Anabaptist History Conference (PA, April 2025)

[eccentric_rambler]

Some people spend money on books, some spend it on fishing gear!

I like fishing AND books, but I don't spend much on either. Maybe if I only liked one I'd have more money for it ...

[ohio jones]

Speaking of which, is the John Roth book (the Earth is the Lord’s) the giant book that supposedly sells for close to 1000 dollars online? Someone said it was because its no longer in print, but I was wondering if the online price was actually a price anyone was paying for it, or if it was just the result of some computer code bidding war

It's easy to confuse John Ruth (author of the book in question) with John Roth, since they are both Mennonite historians and have similar names. Here's how to tell them apart (pictured in alphabetical order):

[Soloist]

I just downloaded cloudveil…could you point me in the right direction please?

Wife: sorry, I was out fishing with my son and dealing with the subsequent carnage that came home. I ended up asking for you before sending the information to you, and the current highest bid is… $1400.

Anyway, if you still want it, they want to wrap up tonight. I for one don’t know if I’m lightheaded from the fishing or from the price tag.

Some people spend money on books, some spend it on fishing gear!

That’s the truth all right. We’ve got some boat envy in this household and had to tell the children that the two best days of a boat owners life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell the boat

[Soloist]

Speaking of which, is the John Roth book (the Earth is the Lord’s) the giant book that supposedly sells for close to 1000 dollars online? Someone said it was because its no longer in print, but I was wondering if the online price was actually a price anyone was paying for it, or if it was just the result of some computer code bidding war

It's easy to confuse John Ruth (author of the book in question) with John Roth, since they are both Mennonite historians and have similar names. Here's how to tell them apart (pictured in alphabetical order):

Wife: How much is Ruth raking in for himself at this point? Unless it’s paid autographs? Why did they even stop reprinting?

[HondurasKeiser]

Speaking of which, is the John Roth book (the Earth is the Lord’s) the giant book that supposedly sells for close to 1000 dollars online? Someone said it was because its no longer in print, but I was wondering if the online price was actually a price anyone was paying for it, or if it was just the result of some computer code bidding war

It's easy to confuse John Ruth (author of the book in question) with John Roth, since they are both Mennonite historians and have similar names. Here's how to tell them apart (pictured in alphabetical order):

About 20 years ago I had the privilege of hearing them both speak at the Lower Skippack Mennonite Meetinghouse. I even got to ask a question of J.D. Roth during the q and a time but I have no idea what the question was now.

[ohio jones]

Wife: How much is Ruth raking in for himself at this point? Unless it’s paid autographs? Why did they even stop reprinting?

I exaggerate of course, since his royalties came from the original sales which were somewhat more modestly priced.

[Elmer]

I learned of this Anabaptist History Conference (https://anabaptisthistoryconference.net/schedule/) to be held April 12, 2025, in Ephrata, PA. As 2025 marks 500 years of the Anabaptist movement, are there other Anabaptist history conferences happening as well?

Just found out about a Conference in Europe on Jan 21-23. https://anabaptist.nl/pdf/Anabaptist_Co ... erland.pdf

[EdselB]

Whilst I appreciate ASM on a personal level, I am a little concerned about another unqualified “scholar” emerging similar to what happened with David Bercot, leading many to erroneous conclusions. I am extremely disappointed with his historical revisionism with regards to Michael Sattler in particular.

I would hardly call ASM "unqualified." While, he has no formal academic education above high school, he has read widely and deeply in early Anabaptist history and theology. Whenever ASM does a presentation (or writes a n article or a book), it is well researched, organized, and presented. His being on the program will make it worthwhile attending.

I am puzzled by you accusation of "historical revisionism" in his book on Michael Sattler. It provides a nice accessible biography of Sattler, drawing upon C. Arnold Snyder's The Life and Thought of Michael Sattler, the definative scholarly treatment of Sattler. ASM's book also provides the texts of Sattler's writings. He used with permission the translations done by J.C. Wenger in the Mennonite Quarterly Review in the 1940s, and when translations of some of the writings were not available from Wenger, he got permission from Herald Press to use the translations in The Legacy of Michael Sattler. The only tract in Legacy and Wenger, not include in ASM biography is "On Divorce," which was not written by Sattler. Earlier scholarship (including Wenger) attributed it to Sattler, because it was in a collection of tracts that contained Sattler's writings. The tract itself identifed the author as M. L., which more recent scholaship has identified as Martin Linck, also known as Martin Weniger."

In answer to another question: Whio is sponsoring this conference? It is an adhoc committee of persons from Hope Mennonite Fellowship and Weverland Mennonite Conference. I doubt if any of them have a connection to Kingdom Fellowship weekend, and if they do so what?

In the interest of full disclosure my wife copyedits ASM's books.

[Judas Maccabeus]

In answer to another question: Whio is sponsoring this conference? It is an adhoc committee of persons from Hope Mennonite Fellowship and Weverland Mennonite Conference. I doubt if any of them have a connection to Kingdom Fellowship weekend, and if they do so what?

In the interest of full disclosure my wife copyedits ASM's books.

Thanks. I will admit I am more than a bit reluctant to hand over information when I do not know where it is going. I get far too much junk mail and spam. If it consists of Hope and Weverland people, that reduces my concern to near zero.

As to the KFW connection ASM and Chester Weaver have both spoken there in the recent post. That is the connection.

[Josh]

The only tract in Legacy and Wenger, not include in ASM biography is "On Divorce," which was not written by Sattler. Earlier scholarship (including Wenger) attributed it to Sattler, because it was in a collection of tracts that contained Sattler's writings. The tract itself identifed the author as M. L., which more recent scholaship has identified as Martin Linck, also known as Martin Weniger."

This is the historical revisionism to which I am referring. The tract doesn’t support the current position many conservative Mennonites have, and despite virtually all scholarshio agreeing it was written by Sattler, the conservative Mennonite position is to simply throw it out.

This is intellectually dishonest. I understand it would be troubling for the descendants of Swiss Brethren to admit one of the original Swiss Brethren didn’t hold the same position they do, but that doesn’t justify inventing a story some of his writings were written by someone else.