Menno Simons and the Sword: From Oldeklooster to Wüstenfelde

This article traces the evolution of the attitudes of Anabaptist Menno Simons with respect to state-sponsored violence by examining the theme through his written works over the course of his career as a reformer. Particular attention is given to the circumstances that surround key writings. Menno’s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religions (Basel, Switzerland ) Switzerland ), 2024-11, Vol.15 (11), p.1356
Main Author: McGinnis, Scott
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
16th century
Anabaptists
Beliefs, opinions and attitudes
capital punishment
Christianity
Conformity
Leadership
Menno Simons
Monks
pacificism
Religion
Religious reformers
religious toleration
Violence
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Summary:This article traces the evolution of the attitudes of Anabaptist Menno Simons with respect to state-sponsored violence by examining the theme through his written works over the course of his career as a reformer. Particular attention is given to the circumstances that surround key writings. Menno’s sometimes deliberate ambiguity and the evolution in his beliefs reflect his precarious position as an itinerant preacher, as well as the fragile state of the group of would-be revolutionaries and other dissenters whose leadership he inherited shortly after renouncing his role as a priest. The position he ultimately took against the execution of criminals is unusual for his day and shows the extent of his thoroughgoing rejection of violence for Christians.
ISSN:2077-1444
2077-1444
DOI:10.3390/rel15111356