“Early Christian Communism”: Russian Church Journalism in the Latter Half of XIX — Early XX Century About the Phenomenon of the Jerusalem Community

Abstract

The article considers and analyzes the views of Russian church authors in the latter half of XIX – early XX century (orthodox clergy, scholars, teachers of theological schools) toward the phenomenon of the Jerusalem community and the attempts of supporters of socialist views to treat the patterns of life and thought of Jerusalem Christians as an “early Christian”, “apostolic” or “ancient Christian” communism. Through the example of the critical scrutiny by church authors of the book “The Acts of the Apostles”, the paper shows their interpretations of property relations established in the Jerusalem community, reasons of its unique character, exegesis of the fall of Ananias and Sapphire, as well as fundamental differences of life of first Christians from the communist ideal. It testifies that notwithstanding the insignificant disparity of valuations concerning the Jerusalem community, its experience, achievements and period of existence, church authors had an undivided opinion in terms of disagreement with the fallacy of division between property relations of the community with those proclaimed by ideologists of socialism and communism.