Church History: The Anabaptists, Part 2
There was diversity in group we label historically as Anabaptists.
For the sake of these articles we will use three categories, the “mainstream”, the “spiritualists”, and the “revolutionaries”.
Today we will deal with the difficult legacy of the “revolutionaries” and “spiritualists”.
The two categories unfortunately inbred and the results were disastrous.
The spiritualists had a distinct emphasis on the Holy Spirit and often claimed to have received divine revelation.
They trafficked in dreams and visions, often apocalyptic in nature.
Their theology was shaped as often by special revelation as by Scripture.
Protestants and Catholics alike were fearful that these “heretics” would disturb both the religious and social orders…and their fears began to be realized in 1525.
Thomas Münster left Roman Catholicism after reading Luther’s 95 Theses…then was rejected by Luther after he applied a political angle to the Reformation.
Münster envisioned a communist kingdom of God and is hailed in some places today as the father of liberation theology.
He saw himself as the new Daniel, even offering to interpret the princes dreams…while threatening to take over their territories as the leader of the new “kingdom of God”.
Invoking a divine revelation that assured them victory, he led 8000 peasants into war against the princes.
They were slaughtered, he was captured, and later beheaded.
The fears of both the Protestants and Rome for the peace of society had been realized, but the worst was yet to come.
The Kingdom of Munster
In 1532 Munster was a city overwhelmed by crop failure, the plague, and economic issues.
It was city discontent with the Catholic bishop, who they perceived as an oppressor.
It was a place that was ripe for revolution.
Enter a Lutheran pastor named Bernard Rothman.
He leads the city into Protestantism and the city becomes a center for religious refugees.
In 1534, Rothman comes under the influence of a Dutch radical named Jan Matthys.
Matthys prophesied the end of the world would come on Easter of 1534 and sent his disciple John of Leiden to Munster to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.
His first appearance in town was highlighted by him running through the streets shouting “the end is near!”
Matthys himself arrived shortly thereafter, took control of the town, and declared it both a communist state and… the New Jerusalem.
The Catholic bishop then began to lay siege to the city.
When Easter came and Jesus didn’t, Matthys needed a new schitck to maintain power.
He then claimed he had a vision where he was to take up the sword against the besieging army.
The vision didn’t reveal that he and those with him would only live about fifteen minutes after they did.
Leiden then took over and the insanity increased.
He ran through the streets naked, then fell into a trance…after awakening he declared himself the absolute ruler, the “king of righteousness”.
He was now “King David” in the “New Jerusalem”.
Disobedience to him was punishable by death and “all things in common” included anyones wife that he desired.
He desired 14 more than he had arrived with…
The siege continued outside, reinforced by a Lutheran army aiding the Roman Catholics.
Soon enough, food ran out and some of the residents resorted to cannibalism.
Finally, the armies stormed the city and captured Leiden and two other leaders.
They were caged and paraded around the surrounding area so that all could see what an Anabaptist was.
After his execution, his body was caged again and hung above a church…so all could see what happens to Anabaptists.
This incident sealed the fate of Anabaptism…it became a curse and it’s practice became punishable by death all over Europe.
Today, we still face the dangers of extra biblical revelation and apocalyptic interpretations of current events…
Next we will look at the mainstream of Anabaptism…
Today, we still face the dangers of extra biblical revelation and apocalyptic interpretations of current events…,<<<
I am not one who believes we can only hear from God via the Bible so how does one actively listen to God without falling into delusional thinking?
Also, this goes to show that you don't have to be a "Left Behind" dispensationalist to have extreme ideas about the End of the World! In fact, if you want to hear some wild ideas based on current events, visit your local Orthodox Monastery, especially those founded by Elder Ephraim.
Xenia…don’t leave us wondering !
Who is Elder Ephraim and what is he teaching?
Elder Ephraim is a Greek monastic who came to America with the goal of planting Mt. Athos-style monasticism here in America. He’s founded probably 20 monasteries all over the US for both men and women.
As amillennialists, we are expecting the world to get worse, for Anti-Christ to appear, and then the 2nd coming of Christ. This being the case, we can, like dispensationalists, look to current events for hints that The End is Near.
Monastics are really into this kind of speculation. The more conservative the monastery, the wilder the speculations, it seems. Elder Ephraim’s monasteries are the strictest of the strict and he sees apocalyptic significance in everything that happens. They are out of step with ordinary parish Orthodoxy, which might moan over something they see on the news and sigh that “The End is Near” but then go on about their business.
But I suspect that when all is said and done we will discover that the monastics were probably right all along.
By the way, my husband and I are planning a visit to St. Anthony’s monastery in Arizona this fall, the headquarters of Elder Ephraim himself.
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/
Elder Ephraim is a controversial figure. He promotes a very strict form of Orthodoxy that attracts many young people but seems cultish to their parents who are often more interested in their parish’s Greek food festival than in traditional Orthodox asceticism.
Xenia,
Do you know a guy with a greek last name and white hair who has a Mercedes with a vanity plate that says, MRY JACK?
Jim, no. Who is he?
Michael, thanks for this week’s church history lessen.
Xenia,
My brother.
Ah! I will keep my eyes pealed for him, then.
He’s been there 10 years, and I’d guess that you guys run in different circles. He’s 65 and never been married, and thinks Christianity is a mental illness.
Then I won’t look for him at the Greek Church.
Yah, if he’s got a Mercedes, we run in different circles.
Jim
What did you do to your brother to make him think that?
BD-LOL!
I love this article. I see charismania and apocalyptico … my nuts and theirs.
Xenia asks the most important question that can be asked,
“I am not one who believes we can only hear from God via the Bible so how does one actively listen to God without falling into delusional thinking? ”
Having come from a Pentecostal background I am hugely bothered by personal revelation and the “spiritual” channeling many do in the faith. Most of the time I find people are using such visions and words as a means to establishing their own personal authority on the things of God without the work of coming to know God through study and life.
But on the other hand much of our church authority and structure comes from the study and discipline to learn the traditions of the organizations and then to be recognized via those organizations as one with authority.
The tension between the two is, to me at least, the heart of the Anabaptist problem described in the thread and exists with us today. Where does the walk with God in Jesus our Messiah lead us and how do we know it is the Spirit who leads us there? Sovereignty of God works, right?
I think those who learn to love God, and the finished work in Jesus, learn the most important lesson of all, contentment in all things.