Communism and Religion

Abstract

Modern communism is traditionally understood as an atheist, secular, and profane movement, actively opposed to religion as well as any form of “idealism.” The thought of José Carlos Mariátegui, one of the main founders of Latin American communism, has very little in common with this conventional image. Mariátegui had a heterodox attitude toward religion, as well as other subjects. Mariátegui does not venture a new definition of religion. However, it can be inferred from his writings that his is an ethical-political and spiritual concept, one related to “all the need of the infinite that exists in man” (of which he wrote in 1925) and the quest for a heroic myth that could restore sense and enchantment to life. The word “mystical,” which appears very often in Mariátegui's work, is evidently religious in origin but has a broader meaning: it refers to the spiritual and ethical dimension of socialism, as well as faith in the revolutionary struggle, absolute commitment to the emancipatory cause, and the heroic willingness to risk life itself.