1st February, 2005

The city of Zurich, in Switzerland, was one of the first sites where the discontent of those who would become known as the founders of the Anabaptists was first heard. PICTURE: Akos Rappay (stock.xchng). Index page image: Pier Brasiu (stock.xchng)

TONY TOWNSEND

Emerging from Europe’s Reformation of the early sixteenth century, the Anabaptists brought a new vigour to the transformation and change already taking place within the established church.

While they supported the reforms of people like Luther and Zwingli - key players in the reformation that sought to change certain teachings and practices within the Roman Catholic Church, they felt they hadn’t gone far enough, becoming what church historian Bruce Shelley described as “a voice calling moderate reformers to strike even more deeply at the foundations of the old order” - a characterisation which ultimately led them to face severe persecution from some within the established church.

Origins
The city of Zurich, in Switzerland, was one of the first sites where the discontent of those who would become known as the founders of the Anabaptists was first heard.

Conrad Grebal, a former humanist who was converted through Zwingli’s teachings and a prominent member of the Zurich church, and Felix Manz, another member of a prominent Zurich family, were supporters of prominent Swiss Reformer Zwingli but believed his reforms were insufficient. Sharp division arose over the issue of infant baptism in particular - Grebal and Manz did not believe infant baptism was Biblically-based - and in 1524, Grebal refused to baptize his newborn baby. Others soon followed suit. In January 1525, the City Council of Zurich decided to address the growing tensions over the issue and organized an open debate. Their subsequent ruling came down in support of infant baptism was that all parents must have their infants baptized within a week or face eviction from the city.

A few days later, in defiance of the ruling, a number of adults, all of whom had been baptized as infants, were baptised again in the home of Manz. With the threat of eviction or worse hanging over their heads, the group moved to the nearby village of Zollikon late in January 1525. It was here, according to Shelley that, “…the first free church (free of state ties) in modern times, was born”.

The dispute over infant baptism soon gave rise to an even more pressing question - that of the relationship between church and state. Most citizens felt that being part of the state automatically gave you membership in the church. Grebel believed that secular governments should have no say in matters relating to the church; that church and state should be completely separate.

For the early Anabaptists, the idea that citizens were automatically part of the church was seen as having allowed secularism to creep in and didn’t bring about any change in people’s lives on a spiritual level.

Christian historian B.K. Kuiper states that these early Anabaptists “insisted that membership in the church be limited to those who consciously committed themselves to Christ. They objected to easy membership by way of the State”.

Characteristics
The influence of the Anabaptist Movement was swift, impacting the German speaking areas of Switzerland, Austria, Southern Germany and into the Netherlands.

Historians John Yoder and Alan Krieder state that they early Anabaptists were characterised by the “considerable opinion among them.”

“Their rapid growth, the diverse backgrounds of their able leaders, and the absence of any ecclesiastical authority to control them were enough to ensure that,” they wrote.

An attempt to bring together those followers of the new movement was made in 1527 at Schleitheim on the Swiss/German border, when the first synod of the movement was held and a document stating their beliefs - called “The Brotherly Union” - was drawn up. It become the foundation document for the majority of believers throughout the next decade.

Historian Bruce Shelley says most of the Anabaptists shared four convictions: discipleship - which meant a Christian must have a daily walk with God in which Christ’s teaching and example shape a transformed style of life; the principle of love - Anabaptist communities were pacifist and characterized by mutual aid and redistribution of wealth; a congregational view of church authority in which matters pertaining to doctrine and church discipline were agreed on the consensus of the corporate gathering; and, an insistence upon the separation between church and state (a point which is evidenced in their insistence that Christians now swear oaths or serve as judges).

Persecution
Because of the stand they took on certain issues - in particular that of separation between church and state, the Anabaptists were severely persecuted. Many Catholics and even protestants viewed them as untrustworthy, revolutionary and a threat to society.

As a result thousands of Anabaptists were arrested and imprisoned, tortured and even executed over a 25 year period from 1527 onwards.

In fact the very name Anabaptist - which means “rebaptiser” - was actually coined by their enemies. Historian Shelley writes that it was meant to “associate the radicals with heretics in the early church and subject them to severe persecution”.

The term was obviously offensive to the Anabaptists who never considered infant baptism as truly Biblical.

One famous clash between Catholics, Protestants and the Anabaptists took place in Munster, a city in what is modern Germany, in the mid 1530’s. A group of Anabaptists rose to power in the city and for a year the city was besieged by an army led by the local bishop before they were eventually defeated.

Now
By the mid-16th century there were three mains groups of Anabaptists: the Swiss Brethren in Zurich, the Hutterite Brethren in Moravia and the Mennonites in the Netherlands.

Today, the church’s philosophies are largely reflected in groups like the Amish, Mennonites and the Brethren.

Sources

Latourette, K.S. A History of Christianity. Vol. 2 (San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1975)

Shelley, Bruce. L. Church History in Plain Language (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1982)

The History of Christianity, A Lion Handbook. Organising Editor, Dr. Tim Dowley. (Oxford: Lion Publishing, Revised Edition 1990)

Kuiper, B.K. The Church in History (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Reprinted 2002.)

Roth, J.R. “Be Not Conformed”, www.christianitytoday.com