Anabaptist

Anabaptists (Greek ana+baptizo "re-baptizers", German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the so-called radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. The term was coined by critics, who objected to the practice of performing baptism for adults whose previous baptism, as infants, the Anabaptists claimed was not valid. Various groups at various times have been called Anabaptist, but this article focuses primarily on the Anabaptists of 16th century Europe.

Footnotes

• Traditors were those who, under persecution, handed over the Scriptures to pagan authorities or recanted their faith.
• Catabaptist is defined as "drowners" or "immersers", but also as "opponents of baptism" (infant baptism).
• A "true church" movement is one in which the participants of a movement believe their movement represents the true faith and order of New Testament Christianity. Most only assert this in relation to their church doctrines, polity, and practice (e.g., the ordinances), while a few hold they are the only true Christians. Some examples of Anabaptistic true church movements are the Landmark Baptists and the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee), the Stone-Campbell restoration movement, and others represent a variation in which the "true church" apostasized and was restored, in distinction to this idea of apostolic or church succession.
• Lee's work is a response to Verduin's The Reformers and their Stepchildren, and is representative of a Reformed view against Anabaptism. But its polemical nature leaves some question as to its objectivity. Quotes are often shortened for effect rather than concision (e.g., writing of the London Confession: "it was subtitled: Confession of Faith of those churches which are commonly...called 'Anabaptist'." instead of, "Confession of Faith of those churches which are commonly, though falsely, called 'Anabaptist'."), he renders highly suspect interpretations as connecting single immersion with unitarianism ("Such Anabaptists as were trinitarian, generally did so by pouring. Unitarian Anabaptists, however, did so largely by a novel single submersion."), and resorts to the old method of using the excesses of a minority to denigrate the entire movement (e.g., polygamy).