The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism, 3rd ed.

by William Estep

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 1996

Overview

This standard introduction to the history of Anabaptism offers a vivid chronicle of the rise and spread of this vigorous Christian group. Estep provides a historical review of each Anabaptist leader’s influence and discusses their positions on such doctrines as infant baptism, the Trinity, pacifism, the swearing of oaths and civil authority. The author, wanting to impart more than just information, hopes “that through these pages the world of the sixteenth century may come alive, and the Anabaptists within it, with all their virtues and faults, their strengths and weaknesses, but above all with the faith and ideals that motivated them to witness in word and deed, in life and in death, for that truth which for them was worth the living and the dying.”

In this third edition, The Anabaptist Story has been substantially revised and enlarged to take into account the numerous Anabaptist sources that have come to light in the last half-century. Estep was also able to take advantage of the significant number of monographs and other scholarly research on Anabaptist themes that have appeared more recently. He challenges a number of assumptions held by contemporary historians of sixteenth-century Anabaptism and offers fresh insights into the historical movement to which we owe the notion of religious liberty that prevails today.

Contents

Top Highlights

“According to the record, however, Zwingli had agreed with the younger men that the Word of God and not the Zürich council should determine the disposition of the mass and the use of images.¹³ Yet following the disputation, Zwingli seemed to submit to the decision of the council. He was unwilling to alter observance of the Lord’s Supper to conform to the Scriptures and his earlier promises. This became the point of contention between him and Grebel.” (Page 16)

“For the Swiss and south German Anabaptists, the final authority for the Christian life and the faith and order of the church was the New Testament, in particular the life and teachings of Christ. While they tended to interpret the Scriptures in a literal sense, they were Christocentric. It was Christ who in the actual formulation of the faith became the ultimate authority to which they appealed.” (Page 22)

“For the inspirationists, the Spirit took precedence over the Bible. Thus the immediate illumination of the Spirit became the norm for the inspirationist’s program of reform.” (Page 22)

“Harold Bender detects in the break between Zwingli and his youthful critics the beginning of the free church movement. ‘The decision of Conrad Grebel to refuse to accept the jurisdiction of the Zürich council over the Zürich church is one of the high moments of history, for however obscure it was, it marked the beginning of the modern ‘free church’ movement.’” (Page 18)

“It was Manz who became the first Anabaptist martyr to die at the hands of Protestants and the first to die in Zürich.” (Page 43)

Praise for the Print Edition

A sympathetic and fair-minded account. Estep is a spiritually sensitive, careful, and thoughtful scholar. His book is the best popular synthetic treatment of sixteenth-century Anabaptist history.

—Restoration Quarterly

Recommended for its forceful and engaging style and for its unquestionable scholarship. Pastors, students, and scholars will be better informed in the area of Radical Reformation studies by its careful perusal.

—Southwestern Journal of Theology

Product Details

• Title: The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism
• Author: William R. Estep
• Edition: Third
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 1996
• Pages: 348

About William Estep

William R. Estep (1920-2000) was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church History at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. He participated in several church organizations including the American Society of Church History; the Conference on Faith and History; Southern Baptist Historical Society; the Texas Baptist Historical Society; and the Historical Committee of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He is the author of Renaissance and Reformation and Revolution within the Revolution.