The Anabaptists and Emerging Church

Baptism

I have a great deal of fondness for the Anabaptist heritage I have spent my entire life a part of, and I probably have more of an appreciation for that legacy of faith and life now more than at any previous point before. You may or may not know much about the Anabaptists , and I'll leave it to you to find out more about them. I would caution you, however, to remember that there is just as much diversity among Anabaptist groups as there is in the Emerging Church. You might be hard-pressed to come up with a single definition.

I have decided to write this particular piece because of my interest in both the Anabaptist heritage and the Emerging Church. I know any discussion of the Emerging Church can be controversial, but I have to be reminded that the Anabaptist heritage that I love and enjoy was even more controversial during its birth. I suppose it is all the similarities that I have noticed between the emergence of the Anabaptists and their modern counterparts in the Emerging Church that has prompted me to put these few thoughts into words.

There have been times when I have been reading Anabaptist thought and theology and felt like I was reading the latest written discourse from the Emerging Church...and vice versa. There is something within me that resonates with both, and I have very little conflict of conscience between them. So, I've taken some time to add to the conversation and highlight a few areas in which I see similarity between the Anabaptists and the Emerging Church.

Both the Anabaptists and the Emerging Church were a reaction against fruitless orthodoxy.

Early Anabaptism was a reaction against the prevalent Protestant "faith only" head knowledge that existed in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The Anabaptists rejected orthodoxy for orthodoxy's sake and believed that the Christian faith was meant to be lived out in community and among our neighbors. They believed that truth was to be lived, not just believed. Possessing the right belief was simply not enough for them; they asserted that following Christ also meant right living. This assertion led to their focus on ethical purity, personal devotion, service to those who were in need, and even a more mystical approach to faith. They insisted that true followers of Christ would "bear fruit in the world".

Much of the discussion found among the writings of the Emerging Church focuses on a disatisfaction with fruitless Christianity in our culture. There are many believers who are deeply disturbed that the church has turned so inward and into self-preservation that it has forgotten the very reason for its existence. For this reason, there is a huge emphasis among the emergents as to how our faith is to be lived out among our neighbors. The emergents are seeking to recapture our missional outlook and they tend to concern themselves with how we live in this world as followers of Christ.

Both were unsatisfied and wanted more personal experience.

The Anabaptists were deeply interested in the personal experience of salvation. Compared to what surrounded them, they were even a bit mystical! They trusted the Holy Spirit to work among them and were open to new spiritual illumination not bound by creed, custom, or king. They sought to replace despotic orthodoxy with a more genuine, personal experience. They believed that faith was something to be experienced rather than being a concept imposed upon them by the church hierarchy. The desire for a more authentic, personal experience of life and faith is also found among the emergents. Many of them are throwing off what they perceive as stale, routine modes of "church" and are turning inward for spiritual renewal, their hunger for an authentic personal experience driving them away from stale forms.

Both pursued authentic community.

Many Anabaptists have lived within close proximity of one another. Perhaps this was out of survival or the simple desire to share their lives with each other. Whatever the reason, the Anabaptists thrived in community, often depending upon each other for their basic needs. They called each other "brother" and "sister" (and many still do). I once heard a Brethren elder say that "everyone who belongs to Jesus belongs to everyone who belongs to Jesus". That statement has stayed with me for years, because it summarizes so well the bonds of Christ and love for one another that is shared among many Anabaptist communities. This bond is so strong, that some communities have -- to a fault -- tended to be rather exclusive. Despite the exclusive nature of some Anabaptist communities, they rarely had to make time for each other because they lived close to each other and depended on one another.

In our age of disconnectedness, the post-moderns are searching for authentic community! Many emergents are discovering for the first time the sense of belonging and security found in small communities of faith. Often, their communal experiences aren't found within the walls of a church building but are instead enjoyed in homes, coffee bars, and in other places people gather. This idea that all who belong to Christ belong to each other is being celebrated among many emergent communities, and it is an experience that is transforming lives.

Both value Scripture over tradition.

Many Anabaptist groups believe that the Holy Spirit works through the body of Christ to interpret scripture for each new generation rather than having the scriptures bound by tradition and dogma. Their understanding of the written word was fresh and alive. They labored to live their life by the scriptures and not by the traditions of men, which of course put them in conflict with those who were "traditional". They believed that the scriptures were not subject to the interpretation of just one man (or a few men) but would be revealed by the Holy Spirit and understood within the context of the Christian community. Many in the Emerging Church are enjoying a fresh conversation of the scriptures. The established church was deeply disturbed by the "arrogance" of the Anabaptists and their view of scripture, and many of our established churches today are equally disturbed by the emergents who seek to understand the scriptures outside of church tradition.

Both have had dramatically different views of the clergy.

Many of the Anabaptists rejected the clergy/laity distinction that is so prevalent in the Christian Church. They believed that the "commoners" could be ministers, and they often rejected the concept of an educated clergy -- which, of course, deeply disturbed those in the established church that enjoyed all the privileges of being clergy. The Anabaptists believed in the "priesthood of all believers", and although there were those called from among the Anabaptists to serve as deacon and elder (and even bishop), they were careful to reject any form of clergy distinction that held power and control over the church. While not all across the board, there are some in the Emerging Church that are following the same lines, insisting not on a professionally educated, paid, or distinct clergy but instead trusting the Holy Spirit to distribute the gifts among the body of believers.

While some were interested in reform and wanted to operate within the existing church, most ended up seeking a separate existence...usually out of necessity.

Many of the early Anabaptists were content to remain within the structure of the church, but it was by necessity that they eventually moved outside and took on an identity of their own. Simply put, they were not welcome. Accusations of heresy led to persecution and isolation. The established church felt it was being threatened, and many churches moved quickly to subdue and quash the radical movement. I can see the same thing happening today among those who are seeking a more authentic, missional, and personal experience. Because many of the emergents are discussing things that don't easily fit into our structures and understandings of church, some have been pushed to the margains. Many are seeking a separate identity apart from established churches while others are attempting to add to the conversation within their denominational structures.

Both practice believer's baptism.

The term "anabaptist" literally means "to baptize again". One of the most radical positions the early Anabaptists took was regarding baptism. In a Europe dominated by the established churches (Reformed, Catholic, and German State Lutheran Church), baptism was still viewed as a rite of entry into society and the church and was performed on infants. The Anabaptists believed that baptism should follow one's own personal confession of faith. In the early days of the movement, all those seeking believer's baptism would have been "baptized again" or for the second time since they were baptized as infants. Thus, the name "anabaptist". Baptism was not viewed by the Anabaptists as entry into society and the church but as more of a union with Christ. The controversy didn't stop there, however, since the baptisms were not sanctioned by the established church or performed by a priest. Many emergents today share the believer's baptism view, and quite often, these celebrations of union with Christ are performed not by pastors or priests but by believers themselves. While their modes of baptism vary, their reason for baptism shares a lot in common with the Anabaptist view.

Both are largely pacifist.

There is a big difference between the non-resistence of Anabaptism and modern pacifism found among many in the Emerging Church. Anabaptism was birthed in a Europe devastated by conflict and war. The church and state were co-conspirators in a power play that pitted kingdom against kingdom, state against state. Harold Martin in an article entitled "Basic Principles of Anabaptist Thought" said that "the Anabaptists did not take a stand of opposition to war, but rather, they took a stand of non-participation in it." I do not know how many in the emerging movement are familiar with biblical non-resistance so rooted in Anabaptism, but I am aware of the large number of believers in the Emerging Church that are deeply grieved by the American Christian compliance with and support of war. There is a belief among many of them that we are to live at peace with -- and even serve -- our neighbors.

Both groups have been labelled as radical and heretical.

The early Anabaptists were persecuted by both Protestants and Catholics in Europe. They were labelled as heretics and fanatics, and their movement has been called the "Radical Reformation". Many were persecuted, thrown in prison, or executed for their beliefs and practices. To this day, many Anabaptists are viewed with suspicion and are labelled as "cults" by those whose understanding of church and orthodoxy is seriously challenged by their belief and practice. Neither society nor the church likes change, so it is predictible that the modern church should react negatively to the Emerging Church just as the established church did to the Anabaptists. There are those who will slander them and view them as a threat to orthodoxy and tradition. That's to be expected. While there are some criticisms of certain segments of the Emerging Church I share, I can understand their journey and see how God is using them.

Both are radical reformers.

The Anabaptist view of the Church and the Kingdom of God was radically different than anything else that had existed. The Anabaptists were a serious departure from the norm. The same is true with the Emerging Church. Both are spiritual pioneers whose journeys of life and faith took them off the well-worn path of tradition and orthodoxy and into uncharted territory. Both have taken great risks in faith. Both have paid the price for their journeys. Both have known the joy of a fresh, new life in Christ coupled with the purpose of living as His in this world to which we are called.

I don't subscribe to all things Anabaptist, and neither do I subscribe to all things in the emerging movement. I do, however, value what has been passed on to me from my Anabaptist forebearers, and I hear their voices among the voices of many of those in the Emerging Church. Both have a lot in Christ to offer to a challenged world in need of the love of God.

I have been a part of the Brethren Church/Church of the Brethren my entire life. The thoughts expressed in this article come from my great love and appreciation for my brothers and sisters as well as my Anabaptist heritage. My thoughts continually look ahead to how we will live as God's people among our neighbors in these changing times. I deeply admire those who are seeking to live as Christ in this world, and I admire the many similarities I see between the Anabaptists and the Emerging Church.