Anabaptism as Worldview

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
Mrs.Nisly
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by Mrs.Nisly »

Dan Z wrote:
Josh wrote:I would argue post-modernism evolved from the contradictions intrinsic to naturalism. So the two are closely related, and our mainstream culture today consists of elements of both.
Yes...I think that is what I was saying.

Naturalism and Relativism are definitely related in that one was birthed in reaction to the other. Both are strongly present in the dominant culture - and both are (in different ways) at odds with the Christ-centered worldview that Steven was promoting. As is the Individualism (Humanism may be a better term) that Steven pointed to as the third perspective that is dominant in contemporary culture - which posits that above all else "God wants me to be happy.".

In his first talk, Steven pointed to the "seismic shifts" in societal views like the acceptance of gay marriage (now a majority position - a shift of nearly 30% in 10 years!) as examples of the way the dominant worldview - particularly relativism and individualism in this case - acts as a tsunami in rapidly sweeping people along - including unprepared/ungrounded Christians.
Yes, i think this is a better way to say it. Relativism is related to naturalism rather than a form of it.
James Sire says this:
Remember that for a naturalist the world is merely there. It does not provide humanity with a sense of oughtness, it only is Ethics, however, is about what ought to be, whether it is or not. Where, then, does one go for a basis for morality? Where is the oughtness found?....
Naturalism places us human beings in an ethically relative box. For us to know what values within that box are true values, we need a measure imposed on us from outside the box, we need a moral plumb line by which we can evaluate the conflicting moral values we observe in ourselves and others.
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Mrs.Nisly
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by Mrs.Nisly »

I am going to continue on sharing highlights from my notes and possibly my thoughts and questions related to it.

So Steven brought up the question Why talk about Anabaptism, anyway?

So taking the idea of 1st and 2nd idea pairing, he paired The Gospel with Anabaptisim.
The Gospel is the 1st thing and Anabaptism is the 2nd thing. Just because it is a second thing doesn't mean we disregard it. In fact, he says, the Gospel always produces a way of life, or faith tradition. It is less arrogant to admit that we do align with a particular faith tradition.

Actually people who are unwilling to admit to any alignment actually have an anti historical bias. They are unwilling to do the hardworking of understanding how the historical church developed.

My thoughts: So there goes the presumptive idea that we can just "be Christians" So as odd as a word like Anabaptist, Amish, or Mennonite is, it holds meaning and therefore value.it also makes me realize the very real danger this postmodern trend of co opting language and the meaning of words to pirate ideas. I'm thinking here of the Facebook group Menno Nerds. "We're Anabaptist too!" Is their slogan. Umm, no you're not.

I have someone pretty close to me who dresses like a pretty conservative Mennonite who " doesn't agree with that nonresistance stuff." When asked why she's a Mennonite she said because it's the culture she was raised in.

So there you have it.ideas matter, and defining ideas matters.
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Mrs.Nisly
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by Mrs.Nisly »

Continuing on...

So in the next session, Steven begins to discuss the six distinctive worldview ideas that characterize Anabaptism.
He began with a question and I will put it here before I move on to let you think about it a bit.

Is the church given to aid the individual believer, or is the individual given to the church to mature the body of believers?
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RZehr
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by RZehr »

Mrs.Nisly wrote:Continuing on...

So in the next session, Steven begins to discuss the six distinctive worldview ideas that characterize Anabaptism.
He began with a question and I will put it here before I move on to let you think about it a bit.

Is the church given to aid the individual believer, or is the individual given to the church to mature the body of believers?
I guess of those two options, I think that the church was given to aid the individual believer.
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ohio jones
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by ohio jones »

Mrs.Nisly wrote:Is the church given to aid the individual believer, or is the individual given to the church to mature the body of believers?
The Holy Spirit is given to the church to mature the body of believers (Eph 4). But the New Testament emphasis seems to be primarily on the body, and how individuals fit into it.
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silentreader
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by silentreader »

Mrs.Nisly wrote:Continuing on...

So in the next session, Steven begins to discuss the six distinctive worldview ideas that characterize Anabaptism.
He began with a question and I will put it here before I move on to let you think about it a bit.

Is the church given to aid the individual believer, or is the individual given to the church to mature the body of believers?
Has to be both.
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temporal1
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by temporal1 »

2022:
In context of Ukraine now in crisis:

2017:
Mrs.Nisly wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2017 12:29 pm This past weekend I was privileged to enjoy eight sessions on the topic of Anabaptism as Worldview by Steven Brubaker from Guys Mills, Pa. I believe these were condensed from a class he teaches at Faith Builders with the same title. Steven was a guest speaker at Center Amish Mennonite Church Friday evening, Saturday evening, Sunday Morning, and Sunday Evening.

I also attended a special talk by Steven for the Pilgrim Christian School staff and related parties on Saturday morning. His topic for the school was on the vision of Biblical Integrated Education.

Of course his talks were packed full of ideas that need considerable time to unpack and begs discussion and analysis. I took notes the best I could from his power point presentations. The sessions are available to listen to from the Center AM Church website.http://www.centeramishmennonite.org/

I would like to have this thread to be a place of discussion on the things he shared. I don't know if he is a member of MN or if he would consider weighing in on this discussion if he was.
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temporal1
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Re: Anabaptism as Worldview

Post by temporal1 »

The OP link ^^ has so much content, it’s overwhelming (to me).
Mrs. Nisly’s next post has a link to FAITH BUILDERS, which was frequently mentioned on MD. Maybe because of the lower average age of active MN forum members?

FB = FAITH BUILDERS: :D
Mrs.Nisly wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:46 am So I am familiar with the concept of worldview since I was introduced to it through home school resources and material.
I have and read a few books dealing with the topic that have been helpful and formative to me in developing a big picture understanding of my own worldview and the world view of others.

Some of the resources I have are
Prevailing Worldviews of Western Society since 1500 by Glenn R. Miller,
Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview by Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew,
The Meaning of History by Ronald H. Nash, and the one I am currently reading is
The Universe next Door by James W. Sire.

The closest thing to an Anabaptist worldview that I have read is the essay by Melvin Lehman found on the FB website titled The Kingdom of God.
So I was very interested and excited to hear how Steven Brubaker would frame this idea of an Anabaptist Worldview.

The first session was an introduction to the term "Worldview" and its definition.
Some of the quotes from my notes that he used to define this concept.

"Worldview is that which is good, acceptable, and perfect."
This is found in Romans 11:33-12:2

"My Worldview is the way I make sense of the world...what I think is normal."

"A worldview is:
-the set of head and heart commitments
-what I believe and value
-about the way the world really is, and the way I think it is.
-that which shapes what I do and how I do it."
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Most or all of this drama, humiliation, wasted taxpayer money could be spared -
with even modest attempt at presenting balanced facts from the start.


”We’re all just walking each other home.”
UNKNOWN
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