Introduction to Mennonite Doctrine & Practice

[Bootstrap]

A good intro to conservative Mennonite teachings. Published by Rod & Staff in 2004. I recommend it.

Are there any conservative Mennonites who believe that this is a good general introduction to conservative Mennonite teachings? Which conservative Mennonites would recommend it for that, and why?

I have been hearing people recommend other alternatives. In general, I'm not sure that Internet forums and books are the best way to learn about conservative Mennonites. Or rather, I think the best way to use an Internet forum to learn about conservative Mennonites is to ask them to share.

[Hats Off]

I would expect it to be too fundamentalist for my taste. For that reason, I do not often read books by Rod and Staff. I have avoided my cousin's earlier books because of the Rod and Staff indoctrination or formula.

To really learn about conservative Anabaptists is difficult from books or this forum. Sometimes I will express my own opinion and sometimes I will give our church's position. Sometimes I am more conservative than many in our church and other times I am more liberal. I guess statistically that should make me about average. But you really have no way of knowing when I am expressing my liberal or my conservative side unless you are already well acquainted with our church.

[Bootstrap]

To really learn about conservative Anabaptists is difficult from books or this forum. Sometimes I will express my own opinion and sometimes I will give our church's position. Sometimes I am more conservative than many in our church and other times I am more liberal. I guess statistically that should make me about average. But you really have no way of knowing when I am expressing my liberal or my conservative side unless you are already well acquainted with our church.

For me, it's easy to relate to plain Mennonites as Christians, but a whole lot harder to get an overview of the differences among you, some of the doctrinal distinctives, and the historical background behind them. For instance, it seems like some of the distinctives go back to Kauffman or to 20th century influences, others go back much further, the difference between Swiss Brethren and Dutch is really important ... and even then, there are a lot of differences I have difficulty keeping track of.

[Soloist]

Sometimes I am more conservative than many in our church and other times I am more liberal. I guess statistically that should make me about average.

I can identify with that, my opinion on the Scripture tends to make me more conservative in some ways, but less in others. I don't like the term fundamentalist, but if that means taking the Scripture at face value, I am one. I do tend to identify more with conservative Mennonites but some with Amish... it depends on the Scriptural passage and what is read into it.

The real question in my mind is what are we conserving?

[MaxPC]

Unless the book would be written by someone like Donald Kraybill or Steve Nolt, I would expect to find considerable bias. We often assume that other conservative or plain Anabaptist practices and beliefs would be very similar or that ours are quite normative. Kraybill and Nolt among a few others, have done enough research to understand some of the more subtle differences between groups.

I've enjoyed both Kraybill's and Nolt's books. As you mentioned in another post, individual members may vary in their personal practices; I suppose just as individuals would find in most denominations. I think that individuality may reflect a personal walk with Christ that addresses the needs of the individual.

The section on Marriage has the following subtitles:
Marriage is to be between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:5)

A Christian is to marry only a Christian. (1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

Marriage is for life. (Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:39, Romans 7:2,3)

Marriage is not for everyone. (1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks of those "which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake." and finally Revelation 19:7-9)

Thoughts?

[Bootstrap]

The section on Marriage has the following subtitles:
!!! SNIP !!!
Thoughts?

I suspect we need more than the subtitles to get anywhere near the differences even among conservative Mennonites on this topic.

Here's my first thought: How is a Catholic going to lead a discussion on conservative Mennonite Doctrine and Practice on a board where we have plenty of conservative Mennonites? The Catholic church has lots of people who are considered married in the Catholic church but would be held to be living in adultery by most conservative Mennonites. The whole concept of annulment is foreign to Mennonites of all stripes.

So how do you, as a Catholic, identify with both traditions at the same time? Are they married or not, and on whose authority? Since you say you accept the authority of the Magisterium, that means you must disagree with the teaching of this chapter. To me, that makes it a little odd to have you lead this conversation for conservative Mennonites as though it matched your own beliefs.

It's not much different than me leading conservative Mennonites through a chapter on conservative Mennonite beliefs on the same topic, something that I would not do because I do not understand the Bible the same way. Let conservative Mennonites teach us what they believe, we have plenty of them here.

If you want, teach us exactly what Plain Catholics believe, where we can find them, and how they deal with the discrepancy between Catholic teachings and Mennonite teachings, that's what you are the expert on. We have nobody at all on the forum to answer questions about Plain Catholics.

[Bootstrap]

So ... we have a Catholic to teach the Mennonites here about Mennonite Doctrine & Practice, but nobody to answer the questions that three or four of us have asked Max along the way.

Who wants to answer from the Plain Catholic perspective? Josh, do you want to play that role? Or should I? Any volunteers to speak for Max, since he is speaking for the Mennonites?

[MaxPC]

Unless the book would be written by someone like Donald Kraybill or Steve Nolt, I would expect to find considerable bias. We often assume that other conservative or plain Anabaptist practices and beliefs would be very similar or that ours are quite normative. Kraybill and Nolt among a few others, have done enough research to understand some of the more subtle differences between groups.

I've enjoyed both Kraybill's and Nolt's books. As you mentioned in another post, individual members may vary in their personal practices; I suppose just as individuals we might find in most denominations. I think that individuality may reflect a personal walk with Christ that addresses the needs of the individual.

The section on Marriage has the following subtitles:
Marriage is to be between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:5)

A Christian is to marry only a Christian. (1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

Marriage is for life. (Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:39, Romans 7:2,3)

Marriage is not for everyone. (1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks of those "which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake." and finally Revelation 19:7-9)

Thoughts?
Does this sync with your own understanding?

[Bootstrap]

Any guesses how often Max is going to cut and paste that without answering any of the questions people have asked him in this thread? Makes it a rather odd conversation ...

In this and many other threads, he seems to be quoting from books and Internet resources to give the impression that he believes the same things as conservative Mennonites. But he doesn't seem to have a good grasp on what they believe, and he refuses to answer questions about the obvious - and significant - discrepancies between conservative Mennonite teaching and Catholic Canon Law, which he also says he believes. And he refuses to explain to us what it would mean for a Catholic who follows official Catholic doctrine to identify with conservative Mennonite teaching.

Weird.

[MaxPC]

Unless the book would be written by someone like Donald Kraybill or Steve Nolt, I would expect to find considerable bias. We often assume that other conservative or plain Anabaptist practices and beliefs would be very similar or that ours are quite normative. Kraybill and Nolt among a few others, have done enough research to understand some of the more subtle differences between groups.

I've enjoyed both Kraybill's and Nolt's books. As you mentioned in another post, individual members may vary in their personal practices; I suppose just as individuals we might find in most denominations. I think that individuality may reflect a personal walk with Christ that addresses the needs of the individual.

The section on Marriage has the following subtitles:
Marriage is to be between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:5)

A Christian is to marry only a Christian. (1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Peter 3:1-2)

Marriage is for life. (Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:39, Romans 7:2,3)

Marriage is not for everyone. (1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks of those "which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake." and finally Revelation 19:7-9)

Thoughts?
Does this sync with your own understanding?