ANABAPTISTS: "re-baptizers," first adult rebaptism Zurich in 1525

The Swiss Brethren: leader is Conrad Grebel
begin as followers of Zwingli's "negative Scriptural principle"
reject infant baptism as non-scriptural; doctrine of free will

1523: First Zurich Disputation
1524: Grebel's letter to Thomas Müntzer (xerox packet)

1525: first "re-baptism": Grebel baptizes Blaurock in Zurich
Zwingli's treatise: Against the Tricks of the Katabaptists
1527: Felix Mantz executed in Zurich ("third Baptism")
persecutions of Anabaptists as heretics and subversives:
punishment of drowning ("third Baptism")

1527 SCHLEITHEIM CONFESSION: Michael Sattler ( text in Hillerbrand)
Themes:
1) restitutio: restitution of early Christian Church
2) sectarian group, reject territorial church organization
"visible church" = gathering & separation of the elect (adult Baptism)
3) free will doctrine: conscious "decision for Christ," stress on conduct
excommunication for misconduct (Luther calls them "work saints")
4) political consequences: separation from the world, states, governments
political authority does not apply to the elect (i.e. them)
reject military service, oaths, "commitments made in unbelief"

5) social issues: marriage of believers (first to permit divorce)
property issues: tendency to Christian "communalism"

Social basis of Anabaptism: attracts urban poor, especially textile workers
"outsiders,', not part of established structure of power;

1) radicals preaching without theological education as evidence of calling (beruf)
vs magisterial reform: hold post of professor, educator (magister = teacher)
Luther, Calvin, Zwingli: advanced degrees, humanist &,/or theological training

2) issue of "kingdom of God on Earth" crystallizes in takeover of city of Münster:
Anabaptist Kingdom of Münster 1534-35 (see article by Ronnie Hsia Xerox packet)

Doctrinal issues in Anabaptist Movement

Adult baptism as conscious act of repentance, leading to withdrawal from world
    infants cannot made this "decision, " do not have faith or will

Separation of the elect from the fallen: 'visible church as coextensive with "invisible church"
(cf Luther, Calvin) community of 'believers" defined by adult Baptism; to keep group pure,
excommunication is used against any member who displays "fallen" behavior

Sola scriptura as source of religion authority:
used to organize all details of life on the basis of Biblical precepts desire for simple,
Biblical life style = "Bib1ical primitivism" or “revolutionary Biblical literalism" --. literal
interpretation of Bible as ',guide for living, " code of behavior (moralizing approach)

Free will: strong position against predestination; incompatible with moral life

Rejection of state authority over believers:
governmental power is ordained of God, but only for sinful, not for elect
rejection of oaths, military service, taxation; inevitably seen as subversives

Persecution as unanimous response to Anabaptist movement:
1525 -1618: estimated 1,000 to 5,000 executions of Anabaptists throughout Europe
Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists in "ecumenical agreement" on this: WHY?

Millenarianism as eschatological response among Anabaptists:

ESCHATOLOGY: study of the "last days," second coming of Christ; draw on Book of Revelation;
persecution as "sign of last days, "'end is near" some willing to "hasten the coming of the
Kingdom of God" (eg. radical extremists in Münster, 1534-5)