Communalism

This article is about political system known as
communalism. For South Asian sectarian ideologies, see
Communalism (South Asia) .
Communalism usually refers to a system that integrates
communal ownership and federations of highly localised
independent communities. A prominent libertarian
socialist , Murray Bookchin , defines communalism as "a
theory of government or a system of government in which
independent communes participate in a federation", as
well as "the principles and practice of communal
ownership". [1][2]

This usage of communalism appears to have emerged
during the late 20th century to distinguish commune -
based systems from other political movements and/or
governments espousing (if not actually practicing) similar
ideas. In particular, earlier communities and movements
advocating such practices that were often described as
" anarchist ", " socialist" and/or " communist". [3]
Many historical communities practicing utopian socialism
or anarchist communism did implement internal rules of
communalist property ownership in the context of
federated communalism. It is at least theoretically
possible for a federation of communes to include
communes which do not practice communalist rules of
property, which is to say, that the overall national
government may be a federation of communes, but that
private property rather than communalist property is the
order within each such commune. Karl Marx , often viewed
as the founder of modern communism, criticized older
forms, including primitive communism and/or utopian
socialism, as poorly conceived and/or prone to
disintegration in practise. [4]
Communalism in the form described above is distinct
from the predominant usage in South Asian forms of
English: allegiance to a particular ethnic and/or religious
group rather than to a broader society. [5][6] As such, this
usage is synonymous with sectarianism and associated
with communal violence .
History
Communalism in Christianity
See also: Christian communism § Communism or
communalism
In this primarily religious-based community, the
communist-like principle of Koinonia used by the early
Christian Church as described in the Acts of the Apostles
(4:32–35), which expressed the broad, general principle
of "all things in common" (or, in some translations,
"everything in common").
Communalistic tendencies were often present in radical
Reformation -era Christian movements in Europe. (This
was later argued most famously by the Marxian theorist
Karl Kautsky: see, for example, Communism in Central
Europe in the Time of the Reformation .[7] )
Some features of Waldensian movement and associated
communes in northern Italy in the 13th and 14th
centuries followed certain aspects of communal
ownership.
Famously, Czech Taborites (radical section of the Hussite
movement) in the 15th century attempted to build a
society of shared property in the city of Tábor in south
Bohemia .
Certain aspects and streams within the German Peasants'
War in German areas of the 16th century, particularly
Thomas Müntzer and the so-called Zwickau prophets had
a strong social egalitarian spirit.
European Radical Reformation of Anabaptist and different
groups of Schwarzenau Brethren started processes which
later led to communal movements of Shakers or
Hutterites.
The Anabaptist Münster Rebellion of 1534–1535
attempted to establish a society based on community of
goods.
All of these post-Reformation attempts were led by
biblical literalism in which they referred to previously
mentioned passages from the Book of Acts. Radicalism of
their social experiments was further heightened by
Chiliasm and ardent expectation of Theocracy .
The Plymouth Colony was established by Separatist
Pilgrims who had travelled from Europe in order to flee
religious persecution and establish a religious community
separate from the Church of England. The social and legal
systems of the colony were tied to their religious beliefs
as well as English Common Law. The presence of secular
planters ("The Strangers") hired by the London merchant
investors who funded their venture led to tension and
factionalization in the fledgling settlement, especially
because of the policies of land use and profit-sharing, but
also in the way each group viewed workdays and holidays.
This form of common ownership was the basis for the
contract agreed upon by the venture and its investors. It
was more akin to what we now think of as a privately held
corporation, as the common ownership of property and
profits was insured by the issuing of stock to the settlers
and investors. It was also temporary, with a division of the
common property and profits scheduled to take place
after seven years.
Although each family controlled their own home and
possessions, corn was farmed on a communal plot of
land with the harvest divided equally amongst the settlers.
The secular planters resented having to share their
harvest with families whose religious beliefs so sharply
conflicted with their own and as a result shirked work and
resorted to thievery, whilst the Pilgrims resented the
secular planters taking days off for holidays (especially
Christmas) and their frequent carousing and revelry which
often left them unfit for work. This conflict resulted in a
corn production which was insufficient for the needs of
the settlement. Because further supplies from their
investors were withheld due to a dispute of the agreed
upon payments from the settlement, starvation became
imminent. As a result, for the planting of 1623, each family
was temporarily assigned their own plot of land to tend
with the right to keep all that was harvested from that plot,
whether it be sufficient or not and all other production
responsibilities and the goods produced therefrom would
continue to remain as was originally agreed upon. [9]
In the mid-17th century the True Levellers, followers of
Gerrard Winstanley , believed in the concept of " levelling
men's estates" in order to create equality. They also took
over common land for what they believed to be the
common good.
The Latter Day Saint movement
Main articles: Law of Consecration and United Order
In the 19th century the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints [10] attempted to live a form of Christian
communalism called the Law of Consecration, using
organizations described as the United Order . This was
established under Joseph Smith[11] and was first
practiced in Kirtland, Ohio in the early 1830s. This
originally helped Latter Day Saints with settling in Ohio
and was to have helped with building and sustaining entire
communities in Missouri, including Independence , Adam-
ondi-Ahman , and Far West. Subsequent events, including
the 1838 Mormon War, made it impossible for these
communities to thrive.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints
See also: Bishop's storehouse , Mormonism and the national
debate over socialism and communism , and ZCMI
After the followers of Brigham Young settled in the Utah
Territory , The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(LDS Church) began to establish a series of community
cooperatives , which were collectively called the United
Order of Enoch. This program was used in at least 200
LDS communities, most of them in outlying rural areas,
away from the central Mormon settlements. Most of the
cooperatives lasted for only two or three years before
returning to a more standard economic system. One of
the last United Order cooperatives was located in
Orderville, which continued until an 1885 anti- polygamy
law enforcement action under the Edmunds Act effectively
ended it by jailing many of its leaders.