An Anabaptist Theology 1

Anabaptism sought to find a way outside Catholicism and yet not the same as the major Protestant groups, the Lutherans and the Reformed. It can be seen as the third way, yet as Thomas Finger shows in his fair-minded sketch of the history of the anabaptist movement in his book A Contemporary Anabaptist Theology: Biblical, Historical, Constructive, anabaptism’s history is clearly a mixed bag. Often the anabaptists are called the “radical” reformation, since it is argued the Lutherans and Reformed did not go far enough.

One thing is clear to me: when you try to start all over again, you are more than likely to do some foolish things and some noble things. Both were a part of anabaptism’s origins.

Here’s how Finger sums it up after his sketch: these “convoluted, rapid-paced, sometimes admirable, sometimes appalling sagas can leave readers dizzy.” Leading him to ask this powerful question: “Can any intelligible, underlying theology really be drawn from all this?” (46).

Here’s the lay of the land when it comes to anabaptism’s origins:

1. Clearly, at work in the rise of anabaptism is a lay-level and peasant revolt against taxes, economic exploitation and oppression. It isn’t simply a social reaction but this played a significant part, and this is part of the reason why there was so much of a commitment to communal life and sharing of possessions. There is then a socio-economic vision at work in much of early anabaptism.
2. There were excesses in eschatology, spirituality-ecstasy, moral rigor, occasional violence, and at times heretical theology.
3. Many of them were driven underground and into secrecy by persecution, many were also martyred.
4. The Swiss anabaptists arose around Zwingli and then, after he abandoned them, around Conrad Grebel (picture above), Johannes Blaurock, Balthasar Hubmaier and Michael Sattler. They rallied around being biblical, an ethical rigor and a strict ban.
5. The South German anabaptists were more radical in having a peasant revolt at work. But there was some serious eschatological enthusiasm (Hans Hut) and a political revolutionary spirit (Münzer) and radical individualistic spiritual vision (Hans Denck) and yet reasonably sound theology in many (Pilgram Marpeck). One of the more stable surviving groups was the Hutterites, who were connected to Jacob Hutter.
6. The Netherland anabaptists formed eventually around Menno Simmons. There were some serious zealotic and fanatical and divisive, schismatic Netherland anabaptists.