Anabaptism: Difference between revisions

The early Anabaptists formulated their beliefs in a [[Creed|confession of faith]] in 1527 called the [[Schleitheim Confession]]. Its author [[Michael Sattler]] was arrested and executed shortly afterward. Anabaptist groups varied widely in their specific beliefs, but the Schleitheim Confession represents foundational Anabaptist beliefs as well as any single document can.<ref name="Bruening2017">{{cite book|last= Bruening|first=Michael W.|title= A Reformation Sourcebook: Documents from an Age of Debate|year=2017|publisher= [[University of Toronto Press]]|isbn= 978-1-44263570-8|page=134|quote= In 1527, [[Michael Sattler]] presided over a meeting at Schleitheim (in canton Schaffhausen, on the Swiss-German border), where Anabaptist leaders drew up the Schleitheim Confession of Faith (doc. 29). Sattler was arrested and executed soon afterwards. Anabaptist groups varied widely in their specific beliefs, but the Schleitheim Confession represents foundational Anabaptist beliefs as well as any single document can.}}</ref><ref name= "Hershberger2001">{{cite book|last= Hershberger |first=Guy F. |title= The Recovery of the Anabaptist Vision |date=2001|publisher= [[Wipf & Stock Publishers]] |isbn=978-1-57910600-3 |page= 65|quote=The Schleitheim articles are Anabaptism's oldest confessional document.}}</ref>

Other Christian groups with different roots also practice believer's baptism, such as [[Baptists]], but these groups are not Anabaptist, even though the Baptist tradition was influenced by the Anabaptist view of Baptism. The [[Amish]], [[Hutterites]], and [[Mennonites]] are direct descendants of the early Anabaptist movement. [[Schwarzenau Brethren]], [[River Brethren]], [[Bruderhof]], and the [[Apostolic Christian Church]] are Anabaptist denominations that developed well after the Radical Reformation, following their example.<ref name="Gertz2004">{{cite web |last1= Gertz |first1=Steven |title= Outsider's Guide to America's Anabaptists |url= https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-84/outsiders-guide-to-americas-anabaptists.html | work =[[Christianity Today]] |access-date=20 May 2021 | year = 2004}}</ref><ref name= "TW2021">{{cite web |title=What about Old Orders, Hutterites, Conservatives, River Brethren and Others? |url= http://thirdwaycafe.com/faq/what-about-old-orders-hutterites-conservatives-river-brethren-and-others/ | work =Third Way café |access-date=20 May 2021 |date= 2021}}</ref><ref name= "Huffman1920">{{cite book |last1= Huffman |first1=Jasper Abraham |title= History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church |date=1920 |publisher=Bethel Publishing Co. |page=59}}</ref> Though all Anabaptists share the same core theological beliefs, there are differences in the way of life among them; [[Old Order Anabaptism|Old Order Anabaptist]] groups include the [[Old Order Amish]], the [[Old Order Mennonite]]s, [[Old Order River Brethren]], and the [[Old Order German Baptist Brethren]].<ref name="Gertz2004"/> In between the assimilated mainline denominations (such as [[Mennonite Church USA]] and the [[Church of the Brethren]]) and Old Order groups are [[Conservative Anabaptism|Conservative Anabaptist]] groups. Conservative Anabaptists such as the [[Dunkard Brethren Church]], [[Conservative Mennonites]] and [[Beachy Amish]] have retained traditional religious practices and theology, while allowing for judicious use of modern conveniences and advanced technology.<ref name= "Guengerich2013">{{cite book |last1= Guengerich |first1=Galen |title=God Revised: How Religion Must Evolve in a Scientific Age |date= 2013 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn= 978-1-137-35611-6 |page=3}}</ref><ref name= "Scott1996">{{cite book |last1= Scott |first1=Stephen |title= Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups | series = People's Place Book | number = 12 |date= 1996 |publisher=Good Books |isbn= 978-1-56148-101-9 |page=228 |quote= Many writings have been made among conservative Mennonites supporting the Christian woman's veiling.}}</ref>

Emphasizing an adherence to the beliefs of [[early Christianity]], as a whole Anabaptists are distinguished by their keeping of practices that often include nonconformity to the world, "the love feast with feet washing, laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and the holy kiss, as well as turning the other cheek, no oaths, going the second mile, giving a cup of cold water, reconciliation, repeated forgiveness, humility, non-violence, and sharing possessions."<ref name= "RedekopBeitzel2019">{{cite book |last1=Redekop |first1=Calvin |last2=Beitzel |first2=Terry |title= Service, The Path To Justice |date= 2019 |publisher=FriesenPress |isbn=978-1-5255-3584-0 |page=165}}</ref><ref name= "Kraybill2010">{{cite book |last1= Kraybill |first1=Donald B. |title= Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites |date=2010 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=978-0-8018-9911-9 |page= 107}}</ref><ref name= "Hostetler1993">{{cite book |last1= Hostetler |first1=John A. |title= Amish Society |date= 1993 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn= 978-0-8018-4442-3 |page=227}}</ref><ref name="Almila2017"/>

The name Anabaptist originated as an [[exonym]] meaning "one who baptizes again," referring to the practice of baptizing persons when they converted or declared their faith in Christ even if they had been baptized as infants, and many call themselves "Radical Reformers."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Anabaptist | title = Anabaptist | work = Online Etymological Dictionary | orig-year = 2001 | year = 2010 | first = Douglas | last = Harper | access-date = April 25, 2011}}</ref> Anabaptists require that baptismal candidates be able to make a confession of faith that is freely chosen and so rejected baptism of infants. The New Testament teaches to repent and then be baptized, and infants are not able to repent and turn away from sin to a life of following Jesus. The early members of this movement did not accept the name Anabaptist, claiming that infant baptism was not part of scripture and was therefore null and void. They said that baptizing self-confessed believers was their first true baptism:

{{Blockquote |text=I have never taught Anabaptism. …But the right baptism of Christ, which is preceded by teaching and oral confession of faith, I teach, and say that infant baptism is a robbery of the right baptism of Christ. |author= [[Balthasar Hubmaier|Hubmaier, Balthasar]] (1526) |source= ''[[s:Balthasar Hübmaier/Chapter 6#204|Short apology]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vedder |first=Henry Clay |author-link=Henry Clay Vedder |title=[[s:Balthasar Hübmaier|Balthasar Hübmaier: the Leader of the Anabaptists]] |location=New York |publisher=[[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] |year=1905 |page=204 |mode=cs2}}.</ref>}}

Anabaptists were heavily persecuted by [[State religion|state churches]], both [[Magisterial Reformation|Magisterial Protestants]] and [[Roman Catholics]], beginning in the 16th century and continuing thereafter, largely because of their interpretation of scripture which put them at odds with official state church interpretations and local government control. Anabaptism was never established by any state and therefore never enjoyed any associated privileges. Most Anabaptists adhere to a [[Sermon on the Mount#Interpretation|literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount]] in Matthew 5–7, which teaches against hate, killing, violence, taking oaths, participating in use of force or any military actions, and against participation in civil government. Anabaptists view themselves as primarily citizens of the [[Kingdom of God (Christianity)|kingdom of God]], not of earthly governments. As committed followers of Jesus, they seek to pattern their life after his.<ref>{{cite book |title= Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics |date= 2011 |publisher= Baker Books |isbn= 978-1-4412-3998-3 |page=64}}</ref>

Some former groups who practiced rebaptism, now extinct, believed otherwise and complied with these requirements of civil society.<ref group="lower-alpha">For example, those of the [[Münster Rebellion]] or [[Balthasar Hubmaier]].</ref> They were thus technically Anabaptists, even though conservative Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites, and many historians consider them outside Anabaptism. [[Conrad Grebel]] wrote in a letter to [[Thomas Müntzer]] in 1524: "True Christian believers are sheep among wolves, sheep for the slaughter ...  Neither do they use worldly sword or war, since all killing has ceased with them."<ref name= "Dyck">{{Harvnb | Dyck | 1967 |p = 45}}</ref>

{{Christian denomination tree}}

Anabaptists view themselves as a separate branch of Christianity, not being a part of Catholicism, Protestantism, Oriental Orthodoxy or Eastern Orthodoxy.{{Sfn | Klaassen | 1973}}<ref>{{citation | url = http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf | title= The Anabaptists: Neither Catholic nor Protestant | first = William | last = McGrath | location = Hartville, OH | publisher = The Fellowship Messenger | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227060547/http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf | archive-date=December 27, 2016 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{citation | chapter-url = http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/15.html | title = Renaissance and Reformation | chapter = The Radicals of the Reformation | first = William | last = Gilbert | date = 1998 | location = Lawrence, KS | publisher = University of Kansas}}</ref><ref group="lower-alpha">According to the [[Martyrs Mirror]], the Anabaptist movement has existed since the times of the apostles. It is not Protestant, according to this vital publication.</ref> Anabaptist beliefs were codified in the Schleitheim Confession in 1527, which best represents the beliefs of the various denominations of Anabaptism (inclusive of Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites, Bruderhof, Schwarzenau Brethren, River Brethren and Apostolic Christians).<ref name="Bruening2017" /><ref name="Hershberger2001" />

As a whole, Anabaptists emphasize an adherence to the beliefs of [[early Christianity]] and are thus distinguished by their keeping of practices that often include the observance of [[Maundy (foot washing)|feetwashing]], the [[Kiss of peace|holy kiss]], and [[Eucharist|communion]] (with these three ordinances being practiced collectively in the [[Agape feast|lovefeast]] in the Schwarzenau Brethren and River Brethren traditions), [[Head covering for Christian women|Christian headcovering]], [[nonconformity to the world]], [[nonresistance]], forgiveness, and sharing possessions, which in certain communities (as with the Bruderhof) takes on the form of [[communal living]].<ref name="RedekopBeitzel2019" /><ref name="Almila2017">{{cite book |last1=Almila |first1=Anna-Mari |last2=Almila |first2=David |title=The Routledge International Handbook to Veils and Veiling |date=2017 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-317-04114-6 |page=296 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Kraybill2010" /><ref name="Hostetler1993" />