The Anabaptist View Of The Church

The Anabaptist Vision, given as a presidential address before the American Society of Church History in 1943, has become a classic essay. In it, Harold S. Bender defines the spirit and purposes of the original Anabaptists. Three major points of emphasis are: the transformation of the entire way of life of the individual to the teachings and example of Christ, voluntary church membership based upon conversion and commitment to holy living, and Christian love and nonresistance applied to all human relationships.

Click here to read the introduction to The Naked Anabaptist. In churches and kitchens and neighborhood centers across the world, communities of Jesus-followers are crafting a vision of radical service, simple living, and commitment to peace. Many are finding a home in a Christian tradition almost five centuries old: Anabaptism. Who are the Anabaptists? What do they believe? Where did they come from? What makes them different from other Christians? And can you become an Anabaptist without leaving your own church? Follow Stuart Murray as he peels back the layers to reveal the core convictions of Anabaptist Christianity, a way of following Jesus that challenges, disturbs, and inspires. Glimpse an alternative to nationalistic, materialistic, individualistic Christian faith. If you are seeking a community of authentic discipleship, heartfelt worship, sacrificial service, and radical peacemaking, consider this your invitation. This new edition features: Voices and stories from North America and the global church. Updated and expanded definition and discussion of Christendom. Updated resource section. Free downloadable study guide available here.

Four hundred seventy years ago the Anabaptist movement was launched with the inauguration of believer's baptism and the formation of the first congregation of the Swiss Brethren in Zurich, Switzerland. This standard introduction to the history of Anabaptism by noted church historian William R. Estep offers a vivid chronicle of the rise and spread of teachings and heritage of this important stream in Christianity. This third edition of The Anabaptist Story has been substantially revised and enlarged to take into account the numerous Anabaptist sources that have come to light in the last half-century as well as the significant number of monographs and other scholarly works on Anabaptist themes that have recently appeared. Estep challenges a number of assumptions held by contemporary historians and offers fresh insights into the Anabaptist movement.

Two visions of church have dominated Christianity for centuries. The sacramental view centers on celebration of sacred rites, and the instructional view on proclamation of the Scriptures. A third vision - the church as a committed community of faith - has been preserved among persecuted believers known as Anabaptists and Mennonites. These people choose costly commitment to Christ and his way of suffering love. They follow the path of discipleship in community and open themselves to the counsel of fellow church members. Their highest authority is the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ, whom they serve through obedience to the Scriptures. With a spirituality of nonviolence, compassion, and servanthood, they invite all people to know and follow Christ. Today many see the Christian church as hypocritical and irrelevant. Wealth, mobility, and individualism tempt Mennonites themselves to give up a common life. Yet the vision of church as a true community of faith offers hope for renewal. This book helps to reclaim core themes of a biblical and Mennonite vision of being church together. Here is a challenge for longtime Mennonites and for disciples of all backgrounds.