Image by 125o4 via Flickr
with Roman A. Montero
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Oslo, Norway
July 24, 2017
Interview by John Shuck, Progressive Spirit
July 22, 2017
“Were the early Christians communists? Roman Montero makes the case that they were and backs it up with his book All Things In Common: The Economic Practices of the Early Christians.”
Listen: Progressive Spirit Podcast
from the archives:
Happy Birthday to Jesus, the Anti-Imperialist Socialist! by The Anti-Social Socialist
Jesus against Hillel on Usury by Roman A. Montero
The Early Christian Communists by Roman A. Montero
Pope Francis Calls for Broad Front Against Tyranny and Savage Capitalism
Dorothy Day: Our Problems Stem From Our Acceptance of This Filthy, Rotten System by Richard Sahn
Rev. Chris Hedges and Rev. David Bullock: Christmas, Charity and the Revolutionary Jesus
Dandelion Salad 
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I’m surprised that this would be news to anyone! I thought it would be common knowledge. I remember as a small boy in Catholic school, after we had studied the way early Christians lived, asking my teacher, who was a Sister of “Mercy” nun, “isn’t this just like communism and isn’t this the way you nuns still live?” She got red in the face at what she considered my insult, but of course, I was right and she was wrong.
If by communist, they could be considered as such in that it was reported that they had all they in common. That those that had needs, had those needs met. If not communist, then communitarian, much like the Tolstoy model or the Hutterians of today. In my opinion, much of this community approach was quashed by the second century when the Church became a hierarchy and focused on creating a system of power, disregarding the practice of community. Apologies for the boring recitation.
Marx, Engels and Plekhanov referred to the system of early Christianity as “primitive communism.” I think that’s an accurate description.
Even in the second Century the practices were going strong :). Much of the evidence I use in the book comes from the second Century.
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