Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy Part 18 of ??
Anabaptist
Note: Although some North American Baptists like to trace their movement back to the Anabaptists, it is far more historically valid to suggest that virtually all North America Baptists are part of the movement started by ex-Congregationalist English preachers, with no direct institutional descendancy (and little influence of any kind) from Anabaptist groups. The current institutional descendents of Anabaptists in North America are the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites.
McLaren gives an overview on how various Christian groups view baptism. He focuses on infant vs. believer baptism and if baptism is a saving or symbolic act. This creates four quadrants: adult/saving, infant/saving, adult/symbolic, infant/symbolic. This is important because the Roman Catholic Church taught the infant/saving type of baptism (the German and Swiss reformers also taught infant baptism I believe). The Anabaptists rejected the idea that infant baptism was valid, and baptized only adults - even if they had been baptized before as infants in an institutional church.
Thus, the group's adversaries termed them Anabaptist, which means re-baptizer. This view on baptism, along with their pacifist tendencies and non-cooperation with state churches (and confusion over whether or nor Anabaptist leaders were involved in peasant revolts), lead to the periodic persecutions of Anabaptists by both Roman Catholic and Protestant groups.
McLaren then writes about some things he likes about the Anabaptists.
1) "Anabaptists emphasize personal commitment." They recognize that just because a person is born into a Christian family and/or culture, it does not make him or her a Christian.
2) "Anabaptists see the Christian faith primarily as a way of life." They emphasize living a fruitful life, rather than having a perfect systemized theology.
3) "Anabaptists have taken a radical posture in relation to modernity." That is they have not bought into commercialism, etc. Amish communities perhaps best demonstrate this.
4) "Anabaptists have lived in and worked in the margins." Anabaptists were shunned in both the medieval and modern ages because their distrust of the state/church alliance (even in the U.S. in modern times churches enjoyed a privileged position). As the modern period gives way to the post-modern, and "Christendom" fades, groups who were marginalized in the past may provide key insights on how to move forward.
5) "Anabaptists have made Jesus Christ central." For Anabaptists, the teachings of Jesus are the central part of scripture. Other groups may have focused on Paul's writings so much that the emphases of Jesus are overlooked.
6) "Anabaptists seek to practice peace." They believe that peace is the best way to expand God's kingdom, and as McLaren writes, they have "consistently refused to kill their enemies." In a footnote, McLaren asks an interesting question, "Has any war yet been cancelled because of 'just war' theory?"
7) "Anabaptists have practiced 'community in creation.'" This community cannot be something added to a weekly routine, but must be a founding principal of a group.
McLaren also mentions a weakness in Anabaptism; that they have tended to isolate themselves from, rather than penetrate, culture.
Note: Although some North American Baptists like to trace their movement back to the Anabaptists, it is far more historically valid to suggest that virtually all North America Baptists are part of the movement started by ex-Congregationalist English preachers, with no direct institutional descendancy (and little influence of any kind) from Anabaptist groups. The current institutional descendents of Anabaptists in North America are the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites.
McLaren gives an overview on how various Christian groups view baptism. He focuses on infant vs. believer baptism and if baptism is a saving or symbolic act. This creates four quadrants: adult/saving, infant/saving, adult/symbolic, infant/symbolic. This is important because the Roman Catholic Church taught the infant/saving type of baptism (the German and Swiss reformers also taught infant baptism I believe). The Anabaptists rejected the idea that infant baptism was valid, and baptized only adults - even if they had been baptized before as infants in an institutional church.
Thus, the group's adversaries termed them Anabaptist, which means re-baptizer. This view on baptism, along with their pacifist tendencies and non-cooperation with state churches (and confusion over whether or nor Anabaptist leaders were involved in peasant revolts), lead to the periodic persecutions of Anabaptists by both Roman Catholic and Protestant groups.
McLaren then writes about some things he likes about the Anabaptists.
1) "Anabaptists emphasize personal commitment." They recognize that just because a person is born into a Christian family and/or culture, it does not make him or her a Christian.
2) "Anabaptists see the Christian faith primarily as a way of life." They emphasize living a fruitful life, rather than having a perfect systemized theology.
3) "Anabaptists have taken a radical posture in relation to modernity." That is they have not bought into commercialism, etc. Amish communities perhaps best demonstrate this.
4) "Anabaptists have lived in and worked in the margins." Anabaptists were shunned in both the medieval and modern ages because their distrust of the state/church alliance (even in the U.S. in modern times churches enjoyed a privileged position). As the modern period gives way to the post-modern, and "Christendom" fades, groups who were marginalized in the past may provide key insights on how to move forward.
5) "Anabaptists have made Jesus Christ central." For Anabaptists, the teachings of Jesus are the central part of scripture. Other groups may have focused on Paul's writings so much that the emphases of Jesus are overlooked.
6) "Anabaptists seek to practice peace." They believe that peace is the best way to expand God's kingdom, and as McLaren writes, they have "consistently refused to kill their enemies." In a footnote, McLaren asks an interesting question, "Has any war yet been cancelled because of 'just war' theory?"
7) "Anabaptists have practiced 'community in creation.'" This community cannot be something added to a weekly routine, but must be a founding principal of a group.
McLaren also mentions a weakness in Anabaptism; that they have tended to isolate themselves from, rather than penetrate, culture.
posted by Freethinker at 5:50:00 PM
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