"Church and State" is an article by Leo Tolstoy written in 1886. [1] [2] It was translated to English and then published by the anarchist Benjamin Tucker. [2] [3] In this text, Tolstoy condemns anyone who collaborates with the state in committing a war, and especially condemns the Eastern Orthodox Church for supporting the Tsar's wars when Christianity teaches "Thou Shalt Not Kill." [1]
It was republished by numerous, diverse groups, such as the Methodist Episcopal Church [3] and the anarchist paper Mother Earth, edited by Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. [4] In 1903, inspired by the Christian, anarchist, pacifist message of Tolstoy, Carlos Brandt planned with Tolstoy to have copies of it locally printed in Venezuela. [5]
According to literary critic David Holbrook, like many of Tolstoy's other works, he advocates for sexual abstinence here, claiming that sex can "exhaust and debilitate" people. [6] He is criticized elsewhere for sexist attitudes here, where Tolstoy says that it's deplorable to see a woman "capable of bearing children at men's work." [7]
"Church and State" is an article by Leo Tolstoy written in 1886. [1] [2] It was translated to English and then published by the anarchist Benjamin Tucker. [2] [3] In this text, Tolstoy condemns anyone who collaborates with the state in committing a war, and especially condemns the Eastern Orthodox Church for supporting the Tsar's wars when Christianity teaches "Thou Shalt Not Kill." [1]
It was republished by numerous, diverse groups, such as the Methodist Episcopal Church [3] and the anarchist paper Mother Earth, edited by Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. [4] In 1903, inspired by the Christian, anarchist, pacifist message of Tolstoy, Carlos Brandt planned with Tolstoy to have copies of it locally printed in Venezuela. [5]
According to literary critic David Holbrook, like many of Tolstoy's other works, he advocates for sexual abstinence here, claiming that sex can "exhaust and debilitate" people. [6] He is criticized elsewhere for sexist attitudes here, where Tolstoy says that it's deplorable to see a woman "capable of bearing children at men's work." [7]