Religious communism describes a form of communism that integrates religious principles, advocating for the common ownership of property based on faith rather than political ideology. It historically predates secular communism, differing significantly from Marxism, which often called for the elimination of religion. However, it shares ideological similarities with Liberation Theology.

Early examples include the commune of early Christians in Jerusalem and the teachings of the Persian reformer Mazdak. Later, in the 19th century, American movements like the Shakers and the Oneida Community, which reached its peak in the 1850s, famously practiced this system. Groups such as the Hutterites, with their strict adherence to biblical principles, also embodied Christian communism, influencing events like the German Peasants' War and leading Friedrich Engels to consider Anabaptists as proto-Communists.