This next unit will be more in a conversational style, now that much of the history is now out of the way. I will be delving deeper into the theology of the 1st Anabaptists, and will be using many more "I" statements.
I am a Pastor in the United Church of Christ, we are a confessional church but not a creedal church. I find that the Anabaptists are our spiritual distant cousins with regard of how we look at the creeds. I beleive the statement on creeds for the UCC is true for the early Anabaptist of Western Europe. We see the creeds as testimonies, not "tests" of faith.
According to C. Arnold Synder, "While Anabaptists generally affirmed the Apostle's Creed (comonly called the "twelve articles of faith") nevertheless they followed common Christian practice by investing creedal affirmations with thier own particular (Anabaptist) meanings." They were all about reinterpretting the scritptures and creeds to fit the way they saw the world around them. There is not much difference between them and Christianity in the North America context in that way. They were known to change the "I"s in the Apostles Creed to "We" showing the interalitional aspects of belief.
The Schliethheim Confession is another example of the Confessions of the Anabaptist. It showed what was important to the community that Sattler wished to address.
1. Baptism- One must Believe, one can only believe as an adult.
2. Ban.- Excommunication could be utilized for those who fell out of the faith.
3. The Breaking of Bread- The Communion was a memorial meal.
4. Separation from the Abomination- the first inclings of Separation of Church and State, but theologically motivated.
5. Pastors and the Church- Pastors should be elected by the congregation.
6. Sword- This established the theology of Peace and that Christians should not serve as a magistrate.
7. Oath- No one should swear an oath because the scripture speaks against it.
With each of the Confessions we find a relational aspect to them. What do we believe in this community, and why?
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