James Stayer argues that the Anabaptist community of goods continued the popular radicalism of the early reformation and the peasants' war of 1525. During the German reformation, hundreds of thousands of commoners were mobilized by the hope that established clerical and aristocratic order could be replaced by justice and equity based on the divine law of the Bible. After the defeat of the commoners in the peasants' war, some of the most ardent adherents of social and religious reform attempted to achieve these same aspirations by trying to implement the apostolic model of Acts 2 and 4 through the Anabaptists. Thus, as Stayer reveals, the peasants' war was an essential formative experience for many of the original leaders of Anabaptism. In the late 1520s, persecution drove many Anabaptists to Moravia where, throughout the 16th century, they continued the commoners' resistance to privilege in church and state. Stayer argues that in Munster, however, where there had been no peasants' war and where urban notables were prominent in the Anabaptist leadership, Anabaptist communism was badly corrupted. The historical continuities which Stayer establishes between the peasants' war and Anabaptism in Switzerland, southern Germany and Moravia can in part explain this contrast. Stayer breaks away from previous interpretive literature by defining community of goods as a general attempt to follow Acts 2 and 4, rather than modelling it on the specific practices of the Hutterites. Stayer also sees community of goods as expressing the economic and religious ideals of 16th century commoners generally, rather than that of some particular class or state.

The German Peasants' War and Anabaptist Community of Goods (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

Stayer, James M.

Religion & Spirituality

McGill Queens Univ Pr

In the late 1520s persecution drove many Anabaptists to Moravia where, throughout the sixteenth century, they continued the commoners' resistance to privilege in church and state. Stayer argues that in Münster, however, where there had been no Peasants' War and where urban notables were prominent in the Anabaptist leadership, Anabaptist communism was badly corrupted. The historical continuities which Stayer establishes between the Peasants' War and Anabaptism in Switzerland, south Germany, and Moravia can in part explain this contrast.

The German Peasants' War and Anabaptist Community of Goods (Volume 6) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

History

Europe

McGill-Queen's University Press

Theological trend-setters after the war were dogmatic or systematic theologians. Whether men of the right like Karl Holl or men of the left like Karl Barth, they wanted to return to Luther's fundamental Reformation theology and to justification through faith alone. In the mid-1920s, however, Barth saw the dangers of Lutheran theocentrism wedded to German nationalism and moved towards a more Reformed Christology and a greater critical distance from Luther. The other six major Weimar-era theologians discussed - Karl Holl, Friedrich Gogarten, Werner Elert, Paul Althaus, Emanuel Hirsch, and Erich Vogelsang - connected their theology to their Luther studies and to their hopes for rebirth of Germany after the humiliation of the Versailles order. To differing degrees they presented Martin Luther as the German saviour and all except Karl Holl, who died in 1926, worked out specifically theological reasons for supporting Hitler when he came to power in 1933.

Martin Luther, German Saviour: German Evangelical Theological Factions and the Interpretation of Luther, 1917-1933 (Volume 39) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

Anabaptists and the Sword (1972; revised edn. 1976) is the first book to challenge the consensus, dating from the seventeenth century, that sixteenth-century Anabaptists were nonresistants, or Christian pacifists. While recognizing the importance of the nonresistance tradition among Anabaptists, the book gives equal attention to more militant elements in Anabaptism. It is also pioneering in giving attention to Anabaptist practice as well as Anabaptist teaching on this subject.

Anabaptists and the Sword

Coronado Pr

World

Wipf and Stock

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Books by Stayer, James M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stayer, James M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The German Peasants' War and Anabaptist Community of Goods (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

The German Peasants' War and Anabaptist Community of Goods (Volume 6) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

Martin Luther, German Saviour: German Evangelical Theological Factions and the Interpretation of Luther, 1917-1933 (Volume 39) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

Anabaptists and the Sword

Anabaptists and the Sword