What do Anabaptists and Evangelicals share in common?

[Neto]

I would suggest that each of these categories need to be carefully defined, before one can start talking about distinctive characteristics. This is true, I think, of all of these "anabaptist vs others comparisons", but I'm commenting here because my greatest involvement with the other groups mentioned in this string of topics is this group, the "Evangelicals".

Also, is this about these groups in the world-wide sense, or primarily North America? For instance, church members of the major denominations in foreign countries are often much more 'conservative' than their North American counterparts. The missionaries who went out from the sending countries were, by and large, devout members, thus setting the tone in their host cultures (that is, in the churches which resulted from their missionary efforts).

As an example from Brazil vs the States, the Brazilian groups with the most modest dress standards, and the strictest conduct 'rules' are the Pentecostals.

In my own experience with missionary co-workers in Brazil, the fellow missionary who surprised me by expressing a sort of affinity was an Episcopalian. Why? Because both Mennonites and Episcopalians were looked upon with varying degrees of "suspicion" by "the Evangelicals" - possibly even to the extent of doubts regarding the validity of their personal salvation.

In general, I do not know enough about the other Christian groups to be able to say much at all about comparisons to 'anabaptists', an also very fuzzy term. From what little I know from interacting with others in the missionary context, I would say that they are often grossly misrepresented, not only by each other, but also by 'anabaptists'. But even these personal relationships over decades are only a small window into their group identity, and again, it is typically the devout who end up serving in foreign mission efforts, so generalizations based on these shared experiences are probably skewed. (I imagine I personally provided a skewed perception of what a Mennonite is, because I am perhaps an extreme example in terms of traditional vs revisionist 'anabaptist' doctrine and practice.)

[barnhart]

High view of scripture/low(er) view of church tradition
Scepticism/hostility toward hierarchical church authority

The Amish seem to have a high view of Church & hierarchy do they not?

They have traditions but not like a magisterial church like the Orthodox or Catholics. Their traditions are constantly in flux, shifting to meet new challenges. They also are essentially congregational (if congregation can be extended to district level), there is no pope or ruling council to set or police doctrine or policy.

[Ernie]

Evangelicals are not necessarily against drinking or smoking... have you heard of the PCA... Presbyterian Church of America... or as it is also known "Pipes Cigars and Alcohol"...

The PCA baptizes infants. So I do not consider them Evangelical.

[joshuabgood]

Similar service formats.

Are you thinking about conservative Anabaptists, or also Old Orders?

The style of service is definitely different, in that the Catholics and Orthodox have little preaching, and lots of rituals, as compared with OO or Cons. Anabaptists.

OO Anabaptists have lots of preaching and some singing. Conservatives generally include group Bible study as part of their Sunday morning service which would be similar to Evangelicals.

I was thinking similarity to the Evangelical services - not the EO or Catholic. The preaching is similar (same style/influences), the singing is similar (same songs), the Sunday Schools are similar, in some cases the same materials, etc. And I was thinking primarily New Order Mennonites, everything from Eastern to BMA to Lancaster Conference.

[Valerie]

High view of scripture/low(er) view of church tradition
Scepticism/hostility toward hierarchical church authority

The Amish seem to have a high view of Church & hierarchy do they not?

They have traditions but not like a magisterial church like the Orthodox or Catholics. Their traditions are constantly in flux, shifting to meet new challenges. They also are essentially congregational (if congregation can be extended to district level), there is no pope or ruling council to set or police doctrine or policy.

The ones that I know and have left seem to convey how high the Bishops role is- and I remember an Amish lady seeing some similarity with Catholics but I cannot remember how, going back about 17 years.
Maybe I got the wrong impression, but the way their ranks of leadership file into church Sunday morning seemed different than Mennonite churches.

[JohnH]

Evangelicals are not necessarily against drinking or smoking... have you heard of the PCA... Presbyterian Church of America... or as it is also known "Pipes Cigars and Alcohol"...

The PCA baptizes infants. So I do not consider them Evangelical.

The PCA church (and the entire Reformed group of churches) is one of the biggest parts of Evangelicalism. Along with the Baptists, the Pentecostals.

Not baptizing infants means you are Anabaptist. So maybe your question is "What do Anabaptists and Anabaptists share in common?" Jk.

[Ernie]

Evangelicals are not necessarily against drinking or smoking... have you heard of the PCA... Presbyterian Church of America... or as it is also known "Pipes Cigars and Alcohol"...

The PCA baptizes infants. So I do not consider them Evangelical.

The PCA church (and the entire Reformed group of churches) is one of the biggest parts of Evangelicalism. Along with the Baptists, the Pentecostals.
Not baptizing infants means you are Anabaptist. So maybe your question is "What do Anabaptists and Anabaptists share in common?" Jk.

Ok. I thought one of the tenets of Evangelicalism was believer's baptism.

[Ken]

The PCA baptizes infants. So I do not consider them Evangelical.

The PCA church (and the entire Reformed group of churches) is one of the biggest parts of Evangelicalism. Along with the Baptists, the Pentecostals.
Not baptizing infants means you are Anabaptist. So maybe your question is "What do Anabaptists and Anabaptists share in common?" Jk.

Ok. I thought one of the tenets of Evangelicalism was believer's baptism.

I guess the terms are vague. But here in the US we usually categorize Protestant churches into "Mainline" and "Evangelical" and Presbyterians usually fall into the mainline category in contrast to Southern Baptists and Pentecostals.

Broadly speaking every Christian church is at some level "evangelical" including Anabaptists. But I interpreted Ernie to be using the more common classification of evangelical here in the US as distinct from mainline protestant.

The question is, do Presbyterians identify themselves as "evangelicals" in the American context. I sort of doubt it. At least no more so than Mennonites do.

[joshuabgood]

Evangelical is a tricky term. A few years back Evangelical meant "wishy washy" Christians like Billy Graham as opposed to the stalwart defenders of the faith like Bob Jones, Martin Lloyd-Jones, etc. The old guard didn't like the softness, nondenominationalism, (and incidentally integrationist stances,) of Graham and other so called Evangelicals from Wheatland etc.

Now Evangelical is applied a lot more broadly.

[ohio jones]

I guess the terms are vague.

Evangelical is a tricky term.

Maybe we could use the membership list of the National Association of Evangelicals: a few Presbyterian groups, but not the main bodies. Paedobaptists and sabbatarians are not excluded.