Baptist / Anabaptist

You'll get a plethora of answers on this one! My own view - a degree of spiritual kinship, but the Baptists in reality came out of the Separatist movement in England rather than the Radical Reformation. The only physical/ successionist tie-ups with the Anabaptists I can see are John Smith's sojourn with the Mennonite Waterlanders in c.1610, as a result of which he became convinced of the need for believer's baptism, and a similar exchange documented in the Kiffin manuscript in the late 1640s re Particular Baptists and the Dutch Collegiants.

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

I suggest you check out the work of Baptist historian W.R. Estep. We wrote extensively regarding the relationship of Baptists and Anabaptists movements on the Continent.

Until the time of his death in 1999, he was considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject.

 

Re "Baptist-Anabaptist" - Since we are "free" (non-state) congregations, if we are to trace any ancestry thru the "Dark Ages," it must be among the varied groups nicknamed "Anabaptist." We don't have to claim all of them, but if the truth of New Testament church life existed for that time between Constantine and the Reformation years, it was in the groups that refused to accept actions done to unaccountable infants, or actions designed to "save" and therefore insisted on believer's immersion. (Everyone was immersing until the Council of Ravenna, 1311, almost exclusively, so that wasn't as big an issue.) You might enjoy works by Leonard Verduin, a Reformed writer, such as "The Reformers and their Stepchildren" (1964, reprinted 1997) if you're into the issue seriously.
R. Charles Blair - Ro. 8:28

 

Verduin's book is great, I am reading it now. Here is a quote from S.H. Ford concerning the Anabaptists.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

Verduin's book is excellent--I have read it several times. He helps establish the only kind of succession that can be established, a succession of doctrine, polity, and practice. By the way, when he introduced this book as a monograph at a gathering of Reformed types, his own people severely castigated him!

 

I strongly recommend W.R. Estep's The Anabaptist story

 

I disagree with Matt Black.... I believe that Baptists are Anabaptists, but not all Anabaptists are Baptists.

 

I will look for this book Kiffin, thanks.

Bro. dallas

 

I am enjoying it very much, and found a link to purchase it online pretty reasonable I thought, only $17.00 plus shipping. I will look for the link and post it if anyone is interested.

God Bless.

Bro. Dallas

 

I would agree Mark, but add that not all modern Baptists are Baptist either, but maybe these have a succession from the unbaptist Anabaptists?

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

 

Bro Dallas,

I would like for you to post the link for the book please, as I have studied this issue and I would like to read another book on this matter.

Thanks
Richard

 

Here's the link to Amazon.com's site that sells the book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802808867/qid=1053261626/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-9329244-1764100?v=glance&s=books

Here's the book at Christian Book Distributors:

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?&N=&Ne=1000&Ntk=product.long_title_desc|product.full_auth_name&Ntt=Anabaptist%20Story|Estep&Nu=product.endeca_rollup&action=a dvanced_search&category=All%20Products&format=

I had the privilage of knowing Dr. Estep in his last years of teaching and he was a great encouragement to me both in the classroom (I had him for three classes) and personally when he helped me work through a very difficult family situation. He prayed with me and for me and gave me counsel over the course of months.

He was a man of courage, humility and grace and is now with his Creator enjoying all the good things of God.

 

Bible Student,

I cannot find the link, thought I had it in my favorites, but I found the e-mail address in my address book so you can contact their church clerk about the book The Reformers and thier Stepchildren the address is as follows:

Tabernacle Baptist Church
E-mail Address(es):
[email protected]
{I tried to send a message to this address and it returned it to my mail box, I don't know why, I will try to find the web-link}.

rsr, if I have imposed another topic onto this thread forgive me.


God Bless.
Bro. Dallas Eaton

[ May 18, 2003, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Frogman ]

 

Thanks for the information. This is the part of this message board I really like..

Richard

 

I am trying to find the web-site I saw that book on. I have sent the notification to some friends in an e-mail group, perhaps some of them will recognize the name and let me know the url.

God Bless.
Bro. dallas

 

Here is the link for purchase of The Reformers and their Stepchildren.

http://www.llano.net/baptist/reformersstepchildren.htm

There are other sources, but this is the lowest price I have found.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas Eaton