Estep, William R. The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism. Third Edition. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1996. 332 pp. $18.51. The Anabaptist Story: An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism is an academic work by William Roscoe Estep, who held the position of Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church History at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Estep served on the faculty of Southwestern and was recognized as a leading scholar in the area of Anabaptist research. Estep served as a pioneer in this generally overlooked area of study at the time of the original printing in 1963. In addition to works on the Anabaptist movement, Estep also published in the areas of Baptist history, …show more content…
By exploring theological concepts, key figures, historical events and the development of organizational groups that resulted from them, Estep offers a comprehensive overview of a largely unstudied topic in Christian history. One of the strongest aspects of this work is the author’s use of detailed biographical information on the principle individuals responsible for the formation and expansion of the Anabaptist movement. This strategy successfully brings a sense of humanity to the piece which enhances the reader’s understanding of this time period and the genuine struggles of its participants both physically and …show more content…
Perhaps the most significant of these is that the author expects the reader to come to the work with substantial knowledge of Christian history and the Reformation. At times it appears that the reader is dropped into events without the appropriate background knowledge to successfully understand the situation at hand which can be confusing. This issue is most pronounced in the first chapter of the book as the author attempts to set the stage for his story. Individuals such as John Huss, John Wycliffe and Torquemada (10) are mentioned a historical landmarks requiring the reader has no prior knowledge of these people and the events surrounding them to understand the context. Contextual confusion is compounded by the fact that the events of the entire work are not always laid out in chronological order. This format requires the reader to move back and forth between time frames. A clear example of this is evident in the first chapter under subheadings titled the “The Birth of Anabaptism” (13) where we are looking at January 21, 1525 and the next subheading “The October Disputation” (15) where the text takes the reader back to December
In The Anabaptist Story the author argues that the Anabaptist movement was not only another part of the reformation but a movement with gigantic impact in the history of evangelical Christianity. In this book it is seen that the author concentrates on the misery of the Anabaptist, especially on how they were treated by other religious groups. The author claims that the Anabaptist might be the group which was the most hated. This book contains eleven chapters very well developed. In the first seven chapters,
The Second Great Awaking consisted of new applications of religion that deviated from rationalism, which sparked promotion of democracy and freedom. The message of salvation rather than condemnation was evident in this movement as spoken by Charles G. Finney. He sought to remove sin from reformed churches and organize sinners to unity and freedom (Doc B). This practice showed the crucial democrati...
Hobbes, Thomas. “Of Religion.” ed.Smith,Lacey Baldwin and Jean Reeder Smith. The Past Speaks. 2nd ed. 1 vol. Lexington: Heath, 1993.
The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement, by Douglas A. Sweeney. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005. 208 pages. Reviewed by Susan L. Schulte.
This mass enterprise is reviewed through five traditions in the early nineteenth century: the Christian movement, the Methodists, the Baptists, the black churches, and the Mormons. Hatch explains that these major American movements were led by young men who shared “an ethic of unrelenting toil, a passion for expansion, a hostility to orthodox belief and style, a zeal for religious reconstruction, and a systematic plan to realize their ideals” (4). These leaders changed the scope of American Christianity by orientating toward democratic or populist ideals. Their movements offered both individual potential and collective aspiration, which were ideas ready to be grasped by the young and booming population. These early leaders had a vision of a faith that disregarded social standing, and taught all to think, interpret, and organize their faith for themselves. It was a faith of “religious populism, reflecting the passions of ordinary people and the charisma of democratic movement-builders” (5).
Jenkins, Phillips. The Lost History of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print. Phillips, Jonathan.
In chapter six, the baptismal doctrine of the early Anabaptists is brought into discussion. With the growth of Anabaptists, Jonathan Rainbow shows the distinction of Ulrich Zwingli and Balthasar Hubmaier’s views by stating that “for Zwingli, baptism was a simple sign, [but] for Hubmaier it was more than a sign. [In the end], Baptists consider, [after an open and personal confession], that the person coming to the water believes in Jesus Christ, and that there is an inner reality to which baptism links… This was the heart of Reformation Anabaptists…” (p. 206).
Senior, Donald, Mary Ann Getty, Carroll Stuhlmueller, and John J. Collins. "The Book of Habakkuk." Catholic Study Bible: The New American Bible. London: Oxford University Press, 1990. 1150-1153. Print.
Within mainstream society it seems as if there is not a great deal of emphasis on the contributions made by theologians in society, as well as contributions by theologians to religious thought. Particularly in Christendom, ecclesiastical assemblies are so consumed with vain ideas of worship, and content on hearing biblical messages that capitulate to their personal desires, that theological studies are often neglected. Yet the contributions theologians have made in society, and the impact these contributions have had on religious assemblies have been pivotal in guiding religious discourse on subjects such as ethics, morality, and social transformation. It is for this reason, that in this essay an attempt will be made to analyze three essays from three world-renowned theologians of the 20th century. The theologians are Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Walter Wink, all of which have produced the essays used for this analysis, and have written works that have completely challenged status quo religion, and changed the landscape of Christendom forever.
Eastman, Roger. The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions. Third Edition. Oxford University Press. N.Y. 1999
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Today, Christianity is the world’s most prevalent religion. Yet how did that come to be? Contrary to popular belief, the rise of Christianity was not an inevitable occurrence. Instead the rise of Christianity was due to the amalgamation of radical ideas and unexpected events. The radical ideas, of religious tolerance, conversion, the philosopher’s freedom to question, and missionaries, created the foundation for a new age of religion to rise.
Gonzales did a remarkable job in providing his readers with a view of the various challenges that the church encountered such as the political, economic and social pressures that resulted in the formation of the church. Gonzalez also covers life before and after the reformation which he demonstrates with maps and pictures. I found “The Story of Christianity” to be very easy to read and understand. It is a valuable tool for anyone who is interested in learning about the history of Christianity.
Simplifying the story of the new testament is difficult. The new testament is perhaps the most influential piece of writing, and has been the catalyst for much of the social and political change in our world since its completion. Not only is the historical impact of the work highly complex, but the New Testament also contains a great variety of literary genres. Gospel, epistle, even apocalyptic literature all make an appearance in the New Testament, which can make deciphering the continuity of its narrative difficult. Even more difficult is determining what to include in a summary of this narrative.
The Apostolic Era, can be known as the “golden age” of the Church, was a countercultural Era. In the Apostolic Era worship was known as a community activity where