier drafts. I would also like to thank Simon Springer for raising these issues and for the stimulation of ongoing discussion.
Notes
1. All Bible references are to the 1973 New International Version, Hodder and Stoughton, London.
2. This is recorded in chapters 1–4 of the Acts of the Apostles, a New Testament section that provides a historical account of the emergence of the church after the ascension of Jesus Christ. For example: “They devoted themselves to the apostles” teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.” (Acts 2, pp. 42–47).
3. Marshall arguably goes too far here: not all Christian anarchist thinkers would “deny” or “reject” all “earthly government”, but would recognise that it has a limited role in ordering social life for the common good (in this they again parallel some atheistic or agnostic secular thought, Kinna, Citation2005, pp. 67–69). But earthly arkys cannot deal with human selfishness and rejection of divine mandates to love others and the world – such transformation is possible only through the grace and power of God accessible to humans through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus states (or universities, religious organisations, peace movements, communes, etc.) cannot be a source of “salvation”: their arrogant pretences to control human futures and create free and ideal societies must always be mistrusted and resisted.