Christian Denominations: Protestantism--Anabaptists


Figure 1.--The only Anabaptists to survive the Reformation (16th century) and religious wars (17th century) were the communal groups like the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites. These children are from a Hutterite community in Canada. The boy's cap looks rather like an Austrian military cap.

Anabaptists are named from the Greek ανα, neaning again or twice. It means bring baptized again or twice--essentially revaptized. Anabaptists are one of the many radical Protestant sects that developed during the Reformation (16th century). The Anabaptists rejected many conventional Christian practices besides baptism, including the wearing of vwedding bands, taking oaths, and many aspects of participating in civil society. The sacraments were at the heart of the Reformation and the division between Catholics and Protestants. Baptism was, however, a sacrament accepted by both mainstream Catholics and Protestants. Many saw questioning the baptism of infants as heresy. Anabaptists saw baptism as something which should take place when the individual was an adult and able to understand the commitment being made. Thus the Anabaptists were arguably the most persecuted group in Europe. During the Reformation and religious wars (16th-17th century), the Anabaptists suffered terrible persecution from both Catholics and Protestants. And because they questioned many aspects of civil authority, non-relogious based supresion by Govermental authorities also occurred. The Anabaptists which survived into the modern age were primarily the communal groups: Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites.

Theology

Anabaptists are name from the Greek ανα, neaning again or twice. It means bring baptized again or twice--essentially revaptized. Anabaptists are one of the many radical Protestant sects that developed during the Reformation (16th century). The Anabaptists rejected many conventional Christian practices besides baptism, including the wearing of vwedding bands, taking oaths, and many aspects of participating in civil society. The sacraments were at the heart of the Reformation and the division between Catholics and Protestants. Baptism was, however, a sacrament accepted by both mainstream Catholics and Protestants. Many saw questioning the baptism of infants as heresy. Anabaptists saw baptism as something which should take place when the individual was an adult and able to understand the commitment being made. Thus the Anabaptists were arguably the most persecuted group in Europe.

Economics and Property

The Anabaptist communities not only have theological differences, but also lifestyle differences, especially different view toward property. The Amish are a micro-society that is based on private property and family farms. The goal is, however, not profit, but the eternal life. The Amish do not object to the accumulation of goods, but the flaunting of wealth is definitely discouraged. [Légeret] The Amish live in family farms, often three or four generations together. Each family owns its assets. There are families more or less wealthy and also poor families, that the other families of the congregation try to help. That is due to several factors: how many fields the family owns, how many children they have (sometimes about 10), if there are sick persons. The Amish don't accept state assistance, not even for school. And they don't hold insurance. The Hutterites communitie in contrast are a community of goods. They live in colonies and the goods and property belong to the colony and not the individual. They have also collective dining rooms (for men, women and children) and everyday common prayer.

Repression

During the Reformation and religious wars (16th-17th century), the Anabaptists suffered terrible persecution from both Catholics and other Protestants. And because they questioned many aspects of civil authority, non-relogious based supresion by Govermental authorities also occurred.

Communal Groups

The Anabaptists which survived into the modern age were primarily the communal groups: Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites. It was the strength of their communities that allowed them to survive. While all three have Anabaptist roots and as a result many similarities, there are also substantial differences among the three as well as within each. Often brutal repression during the Reformation (16th century) and Religious Wars (17th century) resulted in an odessy that drove them east to Russia and west to North America. Today they are mostly found in North America with a few small communities in Central America and South America. The Amish are the best known in America. They began arriving in the colonial period. The other two groups have arrived more recently.

Sources

Légeret, Jacques. L'énigme amish. Vivre au XXI siècle comme au XVII (Geneva 2000).







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Created: 11:25 AM 3/14/2010
Last updated: 4:49 AM 2/22/2012