The Political Theory of the New
Testament and the Apostles
Upul Abeyrathne,
Dept of Economics
University of Ruhuna,
Matara
Stoicism and Christianity
• Christianity Shares a good deal with Stoicism.
• Most of the Christian Doctrine is based on the
Stoic Principle of the Equality of Man.
What are the important ideas of new
testament
• Equality of Man
• Law of nature
• Origin of state
• Obedience to state
What is specific in the new testament
• Most of the above are discussed in relation to
dogma of the equality of man
• Universality of God and brotherhood.
• It closely relates with the stoic conception of
common humanity and cosmopolitan equality
• These ideas prevented medieval serfdom from
degeneration into Slavery
• It also had paved the way for Individualism of
Renaissance and Reformation
New Testament and the State
• The Christian view on State is given in the
Epistles to Roman
• These Epistle declare the object of state is
justice
• The notion of justice is sacred
• Hence, any institution that deals with justice is
also sacred
• The officers of the state are to be obeyed.
New Testament and the State
• It should be noted that this notion is suited to the
exigencies of the time. (Infancy of Christianity).
• If Christianity adopted a hostile attitudes towards
state it could have crushed by the state very
easily.
• “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar” was
adopted by the apostles too.
• Early Christians believed state as a medium of
carrying the will of the god on earth.
Property
• Books of Acts is very important in this regard.
• It gives a more less communistic idea of property.
• According to new testament, communism is the
ideal form of society
• However, it is not a compulsory one like that of
Plato.
• It involves a greater equalization of property and
advantages not under compulsion but on charity
and feeling of neighbourliness.
• It is cherished by the rich towards the poor.
Property
• The new testament treats abolition of private
property is impossible.
• Christians held up that communism is the best
type of society but stopped short at that.
• They had never sought to enforce the doctrine
of communism through the medium of the
state
Slavery
• They believed in essential equality of humans and
necessity of equal opportunity
• However, this did not lead to the preaching of
abolishing slavery
• They had compromised their moral philosophy
saying that real life is internal life while slavery
representing the physical bondage.
• Their love for universal man have been limited to
that of good treatment of the slaves
Law of Nature
• They had distinguished between the law of
the nature and law of the state.
• Law of nature is unchallengeable.
• They had identified the law of nature with
that of law of the god.