Anabaptism 101

Written by admin on Dec 15, 2011
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Anabaptism is the name given to a 16th Century movement that came out of the Reformation.  As the Protestant reformation was challenging the teaching and practice of the Roman Catholic Church, there were some among the Protestants that didn’t think the reformation went far enough or in the right direction.   Eventually, their critique led to a split within the Protestant reformation itself.   Some of the issues were:

  • Infant baptism: Anabaptists saw no scriptural warrant for infant baptism.
  • Separation of church and state:  Anabaptist believed that the church should be separate from the influence of the state.
  • Believers Only Church:  The Christendom model, whereby all members of civil society were also baptized members of the church, was deemed unscriptural by Anabaptists.
  • The Rule of Christ as the way of the Church: Central to Anabaptists was following Jesus teaching and model in life.  Fidelity to the way of Christ, was accomplished through mutual accountability within the church.

That is a very brief sketch of some of the issues at play in the 16th Century.  You can find more information on-line, or through excellent books like The Anabaptist Story by Willian Estep.

 

How does Anabaptism relate to being Mennonite?  Anabaptism is the broader theological stream that Mennonite swim in.  It has, and continues, to shape Mennonite beliefs and practices.    Mennonite is the name of a particular faith tradition coming out of the Anabaptist or Radical Reformation.

 

How do Anabaptist core convictions take shape today?    In 2010, Stuart Murray wrote a book entitled The Naked Anabaptist.  By “Naked” Murray is referring to Anabaptistism stripped of it’s Mennonite, Brethren, and Amish cultural clothes.  In his book, he outlined seven core convictions for Anabaptists today.  These core convictions express the convictions of Metamora Mennonite Church and are quoted directly from pages 45-46 from The Naked Anabaptist.

  1. Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer, and Lord.  He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church, and our engagement with society.  We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshipping him.
  2. Jesus is the focal point of God’s revelation.  We are committed to a Jesus-centered approach to the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.
  3. Western culture is slowly emerging from the Christendom era, when church and state jointly presided over a society in which almost all were assumed to be Christian.  Whatever its positive contributions on values and institutions, Christendom seriously distorted the gospel, marginalized Jesus, and has left the churches ill equipped for mission in a post-Christendom culture.  As we reflect on this, we are committed to learning from the experience and perspectives of movements such as Anabaptism that rejected standard Christendom assumptions and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving.
  4. The frequent association of the church with status, wealth, and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness.  We are committed to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless, and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom.
  5. Churches are called to be committed communities of discipleship and mission, places of friendship, mutual accountability, and multi-voiced worship.  As we eat together, sharing bread and wine, we sustain hope as we seek God’s kingdom together.  We are committed to nurturing and developing such churches, in which young and old are valued, leadership is consultative, roles are related to gifts rather than gender, and baptism is for believers.
  6. Spirituality and economics are interconnected.  In an individualist and consumerist culture and in a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation, and working for justice.
  7. Peace is at the heart of the gospel.  As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding nonviolent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society, and between nations.