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. (more…)

From Chris Wright, the architect of the Lausanne event in Cape Town.

So it was that I found myself early in January 2010 driving the five hours from London to The Hookses, John Stott’s writing retreat cottage in Wales, to spend a week alone working on the requested draft. As I drove, I prayed in some desperation, “Lord, how is this thing to be done? How should it be structured? What is the primary, fundamental message that it needs to carry?”

It was as if I heard a voice replying, “The first and greatest commandment is: ‘Love the Lord your God….’ and the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Then a whole bundle of other “love” texts came tumbling into my mind like a waterfall. I thought, Could we frame a statement in the language of covenant love—love for God, for Jesus, for the Bible, for the world, for one another, for the gospel, for mission….?

As I drove, I sketched an outline in my mind, and when I arrived at Hookses, I phoned John Stott, shared what I was thinking, and asked if he thought it could work. He not only thought it could, but strongly encouraged me to follow the idea through. Somehow, it felt that an idea born in a moment of prayer, and then approved by John Stott, was perhaps on the right lines!

I spent that week in January creating a first draft, and then sent it back to the Lausanne leadership and the Minneapolis group of theologians for comment and refinement. There followed several months in which I got a lot of feedback and the document was extended and revised with their helpful comments and advice, including wider input from others, such as the Lausanne Theology Working Group.

Here is the Cape Town Commitment. (more…)

From Efrem Smith:

10.) Act as if justice is simply a social issue and not a biblical one.

9.) Reduce the Christian life to individualism.

8.) Major in the minors theologically.

7.) Stop saying “hate the sin, but love the sinner” when we don’t do it.

6.) Feel comfortable with segregated church.

5.) Confuse political ideology with biblical theology.

4.) Act as if race, class, and gender are no longer issues to be dealt with.

3.) Avoid prophetic preaching.

2.) Missing out on being blessed by women in pastoral leadership.

1.) Ignoring the biblical mandate of reconciliation.

My question for all of us: In which have you not seen improvement in the last 25 years?