Libertarian Distributism and Welfare

Reflections on Orthodox Social Teachings

Photo by Arturo Rey on Unsplash

Introduction

As Christians living in the modern world, we are called to seek an economy that reflects both justice and mercy, freedom and responsibility. Two seemingly disparate traditions — libertarianism and distributism — can, when properly understood, harmonize into a vision of society that honors both the dignity of the individual and the widespread flourishing of families and communities. This essay defines libertarianism and distributism, explores the biblical case for each, and proposes a model for a libertarian distributist welfare state: a Christian form of social democracy rooted in liberty, solidarity, and subsidiarity.

Defining the Terms

Libertarianism is the advocacy of the maximization of individual liberty: it calls for freedom from unjust coercion and the freedom to live virtuously according to conscience. Christian libertarianism emphasizes personal responsibility, voluntary charity, free association, and a limited role for the state. The libertarian ideal is that one should be free to use their person and property to satisfy their own wants, so long as they don’t infringe on the equal rights of others to do the same with their own person and property.

Libertarianism becomes anarchism when it is carried through to its logical conclusion. Christian anarchism represents a form of libertarianism rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It holds that no earthly government or authority can claim ultimate allegiance, as true authority belongs to God alone. Christian anarchists argue that the early Church embodied a voluntary, non-coercive community based on mutual aid, forgiveness, and self-sacrificial love rather than domination or violence. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount and early Christian practices, Christian anarchism envisions a society where human relations are governed by conscience, compassion, and voluntary cooperation rather than by coercive force, making it a distinctively Christ-centered expression of libertarian principles.

Distributism, developed by G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, teaches that productive property should be widely distributed across society rather than concentrated in the hands of a few capitalists or the state. Broad ownership of land, tools, shops, and businesses enables real economic independence, strengthens family stability, and promotes communal solidarity.

Distributism has also been proposed under the banner of property-owning democracy. Noel Skelton, an early 20th-century conservative thinker, introduced the concept of a property-owning democracy as a response to the growing concentration of wealth under industrial capitalism. Skelton argued that for democracy to be stable and for citizens to develop true moral character, ownership of productive property must be widely distributed among the populace. He proposed mechanisms such as profit-sharing, agricultural cooperatives, and guild-like associations to restore economic independence to ordinary people. Skelton’s vision rejected both laissez-faire capitalism and state socialism, instead seeking to rebuild a society grounded in private ownership and voluntary associations​.

Building on Skelton’s insights, the economist James Meade proposed a modernized version of property-owning democracy adapted to the realities of a post-industrial economy. Meade envisioned a mixed economy where widespread private ownership was combined with a strong social safety net, progressive taxation, and a universal social dividend to protect against poverty and inequality. Rather than abolishing markets or property, Meade sought to ensure that economic power and opportunity were broadly shared. His ideas bridged the gap between distributist principles and modern social democracy, influencing thinkers across both the left and right​.

In short: libertarianism safeguards personal liberty; distributism provides the economic foundation for that liberty.

The Biblical Case for Libertarianism

Libertarianism holds (1) that each individual should be free to use their own person and property to satisfy their desires, so long as they do not infringe upon the equal rights of others, and (2) that no man shall initiate aggression against another person.

The spirit of libertarianism echoes through the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is a manifesto of radical, peaceful rebellion against the world’s systems of violence and coercion. Jesus starts his sermon by declaring that the meek shall inherit the earth and that peacemakers shall be called the sons of God. (Matthew 5:5–9) It is not the aggressive and belligerent who will ultimately gain victory, but the peaceful and pacifistic individuals who will eventually reign. True peacemakers do not initiate violence or seek to impose their vision on others by force. The language of lex talionis (retribution) is overturned in favor of radical non-violence.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”(Matthew 5:38–39)

Jesus tells his followers not to meet insult or offence with retaliation. This is radical non-violence, a refusal to escalate. This commandment may be difficult (if not impossible) to keep, as defensive violence is sometimes necessary but the ideal of absolute non-violence remains clear.

The essence of libertarianism can also be seen in the evangelical spirit, whereby the Christian faith was to be spread by persuasion rather than coercion. Orthodox theology teaches that inner freedom is a necessary basis for spiritual growth and theosis (union with God). True virtue can only emerge from free assent to God’s will. Christianity envisions a society rooted in freedom: a freedom not merely to act according to conscience, but to seek truth, grow in holiness, and pursue the good without being coerced. Respect for personal liberty reflects the dignity bestowed upon humanity as bearers of the divine image.

The Biblical Case for Distributism

The Bible shows a clear preference for widespread ownership. The Promised Land was divided among all families, and the Jubilee laws mandated restoration of land to the original families every 50 years (Leviticus 25), preventing permanent wealth concentration. The prophets condemned accumulation at the expense of others (Isaiah 5:8). Patristic voices like St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom emphasized that wealth hoarded beyond need belongs to the poor, reinforcing that ownership must serve justice and communal well-being.

Biblical Social Welfare Legislation

Christian libertarian distributism envisions a society where:

• Property-ownership is widespread and property is owned primarily by individuals and families.
• The family is the core social unit, economically and socially supported.
• The state’s role is limited to securing justice, preventing monopolies, and providing a basic safety net.
• Social welfare is organized subsidiarily, handled at the lowest feasible levels (family, parish, local government).
• Taxes fund universal minimums (healthcare, unemployment insurance, elderly care), but with the goal of preserving freedom and preventing dependency.

This system offers a Christian alternative to both unfettered capitalism and state socialism — a social democracy rooted in liberty and widespread property ownership.

In the essay Biblical Social Welfare Legislation: Protected Classes and Provisions for Persons in Need, Richard H. Hiers explores how biblical law established a comprehensive social welfare system to protect vulnerable groups, such as the poor, widows, orphans, sojourners (resident aliens), hired workers, and even slaves. The essay concludes:

“It may, therefore, be somewhat surprising to discover that biblical legal texts mandated a series of provisions which, taken together, can reasonably be said to constitute a well-developed social welfare system.”

Hiers’ essay outlines two kinds of biblical laws:

• Protective laws, which prohibited injustice and oppression against these groups (e.g., fair court treatment, no usury against the poor, return of collateral).
• Affirmative laws, which required active support for the vulnerable (e.g., gleaning rights, food tithes every third year, Jubilee land restoration, debt forgiveness every seven years).

Hiers contrasts this biblical concern for the poor with Greco-Roman society, which largely lacked it, and critiques modern individualist ideologies that neglect systemic care for the vulnerable. He argues that biblical social welfare laws reflect a deep theological commitment to human dignity grounded in the covenantal relationship between God and His people, emphasizing justice, compassion, and communal responsibility rather than mere charity.

1. Gleaning Laws
Farmers were required to leave the edges of their fields unharvested and leave any dropped produce for the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers.

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyards, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger.”(Leviticus 19:9–10)

“When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.”(Deuteronomy 24:19-22)

2. Triennial Tithe for the Poor
Every third year, a special tithe of produce was collected and stored for the Levites, sojourners, orphans, and widows.

“At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.”(Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

3. Debt Forgiveness (Sabbatical Year)
Every seventh year, debts were to be canceled to prevent permanent poverty and oppression.

“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord’s release.”(Deuteronomy 15:1-2)

4. No Interest on Loans to the Poor
Israelites were forbidden from charging interest on loans made to fellow Israelites in need.

“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.”(Exodus 22:25)

“If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit.”(Leviticus 25:35-37)

5. Jubilee Year: Restoration of Land and Freedom
Every 50 years, land was returned to the original families and slaves were freed, preventing generational poverty.

“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.”(Leviticus 25:10)

6. Abolition of Poverty

“But there will be no poor among you (for the Lord will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess), if only you will obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment which I command you this day.”(Deuteronomy 15:4-5)

As Obery M. Hendricks Jr. notes in an essay on the biblical values of democratic socialism:

“The Bible and democratic socialism preach that governments should enact policies that address the needs of the poor, provide equal access to opportunity, and legislate policies that curb inequity. Both believe that any government that ignores the interests of the poor is an unjust government in need of correction.”

Hendricks also notes that “Jesus modeled universal health care by healing everyone who asked… ‘Great multitudes followed him,’ mostly poor peasants, ‘and he healed them all.’ (Matthew 12:15)” Hendricks also notes that biblical law would support a minimum income: “The book of Leviticus is clear: ‘There should be no poor among you … if any of your neighbors become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them … so they can continue to live among you.’ (Leviticus 25: 35-36).” And the Bible prohibits exploitation and unfair treatment of workers. (Deuteronomy 24:14)

Policy Proposals

In the developed economies of today, it makes more sense to do welfare in the form of cash transfers rather than in-kind distribution to the needy. In the modern world, gleaning laws and the triennial tithe for the poor can be seen as corresponding to basic welfare measures like SNAP and TANF. The spirit of the Jubilee Year, which is meant to prevent excessive accumulation of land, can be fulfilled through measures like land value tax or a differential tax on the purchase of land, schemes that likewise prevent land from becoming concentrated into the hands of an elite few. The abolition of poverty (“there shall be no poor among you”) can be achieved through a minimum income guarantee or a universal basic income. (Deuteronomy 15:4) And the spirit of Jesus healing the multitudes can be met by Universal Catastrophic Coverage, Medicare-for-All, or some other scheme for universal healthcare. (Matthew 12:15)

Conclusion

A libertarian distributist welfare state offers a true Christian alternative to both plutocratic capitalism and coercive socialism. It seeks to restore economic independence to families, protect the vulnerable through subsidiarity, and maximize human liberty under the lordship of Christ. Rooted in Scripture, the Church Fathers, and Orthodox social teaching, it paints a compelling vision of a society where justice, freedom, and love of neighbor flourish together. In such a society, we might approach the prophetic hope: “They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid” (Micah 4:4).