Should We Celebrate Anabaptist Beginnings?

Is it unhealthy to celebrate something that lifts up individuals or that marks a division among believers? How do we view Anabaptist history in relation to other Christian traditions? Long-time Mennonite historian John Roth calls us to “right…

PARTNER CONTENT

Would We All Be Muslims?! — Ask Anabaptist Perspectives Anything Ep. 38

Paul writes: “The problem is that if medieval westerners were Anabaptists, we would all be Muslims. Marlin (and Jaran and Reagan) beg to differ.  What could history have looked like if all medieval Europeans had embraced Jesus’…

Part 2 – Losing and Recovering Non-resistance in the Civil War Era

Many Mennonites fought in the Civil War. However, this development roused others to renew the teaching of non-resistance and led to the Mennonite publishing movement. In “Losing and Recovering Non-resistance in the Civil War Era,” Chester Weaver…

Part 1 – Why Did the German Mennonites Become Nazis?

“Why would the descendants of Swiss and Dutch Anabaptist martyrs identify themselves with one of the most evil regimes in human history? A very good question. The short answer: God has no grandchildren.” In “Why did the German Mennonites…

PARTNER CONTENT

Anabaptists Need to Learn Their History!

Once again, Chester Weaver makes the case for studying history and tells more of his personal journey of…

PARTNER CONTENT

More on Mennonite Nazis – Ask Anabaptist Perspectives Anything Episode 35

Nazism grows slowly out of nationalism. A YouTube commenter warned not to underestimate the depth of complicity with the Nazi regime or the continued potential to succumb to the same kinds of…

Tragedy in Church History: Responding to Your Questions

Should Christians “own” all of church history? How do evil things done by those who take the name of Christ relate to us?  And switching gears, how does one become Mennonite? What if I want to be Anabaptist but there is no congregation near me?…

Money in the Early Anabaptist Movement

Money has rarely been far removed from the biblical narratives or major conversations of the church since the New Testament. Between the close of the New Testament and the protestant reformation, the church had much to say about usury. Stephen…

PARTNER CONTENT

How I Got Into Church History

“Books are my friends” Once upon a time, someone suggested that Chester purchase an Anabaptist library. The rest is history! Reagan, Marlin, and Chester discuss the value of reading in church history and how to get started. Primary sources are…

PARTNER CONTENT

Bolsheviks and Life under Communism

This is the second in a three part series of Partner content expanding on and engaging with comments on Chester Weaver’s lecture about Mennonite Nazis. The Bolshevik story for Mennonites is older and better documented than the story of Mennonites…