Anabaptist Theology

As a Mennonite, my history can be traced back to the 16th Century anabaptist movement in Europe that was part of the “radical reformation.” More well-known Protestant magisterial reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin, while proposing many changes to Roman Catholic theology and ecclesial practice, maintained a tight conceptual connection between church and state which was part of their motivation for retaining infant baptism. 16th century anabaptists, however, tended to conceive of faith and participation in church life as distinct from the state in ways that involved rejecting military service, and reserved baptism as a ritual that follows an intentional profession of faith in Christ.

The following are a cluster of papers I’ve worked on over the years that connect themes from this anabaptist peace-church tradition to issues in philosophy and theology:

1. “Why Mennonite Pacifists Should Be Reformed Epistemologists,” Conrad Grebel Review.  Vol. 22 (Spring 2003):24-32.

2. “The Pacifist’s Burden of Proof,” Philosophia Christi. Vol. 7, no. 1 (2005):107-123.

3. “Minority Views and the Wider World: Yoder and Plantinga on Particularity” in Nathan E. Yoder, and Carol A Scheppard, eds., Exiles in the Empire (Pandora Press, 2006):149-71.

4. “The Rise of ‘New Calvinists’ Among Canadian Mennonite Brethren,” Direction. Vol. 42 (2013):148-165.

5. Recovering from the Anabaptist Vision: New Essays on Anabaptist Identity and Theological Method. Edited by Laura Schmidt Roberts, Paul H. Martens, and Myron A. Penner. T&T Clark: New York (February, 2020).