Thinking about what to read: Anabaptist Theology

The Martyrdom of Anneken Hendriks in the 16th century,
convicted of heresy by the Spanish.
(Image found on Wikicommons.)

I remember learning about Anabaptists in my Church History classes in seminary. This group of European Christians were group of reformers that focused on believers' baptism (as opposed to infant baptism, thus "re-baptizing" those who converted) and the simplicity of the gospel message (especially the Sermon on the Mount). What struck me most were the stories of a people who held fast to their faith and conviction in the midst of widespread persecution and torture. These Christians often fled for their lives, relocating their faith communities all over the world. Today we can identify the Anabaptists in such communities as the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites.

One cannot understand Anabaptists without this history of persecution and dispersal, but this is not what defines what it means to be Anabaptist. This group of Christians believes in the person of Jesus Christ and what it might mean to live fully into the narrative of the person of Jesus. For Anabaptists (Mennonites in particular), the presence of God is most fully known and experienced in action. There is a conviction that political power and violence should not be intertwined with the pure message of the gospel. A theology of non-violence is often at the center of conviction and action. More recent Anabaptist theologians and thinkers - e.g., Weaver - emphasize a non-violent theology of the Cross alongside a conviction that we are entering a post-Christendom age. How can we be Christians in a Church that has little cultural influence or power?

If you want to do a bit of research, I suggest the Wikipedia article on Anabaptism along with the entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia; which begins with the line: "A violent and extremely radical body of ecclesiastico-civil reformers which first made its appearance in 1521 at Zwickau ... and still exists in milder forms." I love comparing different dictionaries (theological and otherwise), especially when they show their theological and historical prejudices upfront!

For a quick introduction to Anabaptist thought, here is a short interview with Stuart Murray, author of The Naked Anabaptist.