48 International Journal of Cultic Studies Vol. 4, 2013
human brain produced, had come to rule over its
creators.56 He argued that religion had no
biological basis nor was it an essential
component of human social life.57 Thus,
religion was ripe for decay and eventual
abolishment.
For the most part, Marx tackled the concept of
religion as a general component of immaterial
human culture. For instance, he did not separate
religion from the basic tenets of superstition.58
He cited Christianity, however, as the pinnacle
of the etiology of religion. Christianity and, in
particular, Protestantism are the ideal religions
for a capitalist society. In Capital, Marx
explained that Protestant doctrines surrounding
“abstract man” have severed the “tribal ties”
that previously existed between people and their
communities,59 which would have inhibited the
free flow of capital.60 Thus, Protestantism
would help facilitate the separation between
workers, labour, and community.
In addition, Marx claimed that every historical
stage in society had a matching religious order:
“The religious world is but a reflex of the real
world.”61 Consequently, just as Catholicism was
linked to feudalism, and Protestantism62 was
linked to capitalism, atheism, which is the
56 McKown, p. 11.
57 McKown, p. 49.
58 McKown, p. 46.
59 “Abstract man” loosely refers to the condition in which people
are separated from their material realities. In short, Martin Luther
aided this development by severing the more “tribal” ties between
the individual and the Catholic Church. This action put salvation
and faith solely in the hands of the individual. Marx alluded to this
concept in his criticism of Feuerbach: “Feuerbach resolves the
religious essence into the human essence. But the human essence
is no abstraction inherent to each individual. In its reality it is the
ensemble of the social relations” (Marx/Engels Selected Works,
Volume One, p. 13–15, available online at
www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/theses/theses.htm).
60 Marx, Capital, p. 479.
61 Marx, Capital, p. 478.
62 Protestantism was born out of a response to the Catholic
Church’s oppressive feudalist doctrines. In short, Martin Luther’s
(1483–1546) posting of the Ninety-Five Theses to the church door
in Wittenberg, and his eventual excommunication from the
Catholic Church spawned the Protestant Reformation. Luther
argued that the Bible had authority over church, pope, and tradition
(González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 31). Therefore, Luther wanted to permit the laity
to partake in both the cup and bread in communion, to allow for
mass in the vernacular, and to alter the cannon. In addition, he was
against priestly celibacy and, most importantly, the selling of
indulgences (González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation
to the Present Day, pp. 29–37).
antithesis of religion, then would be linked to
communism.
Marx did not completely write off Protestantism
as a negative development. Periodically, Marx
spoke quite highly of Martin Luther and the
changes brought on by the Reformation. He
almost paralleled the Reformation with the
coming revolution of the proletariat:
Once it was the monk’s brain in which
the revolution began, now it is in the
philosopher.
Certainly, Luther removed the servitude
of devotion by replacing it by the
servitude of conviction. He destroyed
faith in authority by restoring the
authority of faith. He turned priests into
laymen by turning laymen into priests.
He liberated man from exterior
religiosity by making man’s inner
conscience religious. He emancipated
the body from chains by enchaining the
heart.63
Historically, according to Marx, protest and
social change often came about through
religious movements. This opinion is important
to note, considering that Marx was advocating
for the eventual abolition of religion.64
Engels and the Revisionists on Religion
Revisionists were Marxists who had given up on
the cataclysmic revolution other theorists had
predicted. Instead, they felt that socialism was
more likely to come by evolution and political
reform.65 Some scholars have argued that
Engels was the first of these revisionists. This
argument stemmed from Engels’ statement in
the Preface to the Class Struggles in France
1848–1850. In this preface, Engels appeared to
move away from the need for a violent
revolution and instead advocated for gradual
reform.66 As a result, Engels and the revisionists
were able to further develop their theoretical
63 Marx, “Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,”
p. 77.
64 Marx, “Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,”
p. 72 Marx, “On the Jewish Question,” p. 48.
65 Kindersley, “Marxist Revisionism.”
66 Elliot, “Quis Custodiet Sacra?,” p. 73 Engels, “Introduction to
Karl Marx’s The Class Struggles in France 1848 to 1850.”
human brain produced, had come to rule over its
creators.56 He argued that religion had no
biological basis nor was it an essential
component of human social life.57 Thus,
religion was ripe for decay and eventual
abolishment.
For the most part, Marx tackled the concept of
religion as a general component of immaterial
human culture. For instance, he did not separate
religion from the basic tenets of superstition.58
He cited Christianity, however, as the pinnacle
of the etiology of religion. Christianity and, in
particular, Protestantism are the ideal religions
for a capitalist society. In Capital, Marx
explained that Protestant doctrines surrounding
“abstract man” have severed the “tribal ties”
that previously existed between people and their
communities,59 which would have inhibited the
free flow of capital.60 Thus, Protestantism
would help facilitate the separation between
workers, labour, and community.
In addition, Marx claimed that every historical
stage in society had a matching religious order:
“The religious world is but a reflex of the real
world.”61 Consequently, just as Catholicism was
linked to feudalism, and Protestantism62 was
linked to capitalism, atheism, which is the
56 McKown, p. 11.
57 McKown, p. 49.
58 McKown, p. 46.
59 “Abstract man” loosely refers to the condition in which people
are separated from their material realities. In short, Martin Luther
aided this development by severing the more “tribal” ties between
the individual and the Catholic Church. This action put salvation
and faith solely in the hands of the individual. Marx alluded to this
concept in his criticism of Feuerbach: “Feuerbach resolves the
religious essence into the human essence. But the human essence
is no abstraction inherent to each individual. In its reality it is the
ensemble of the social relations” (Marx/Engels Selected Works,
Volume One, p. 13–15, available online at
www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/theses/theses.htm).
60 Marx, Capital, p. 479.
61 Marx, Capital, p. 478.
62 Protestantism was born out of a response to the Catholic
Church’s oppressive feudalist doctrines. In short, Martin Luther’s
(1483–1546) posting of the Ninety-Five Theses to the church door
in Wittenberg, and his eventual excommunication from the
Catholic Church spawned the Protestant Reformation. Luther
argued that the Bible had authority over church, pope, and tradition
(González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the
Present Day, p. 31). Therefore, Luther wanted to permit the laity
to partake in both the cup and bread in communion, to allow for
mass in the vernacular, and to alter the cannon. In addition, he was
against priestly celibacy and, most importantly, the selling of
indulgences (González, The Story of Christianity: The Reformation
to the Present Day, pp. 29–37).
antithesis of religion, then would be linked to
communism.
Marx did not completely write off Protestantism
as a negative development. Periodically, Marx
spoke quite highly of Martin Luther and the
changes brought on by the Reformation. He
almost paralleled the Reformation with the
coming revolution of the proletariat:
Once it was the monk’s brain in which
the revolution began, now it is in the
philosopher.
Certainly, Luther removed the servitude
of devotion by replacing it by the
servitude of conviction. He destroyed
faith in authority by restoring the
authority of faith. He turned priests into
laymen by turning laymen into priests.
He liberated man from exterior
religiosity by making man’s inner
conscience religious. He emancipated
the body from chains by enchaining the
heart.63
Historically, according to Marx, protest and
social change often came about through
religious movements. This opinion is important
to note, considering that Marx was advocating
for the eventual abolition of religion.64
Engels and the Revisionists on Religion
Revisionists were Marxists who had given up on
the cataclysmic revolution other theorists had
predicted. Instead, they felt that socialism was
more likely to come by evolution and political
reform.65 Some scholars have argued that
Engels was the first of these revisionists. This
argument stemmed from Engels’ statement in
the Preface to the Class Struggles in France
1848–1850. In this preface, Engels appeared to
move away from the need for a violent
revolution and instead advocated for gradual
reform.66 As a result, Engels and the revisionists
were able to further develop their theoretical
63 Marx, “Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,”
p. 77.
64 Marx, “Towards a Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right,”
p. 72 Marx, “On the Jewish Question,” p. 48.
65 Kindersley, “Marxist Revisionism.”
66 Elliot, “Quis Custodiet Sacra?,” p. 73 Engels, “Introduction to
Karl Marx’s The Class Struggles in France 1848 to 1850.”
