The Anabaptist Reformation Movement
By Jake Kohl
The Anabaptist is
considered a radical reformation movement that began in the early 1500’s by
notably Conrad Grebel. Known for their rejection of infant baptism and their
horrific persecution; they are also known for the seven articles of the
Schleitheim Confession in 1527. The Anabaptist movement flourished throughout
the world in which they were later established and known today as the Mennonite
church.
Conrad Grebel, born in Zurich in 1498, known
as the starter of the Anabaptist movement, has an extensive educational
background which includes education at a Latin School called Carolina from his
eighth to sixteenth year.[1]
From 1514-1515, Grebel attended the University of Basel and then from 1515-18,
went to the University of Vienna, and then finally from 1518-20, the University
of Paris.[2] Grebel
initially was a follower of Zwingli, a major reformer of the protestant
reformation, and who shared many theological issues on a humanistic point of
view. Grebel later broke from Zwingli’s influence as a mentor in 1523 because
of his unwillingness to accept Zwingli’s inclusive view of the church.[3] Grebel
wanted to abolish infant baptism and usher in what he called, “believer’s
baptism” and “establish a voluntary and disciplined Christian community
conforming to his idea of New Testament Christianity.”[4] These radical notions along with others caused
one of the greatest uprisings within the church in history. In the summer of
1526, Grebel died from the plague, but not before founding his Biblicist
Church.[5]
Zwingli
a major reformer of the protestant reformation was born on January 01, 1484 in
Toggenburg, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.[6] At
22 years old, Zwingli was ordained a priest within the Catholic Church after
being educated in both Vienna and Basel. Twelve years after his ordination in
1518, Zwingli began preaching ideas in Zürich that aligned with the reformists.[7] Zwingli
influenced many reformers including Conrad Grebel. Zwingli had differing views
on several theological points and eventually became critical of Grebel which
caused separation between the two and eventually led to greater conflict.
Zwingli later lost his life on October 11, 1531, “while serving as a Chaplin to
Zurich troops engaged in warfare with other Swiss cantons.”[8]
The main
theological points that are unique to the Anabaptists were spelled out in the Confession of Schleitheim in 1527. This
confession was the “first known confession of the Anabaptists and was drawn up
at a conference at Schaffhausen, Switzerland”[9]
“under duress by Michael Sattler, who was put to death… only three months after
penning the document.”[10]
The first and foremost theological point was baptism. Anabaptist believe that
baptism “should only be administered to those who have repented and emended
their lives, and who believe in Christ.”[11]
Furthermore, according to Gonzalez, “infant baptism is the worst of all the
“abominations of the Pope.”[12]
During the 16th century, baptism was generally performed as an
infant through the Catholic Church, in which the Anabaptists believe, was not a
valid form of baptism. Anabaptists didn’t believe that one should be
re-baptized, but that infant baptism didn’t count because real baptism only
takes place after one makes a public
confession of faith.[13]
Because of their radical view, they were eventually condemned to death, often
by way of drowning.
A second
theological point was that of Holy Communion. Communion was “done in
remembrance of the broken body and the shed blood of Christ – was not to be
offered to those who were not baptized – as adults – for in communion all true
believers are made into one bread.”[14]
Other notable theological points are the “sixth and seventh principles of the
Confession of Schleitheim which rejects the use of “the sword” – meaning all
forms or war or violence – as well as giving of oaths, and spells out that this
means that true believers must not participate in any activity connected with
either the sword or oaths – meaning war, civil service, oaths to rulers or
magistrates, and so on.”[15]
The Anabaptists
were viewed almost as a civil-social disturbance from both the Catholics and
Protestants alike. . Some of the major events that took place were first, the
rise of Anabaptism. Conrad Grebel and those that centered on his teachings held
to the basic belief that “… congregations be empowered to choose and dismiss
their pastors and that clerical tithes be wrested from the control of
monasteries and cathedral chapters and put back into the power of the donors…”[16]
Anabaptists were in conflict with the ecclesiastical and the civil authority
which clashed with the church in Zurich. They believed that Zwingli “led them
on and then abandoned them.”[17]
The growth of the Anabaptists began to cause
concerns with both Catholics and Protestants, which caused Grebel and his
followers to face “fines and imprisonment for disrupting the religious unity of
Zurich under Zwingli.”[18]
Persecution ensued for the Anabaptists as they grew in number and spread
throughout the regions. The Anabaptist were referred to as radicals and
preached end time prophecy. They began to adopt extreme beliefs that the end
was near and pushed the seven articles of Schleitheim, which intensified their
persecution.
Within the
context of the Schleitheim’s seven articles, Anabaptists were to be separated
from the world in all manners according to article 4 and other writings by the
Sattler.[19]
This was seen as an act of heresy and of sedition and shortly after the meeting
of the Anabaptists which determined the Schleitheim Confession, Sattler “… and
his wife were arrested and taken to Rottenburg where he was burnt at the stake
and his wife drowned.”[20]
Persecution grew
more and more and according to Gonzales, “the martyrs were many – probably more
than those who died during the three centuries of persecution preceding
Constantine.”[21]
Death was seen as a fulfillment, an act of obedience and as death followed the
Anabaptist movement- the movement grew more and more. After the first
generation of the Anabaptist movement; they became more zealous and radical and
decided that a sort of revolution was needed and that taking up arms, despite
the article of confession, was necessary to battle the foes of darkness.[22]
The Anabaptist
became more hostile and revolted against the Church. The Anabaptist was in the
midst of a revolution which would ultimately end where they were scattered
throughout the world, including North America – where they were offered
religious tolerance.[23]
The fall of Munster was the end to the revolution where the Anabaptist tried
abandoning their pacifist ways. It wasn’t until later that a Catholic priest
named Menno Simons was “led to reconsider infant baptism by witnessing the
martyrdom of an Anabaptist in 1531”[24]
and converted to the Anabaptist movement in 1536 - which “his followers came to
be called Mennonites.”[25]
Even then, they still suffered persecution despite their name. “By the
twentieth-century, Mennonites were the main branch of the old Anabaptist
movement…, and persecution was something of the past. The Mennonites had gained
an honored place in society through their social service.”[26]
In summary, after
the Catholic Churches methods of hierarchy was questioned, many reformers with
extensive education and pacifist views started branching off causing dismay
throughout the church. Conrad Grebel had differing beliefs and views on baptism
and other church doctrine and sided with other reformers such as Zwingli. After
Grebel thought that Zwingli abandoned his original stance, he then started the
Anabaptist movement which resulted in severe persecution from both Catholic and
Protestants. This caused civil unrest throughout the nations and resulted in an
uprising which eventually fell. After Menno Simons, a Catholic Priest witnessed
the persecution of an Anabaptist reformer; he then reconsidered his views on
infant baptism. He later converted to Anabaptism, in which others called him
and those who followed him Mennonites – after his name. Persecution still
followed and scattered the reformers throughout the world including North
America where they were offered religious tolerance. Over time, the Mennonites
gained a prestigious place within society because of their social service.
Persecution became something of the past and today they still thrive with the
same pacifist views.
Bibliography
Forell, G. W. "Grebel,
Conrad." New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale,
2003. 426. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Sept. 2013.
http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3407704798&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The
Reformation to the Present Day. 2. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers,
2010. Print.
Noll, M.A., "Evangelical dictionary of theology." Ulrich
Zwingli., Edited by Walter A. Elwell,
Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Publishing Group, 2011. Print
Redekop,
Benjamin W., Calvin Wall Redekop, and Places Center for American. 2001. Power,
Authority, and the Anabaptist Tradition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2001. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost
(accessed September 5, 2013).
'Sattler, Michael (c.1490–1527)' 1998, in The Longman
Companion to the European Reformation 1500-1618, Pearson Education, London,
United Kingdom, viewed 5 September
2013 from http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/pearsoner/sattler_michael_c_1490_1527/0
"Schleitheim
Confession." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 04 Sep. 2013.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1582085/Schleitheim-Confession>.
Singer, C.G., "Evangelical dictionary of
theology." Confessions of Faith., Edited by Walter A. Elwell, Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Publishing Group,
2011. Print
Wenger, J.C.. "Evangelical dictionary of
theology." Conrad Grebel., Edited by Walter A. Elwell, Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Publishing Group,
2011. Print
'Zwingli, Huldrych'
2012, in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago,
USA, viewed 4 September 2013 from http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/ebconcise/zwingli_huldrych/0
[1] Wenger,
J.C.. "Evangelical dictionary of theology." Conrad Grebel.,p
525
[2]
ibid
[3] Grebel, Conrad. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. p426. Word Count: 228
[4]
ibid
[5]
ibid
[6] 'Zwingli,
Huldrych' 2012, in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica,
Chicago, USA
[7]
ibid
[8] Noll,
M.A., "Evangelical dictionary of theology." Ulrich Zwingli., p
1312
[9] "Schleitheim
Confession." Encyclopedia Britannica.
[11] Gonzalez,
Justo L. The Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day.
P 70
[12]
ibid
[13]
Ibid, p 69
[14]
Gonzalez, p 70
[15]
Ibid, p 71
[16] Redekop, Benjamin W., Calvin
Wall Redekop, and Places Center for American. 2001., p 52
[17]
Ibid, p 54
[18] Wenger,
J.C. p 525
[19] Redekop, Benjamin W., Calvin
Wall, p 56
[20] Sattler,
Michael (c.1490–1527), 1998
[21]
Gonzalez, p 71
[22]
Ibid, p 73
[23]
Ibid, p 75
[24]
Ibid, p 74
[25]
ibid
[26]
Ibid p 76
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