500 years of Anabaptism

Congratulations on the “500 Years of Anabaptism” issue (January). I suggest, however, that we dispense with the notion that Anabaptists apply a literal interpretation of scripture. The fact that Anabaptists retain both eyes and hands (Matthew 5:29-30) makes it clear they do not always understand scripture literally. Even if by literal we mean simply the “plain sense” of the text, it would be difficult to justify first-day rather than seventh-day Sabbath practices. There were first-generation Anabaptists who argued for and practiced seventh-day Sabbath. Their concerns were widely dismissed among all but a few of their Anabaptist contemporaries.

Daniel Liechty, Normal, Ill.

 

In “Suffering Church,” John Longhurst says that Mennonites historically have written “statements that emphasize how one should serve God and follow Jesus rather than creeds that state what one should believe.” I beg to differ. Since the mid-16th century, Mennonite communities have written confessional documents that are as much concerned with what we believe as with how we live. This is especially evident in the attention they give to understanding God as Trinity. The gift Mennonites have contributed to the larger body of Christ is that belief and action are inseparable.

John D. Rempel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

 

It is unfortunate that the Bruderhof communities were not included in the “Family Tree of Anabaptists in the U.S. and Canada.” Looking at the list of contributing congregations to the Anabaptist Community Bible, I found the presence of many, if not all, of the Bruderhof communities in the Hudson Valley area where I live. The Bruderhof are an important communitarian presence in the Anabaptist story. The membership in 2024 is listed as 3,000 worldwide, and there are nine listed communities in New York alone. Others are present around the United States and all over the world: England, Germany, Austria, Australia, South Korea, Paraguay. I encourage you to edit the Bruderhof into the family tree. 

Rebecca Stoltzfus, Saugerties, N.Y.

Anabaptist World

Anabaptist World Inc. (AW) is an independent journalistic ministry serving the global Anabaptist movement. We seek to inform, inspire and Read More

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