What is utopianism?

Answer

Utopianism is the belief that a perfect society can be achieved, where there is happiness, equality, and freedom for everyone. Those who seek a utopia desire an ideal place where humanity reaches its full potential, personally, politically, economically, and socially.

The word utopia or utopianism is not found in the Bible, as the term did not come into being until 1516 when Sir Thomas More coined it. Ironically, More created the word to have a double meaning, since utopia is a combination of Greek words that mean “no” and “place,” but looks similar to a word meaning “good place.” More’s “Good Place” is really “No Place.”

A perfect society is impossible to create in a fallen world. All people are sinners, and we cannot create a “perfect” world because we are not perfect «for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; », (Romans 3:23). Even if a society were constructed solely of Christians, it would be imperfect because the sin nature is still present in Christians «For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. », (Galatians 5:17). No individual can perfect himself, so no group of people can perfect society. To create a true utopia would require everyone to be sinless.

Various groups have attempted to establish utopian societies and thus realize a man-made paradise on earth: the Shakers, the Transcendentalists, the Perfectionists, and others all tried (and failed) to construct the ideal society. Some were motivated by a belief that Jesus’ return was imminent, others by confidence in mankind’s innate goodness—but all were disappointed.

Scripture informs us that onceBehold, there was a “utopia” in this world: the Garden of Eden was created for Adam and Eve to tend and enjoy «And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. », (Genesis 2:15). Everything that God had created was “very good,” and mankind had everything they could possibly need (Genesis 1:31;Genesis 2:22). Adam and Eve enjoyed a close and intimate relationship with the Lord, who walked with them in the garden «And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. », (Genesis 3:8). Sadly, this perfect place that God had created was corrupted when Adam and Eve chose to disobey the Lord. Their sin disrupted their perfect existence and brought death into the world (Genesis 3:11-19;Romans 5:12). No longer would the earth produce abundant crops free of weeds and thorns (Genesis 3:17-18). No longer would the animals live at peace with one another and with mankind (Romans 8:20-22). No longer would Adam and Eve’s relationship with each other be perfect «Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. », (Genesis 3:16). Most importantly, no longer could Adam and Eve have a close relationship with God (Genesis 3:23-24; Isaiah 59:2). The perfect world had been marred by sin, and the utopia was lost.

Thankfully, the Lord God promised a Savior who would defeat evil and restore all things “and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”, (Genesis 3:15). This Savior is Jesus Christ, crucified on the cross and resurrected to bring eternal life to all who believe. In Christ, the relationship between mankind and God is repaired, and “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” “because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”, (Romans 8:21). One day, the Lord will again set up a “utopia,” the new heaven and new earth “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”, (Revelation 21:1). Eden will be restored, and “no longer will there be any curse” “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”, (Revelation 22:3). Those who have trusted in Christ will live forever with Him, and the “utopia” they enjoy will never end because they will no longer have a sinful nature. Everyone will live in harmony with each other, and God will live with mankind in the eternal kingdom. This is the Bible’s promise (Revelation 21:3; Revelation 22:4-5).

A utopian society is something that humanity naturally longs for. We all sense, to some extent, that the world is flawed as it is, and we all yearn to mend it. However, it requires a flawless Being to establish a flawless society, which is why all human-created utopias are destined to fail from the beginning. We require more than meticulous planning, grand philosophies, and societal reforms; we require our Creator. With humility, recognizing our own imperfections, we turn to Christ and His flawlessness. With gratitude, praising the Lord, we place our trust in the One who will one day transform the entire world into a Utopia for His glory.