What if Karl Marx was a Christian all of his life?

[Anarhco Liberal]

I know that Karl Marx's parents were both Jewish-converted Lutherans, so what if he was a Christian all of his life and still wrote the Communist Manifesto?

[carlton_bach]

What kind of Christian? This is the 19th century, Christian to a large number of educated people is a club membership card that comes with social obligations every Sunday. If he was just a little more opportunistic, he might well choose to stay in.

As a seriously devout Christian, he couldn't have developed his theory. Marxism as a form of Communism needs the rejection of God in favour of an amorphous principle of history to make sense.

[rcduggan]

Originally Posted by carlton_bach

As a seriously devout Christian, he couldn't have developed his theory. Marxism as a form of Communism needs the rejection of God in favour of an amorphous principle of history to make sense.

in that case, maybe Proudhon and Bakunin would be more well known, at the level Marx is today?

[carlton_bach]

Originally Posted by rcduggan

in that case, maybe Proudhon and Bakunin would be more well known, at the level Marx is today?

Possibly. Or we might have Engelsianism. Yes, sounds daft.

[Keenir]

Originally Posted by carlton_bach

As a seriously devout Christian, he couldn't have developed his theory. Marxism as a form of Communism needs the rejection of God in favour of an amorphous principle of history to make sense.

maybe it would be more Christian Socialism than the Communism of Stalin.

[HueyLong]

Originally Posted by carlton_bach

As a seriously devout Christian, he couldn't have developed his theory. Marxism as a form of Communism needs the rejection of God in favour of an amorphous principle of history to make sense.

A materialistic view of the world does not necessarily deny a God. Marx's conception of God could easily be a rational being working behind and setting the historical processes in motion. Something like the Enlightment "reasoned" view of God.

[Wendell]

Originally Posted by HueyLong

A materialistic view of the world does not necessarily deny a God. Marx's conception of God could easily be a rational being working behind and setting the historical processes in motion. Something like the Enlightment "reasoned" view of God.

A Christian Marx might also use the Christ figure extensively to justify his philosophy.

[Anarhco Liberal]

Karl Marx in this WI is a devout Liberal Lutheran.(By Liberal, I mean having a more open view of Christ)