International Journal of Cultic Studies Vol. 4, 2013 49
perspectives in many topical areas, including
religion.
Engels expanded on the idea of religion as a
vehicle for protest. He explained that,
historically, religion often acted as an
“ideological costume” for a revolt rooted in
proletarian interests.67 In this light, Engels was
particularly interested in early Christianity:
The history of early Christianity has
notable points of resemblance with the
modern working-class movement. Like
the latter, Christianity was originally a
movement of oppressed people: it first
appeared as the religion of slaves and
emancipated slaves, of poor people
deprived of all rights, of people
subjugated or dispersed by Rome.68
Both movements offered salvation to their
adherents and relief from bondage and misery.
Socialism offered salvation in this world
Christianity offered emancipation in the
afterlife.69 Engels believed that the problem
with early Christianity originated when the
Roman Empire adopted it. This adoption
separated Christianity from its revolutionary
roots.
Engels did imply, however, that some of the
revolutionary spirit persisted. Groups such as
the Lollards,70 the Flagellants,71 and the
Protestant uprisings of the Reformation drew
67 McKown, p. 88.
68 Engels, “The History of Early Christianity,” p. 217.
69 Engels, “The History of Early Christianity,” p. 217.
70 The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe (approx. 1325–
1384). The movement began in the late 1300s and ended in the
early 1500s in England. The Lollards were convinced that the
Bible belonged to the people and, thereby, many members set out
to translate the Bible into English. They also believed that pastors
should not hold civic office and rejected the doctrine of
transubstantiation. They were against the use of images, celibacy,
and pilgrimages. Therefore, in many ways, the Lollards were one
of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation (González, The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the
Reformation, pp. 346–348).
71 The Flagellants first appeared in 1260 but did not grow to
prominence until the 1300s. As the name suggests, the Flagellants
were dedicated to publicly whipping themselves for penance. The
group was highly ritualistic and regarded ritual flagellation as a
“second baptism.” The latter of these two characteristics brought
the attention of the Catholic Church. The Church eventually drove
this group underground, where it persisted for several generations
(González, The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the
Dawn of the Reformation, p. 360).
upon these revolutionary roots.72 In particular,
Engels spoke highly of Thomas Münzer (1488–
1525), a particularly active member of the early
Anabaptist movement.
Engels, therefore, appears to have left room for
religion in the expected class revolution.
Historian Delos B. McKown went so far as to
say that Engels did not advocate the complete
abolition of religion as did Marx. Rather,
Engels hoped that some of the revolutionary
elements of religion, in particular, Christianity,
would continue into the socialist era.73
Nonetheless, Engels stated that religion did not
have a place in society after the Revolution.74
The message in much of his other works on
religion, such as his understanding of Münzer
and the Peasants’ War, seem to contradict this
point.
E. Belfort Bax continued to build on Engels’
understanding of religion, with the addition of a
new perspective of the evolution of society.
Evolution was central to Bax’s understanding of
religion. Bax stated, “The one fact most
prominent in the evolution of religion is that
every step in advance has consisted in an eclipse
of the theological by the moral.”75 Therefore, he
felt that, eventually, values intrinsic to the
betterment of humanity, “the moral,” would
supplant superstition, “the theological,” through
social evolution.
Nonetheless, Bax mirrored Engels’
understanding of political and social revolutions
posing as religious ones.76 His central examples
of this phenomenon were the Protestant
Reformation, the Peasants’ War77 (1524–1525),
the Thuringian revolt under Thomas Münzer,
and the Anabaptist uprising in Münster (1534–
72 Engels, “The Peasant War in Germany,” p. 206.
73 McKown, p. 83.
74 Engels, “Emigrant Literature II.”
75 Bax, “The Modern Revolution II.”
76 Bax, The Peasants War in Germany, pp. 27, 33, 60, 86 Bax,
Rise and Fall of the Anabaptists, pp. 1, 388.
77 The Peasants’ War was a peasant uprising that occurred in
Germany. It was linked to both the horrendous living conditions
the peasants had to endure and the oppressive doctrines instituted
by the Catholic Church, such as the paying of indulgences. Hence,
although Luther condemned the armed revolt, the rebels
considered themselves part of the Reformation (González, The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the
Reformation, p. 42).
perspectives in many topical areas, including
religion.
Engels expanded on the idea of religion as a
vehicle for protest. He explained that,
historically, religion often acted as an
“ideological costume” for a revolt rooted in
proletarian interests.67 In this light, Engels was
particularly interested in early Christianity:
The history of early Christianity has
notable points of resemblance with the
modern working-class movement. Like
the latter, Christianity was originally a
movement of oppressed people: it first
appeared as the religion of slaves and
emancipated slaves, of poor people
deprived of all rights, of people
subjugated or dispersed by Rome.68
Both movements offered salvation to their
adherents and relief from bondage and misery.
Socialism offered salvation in this world
Christianity offered emancipation in the
afterlife.69 Engels believed that the problem
with early Christianity originated when the
Roman Empire adopted it. This adoption
separated Christianity from its revolutionary
roots.
Engels did imply, however, that some of the
revolutionary spirit persisted. Groups such as
the Lollards,70 the Flagellants,71 and the
Protestant uprisings of the Reformation drew
67 McKown, p. 88.
68 Engels, “The History of Early Christianity,” p. 217.
69 Engels, “The History of Early Christianity,” p. 217.
70 The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe (approx. 1325–
1384). The movement began in the late 1300s and ended in the
early 1500s in England. The Lollards were convinced that the
Bible belonged to the people and, thereby, many members set out
to translate the Bible into English. They also believed that pastors
should not hold civic office and rejected the doctrine of
transubstantiation. They were against the use of images, celibacy,
and pilgrimages. Therefore, in many ways, the Lollards were one
of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation (González, The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the
Reformation, pp. 346–348).
71 The Flagellants first appeared in 1260 but did not grow to
prominence until the 1300s. As the name suggests, the Flagellants
were dedicated to publicly whipping themselves for penance. The
group was highly ritualistic and regarded ritual flagellation as a
“second baptism.” The latter of these two characteristics brought
the attention of the Catholic Church. The Church eventually drove
this group underground, where it persisted for several generations
(González, The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the
Dawn of the Reformation, p. 360).
upon these revolutionary roots.72 In particular,
Engels spoke highly of Thomas Münzer (1488–
1525), a particularly active member of the early
Anabaptist movement.
Engels, therefore, appears to have left room for
religion in the expected class revolution.
Historian Delos B. McKown went so far as to
say that Engels did not advocate the complete
abolition of religion as did Marx. Rather,
Engels hoped that some of the revolutionary
elements of religion, in particular, Christianity,
would continue into the socialist era.73
Nonetheless, Engels stated that religion did not
have a place in society after the Revolution.74
The message in much of his other works on
religion, such as his understanding of Münzer
and the Peasants’ War, seem to contradict this
point.
E. Belfort Bax continued to build on Engels’
understanding of religion, with the addition of a
new perspective of the evolution of society.
Evolution was central to Bax’s understanding of
religion. Bax stated, “The one fact most
prominent in the evolution of religion is that
every step in advance has consisted in an eclipse
of the theological by the moral.”75 Therefore, he
felt that, eventually, values intrinsic to the
betterment of humanity, “the moral,” would
supplant superstition, “the theological,” through
social evolution.
Nonetheless, Bax mirrored Engels’
understanding of political and social revolutions
posing as religious ones.76 His central examples
of this phenomenon were the Protestant
Reformation, the Peasants’ War77 (1524–1525),
the Thuringian revolt under Thomas Münzer,
and the Anabaptist uprising in Münster (1534–
72 Engels, “The Peasant War in Germany,” p. 206.
73 McKown, p. 83.
74 Engels, “Emigrant Literature II.”
75 Bax, “The Modern Revolution II.”
76 Bax, The Peasants War in Germany, pp. 27, 33, 60, 86 Bax,
Rise and Fall of the Anabaptists, pp. 1, 388.
77 The Peasants’ War was a peasant uprising that occurred in
Germany. It was linked to both the horrendous living conditions
the peasants had to endure and the oppressive doctrines instituted
by the Catholic Church, such as the paying of indulgences. Hence,
although Luther condemned the armed revolt, the rebels
considered themselves part of the Reformation (González, The
Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the
Reformation, p. 42).
