Historical critique

Thank you for reviewing Troy Osborne’s Radicals and Reformers (October). The author is to be commended for writing an up-to-date global Anabaptist history. There are, however, some changes that I think should be made if it is reprinted.

  • The chapter on Anabaptists in Asia does not cover Vietnam adequately.
  • Though welcoming Black and Hispanic Anabaptist congregations in the U.S. and Canada has been slower than desired, the book does not adequately acknowledge the progress made in the past 50 years.
  • The term “adult baptism” instead of “believers baptism” seems incorrect. Many people come into the church by baptism in their teens, before adulthood. We are a believers church, historically.
  • Why pit Anabaptism against evangel­icalism? My understanding of church history places Anabaptism within the context of evangelical faith. Perhaps a term like “an Anabaptist form of evan­gelicalism” would be more accurate. 

Paul M. Zehr, Lititz, Pa.

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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