What is Anabaptism?

Anabaptism is a hermeneutic – a way of understanding the> scriptures. First and foremost it recognizes Jesus as the very incarnation of God and recognizes His words and example as the clearest and fullest revelation of God's will. It recognizes that Jesus is the very "Word of God."

It is a hermeneutic that does not systematize the scripture, it takes them as they are without overlaying a theological structure of dispensations or typologies or economies. It is most concerned with orthopraxis (right practice) that orthodoxy.

It is a hermeneutic for the few, not the many. It is not concerned with generating practical ethics for whole societies and governments. It does not envision Christianized nations. It creates the sect, the separated people, the little flock.

It is a hermeneutic of obedience, of following Jesus. It is about doing what Jesus said to do, no matter how impractical or dangerous or unpopular; it is belief that acts. It expects no better treatment by the world than what Jesus received, and it rejoices to be counted worthy to suffer for His sake. With this fundamental approach to scriptures, several groups of believers in Europe in the 16th century separated themselves from the State religion, and the few survivors eventually established the Hutterites and Mennonites, whose many different branches still reflect some of that simple, Christ-centered understanding of the scriptures in their lifestyle and worldview (borrowed from "Anabaptist Seekers" online discussion group).