Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
What are your favorites?
Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
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Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
I absolutely love the Hutterite chronicles, I’ve only read vol 1… I’m not sure if vol 2 was translated or not and I don’t know how to get it.
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
I have some of Lester Bauman's books. They are quite thought provoking:
My Brother's Keeper: Congregational Brotherhood Relationships
The True Christian
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Max (Plain Catholic)
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Mt 24:35
Proverbs 18:2 A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind.
1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God
Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
Robert Friedmann's The Theology of Anabaptism
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"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous."
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
My current favorite is the one I am presently reading, by Marcus Yoder.
"Cathedrals, Castles, & Caves: The Origins of the Anabaptist Faith"
https://www.masthof.com/products/cathed ... 6151833643
I'm especially enjoying the book because I had opportunity to hear Marcus speak 2 weeks ago, at the Rosedale Network Of Churches Pastors Conference 2024 in Dayton Virginia.
His presentations were recorded:
"Cathedrals, Castles, & Caves: The Origins of the Anabaptist Faith"
https://www.masthof.com/products/cathed ... 6151833643
I'm especially enjoying the book because I had opportunity to hear Marcus speak 2 weeks ago, at the Rosedale Network Of Churches Pastors Conference 2024 in Dayton Virginia.
His presentations were recorded:
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My spiritual perspectives are Jesus-centered, evangelical anabaptist, New Testament Bible based...
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
There is a whole series of downloadable articles or books on the Kleine Gemeinde. (Not that I think anyone here is necessarily interested....)
The book The Mennonite Brotherhood in Russia (1709 - 1910) by P. M. Friesen is also available, in both the original German, and also in the much later translated English version. (I don't have the links handy, but can eventually find them again, if someone is interested.) This one is primarily a history of the first 50 years of the Mennonite Brethren church in "New Russia". (It can be tedious to read, with lots of names of both people and locations, running over 1000 pages if including the footnotes, some of which are extensive as well.)
There are other much shorter books that cover the MB history, some of which cover basic doctrine. For a more complete coverage of Scripture topics, I would suggest The Complete Writings of Menno Simons. I do not personally care for the Funk version, but it is now in public domain, so available on-line as a scanned PDF version (scanning errors not corrected). Martyr's Mirror is also available as a scanned (uncorrected) PDF version. The latter has received much more attention among the Amish than it has among my own people, although it is primarily composed of Dutch Mennonite history, with a bit of Swiss Brethren history. Of course the first section concerns early NT church history, staring in the Roman period. (I haven't read that section, so I don't know if it covers any OT church history - I just picked up at the "anabaptist" period.)
For a treatment on the State church vs pure church discussion, I suggest the book by Leonard Verduin (also the translator for the Menno Simons book version that is direct from Dutch to English), The Anatomy of a Hybrid. I don't agree with all he wrote there, especially in the first chapters, but it can be very thought provoking reading, and I think it offers some serious implications for Christians involved in secular politics. This book has been discussed here a bit. (I made extensive notes as I read through it, but haven't typed it all up yet.)
The book The Mennonite Brotherhood in Russia (1709 - 1910) by P. M. Friesen is also available, in both the original German, and also in the much later translated English version. (I don't have the links handy, but can eventually find them again, if someone is interested.) This one is primarily a history of the first 50 years of the Mennonite Brethren church in "New Russia". (It can be tedious to read, with lots of names of both people and locations, running over 1000 pages if including the footnotes, some of which are extensive as well.)
There are other much shorter books that cover the MB history, some of which cover basic doctrine. For a more complete coverage of Scripture topics, I would suggest The Complete Writings of Menno Simons. I do not personally care for the Funk version, but it is now in public domain, so available on-line as a scanned PDF version (scanning errors not corrected). Martyr's Mirror is also available as a scanned (uncorrected) PDF version. The latter has received much more attention among the Amish than it has among my own people, although it is primarily composed of Dutch Mennonite history, with a bit of Swiss Brethren history. Of course the first section concerns early NT church history, staring in the Roman period. (I haven't read that section, so I don't know if it covers any OT church history - I just picked up at the "anabaptist" period.)
For a treatment on the State church vs pure church discussion, I suggest the book by Leonard Verduin (also the translator for the Menno Simons book version that is direct from Dutch to English), The Anatomy of a Hybrid. I don't agree with all he wrote there, especially in the first chapters, but it can be very thought provoking reading, and I think it offers some serious implications for Christians involved in secular politics. This book has been discussed here a bit. (I made extensive notes as I read through it, but haven't typed it all up yet.)
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Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
He presented this 'series' at our congregation here in Holmes County some years ago, and I count him as a personal friend. (His father-in-law was one of my closest friends in our earlier years in our congregation.)danfreed wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:42 pm My current favorite is the one I am presently reading, by Marcus Yoder.
"Cathedrals, Castles, & Caves: The Origins of the Anabaptist Faith"
https://www.masthof.com/products/cathed ... 6151833643
I'm especially enjoying the book because I had opportunity to hear Marcus speak 2 weeks ago, at the Rosedale Network Of Churches Pastors Conference 2024 in Dayton Virginia.
His presentations were recorded:
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Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
It has been. Ring up the Hutterite colony in Altona, MN, and ask for their bookstore. They will likely direct you to a colony in Manitoba, which can help you.
That is how I got my copy. Was not cheap, although I forget how much I paid.
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
If anyone is interested in Verduin's work but also wants something more specific to Anabaptist history, his book The Reformers and Their Stepchildren covers a lot of the same ground as Anatomy of a Hybrid but spends the bulk of its text observing the relationship between the magisterial and radical reformers of the 16th century.Neto wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:56 pm For a treatment on the State church vs pure church discussion, I suggest the book by Leonard Verduin (also the translator for the Menno Simons book version that is direct from Dutch to English), The Anatomy of a Hybrid. I don't agree with all he wrote there, especially in the first chapters, but it can be very thought provoking reading, and I think it offers some serious implications for Christians involved in secular politics. This book has been discussed here a bit. (I made extensive notes as I read through it, but haven't typed it all up yet.)
I read stepchildren before hybrid and I was a bit disappointed at the amount of material covered twice across both books. For context, I believe stepchildren is a published collection of what were originally a series of lectures, probably conceived as a practical and specific educational application of his work in hybrid.
What I'm trying to say is, it might be a bit redundant to read both. If you want to read something that covers a bit more of church history, try hybrid. If you want something that zeroes in on the Reformation (and contains a lot more specific stories/examples from sources in the 16th century), read stepchildren.
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Re: Books on Anabaptist History and Theology
Thanks. I hadn't heard of the Stepchildren book.Praxis+Theodicy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2024 10:06 amIf anyone is interested in Verduin's work but also wants something more specific to Anabaptist history, his book The Reformers and Their Stepchildren covers a lot of the same ground as Anatomy of a Hybrid but spends the bulk of its text observing the relationship between the magisterial and radical reformers of the 16th century.Neto wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:56 pm For a treatment on the State church vs pure church discussion, I suggest the book by Leonard Verduin (also the translator for the Menno Simons book version that is direct from Dutch to English), The Anatomy of a Hybrid. I don't agree with all he wrote there, especially in the first chapters, but it can be very thought provoking reading, and I think it offers some serious implications for Christians involved in secular politics. This book has been discussed here a bit. (I made extensive notes as I read through it, but haven't typed it all up yet.)
I read stepchildren before hybrid and I was a bit disappointed at the amount of material covered twice across both books. For context, I believe stepchildren is a published collection of what were originally a series of lectures, probably conceived as a practical and specific educational application of his work in hybrid.
What I'm trying to say is, it might be a bit redundant to read both. If you want to read something that covers a bit more of church history, try hybrid. If you want something that zeroes in on the Reformation (and contains a lot more specific stories/examples from sources in the 16th century), read stepchildren.
Are there certain sections you would suggest for those who have already read Anatomy of a Hybrid? Do the chapter titles give a hint as to which parts are especially pertinent to 'anabaptism'?
EDIT: Thought I might find a review that gives the chapter titles, and found a PDF version!
https://www.standardbearer.org/wp-conte ... ildren.pdf
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Congregation: Gospel Haven Mennonite Fellowship, Benton, Ohio (Holmes Co.) a split from Beachy-Amish Mennonite.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.
Personal heritage & general theological viewpoint: conservative Mennonite Brethren.