Dr. Maxwell Kennel

The Anabaptists, alongside the Lutheran and Reformed churches, were the third major current in the sixteenth century Reformation movements. From their beginnings, the Anabaptists were highly diverse and yet they shared some central beliefs and practices for which they were quickly persecuted – for example, defenselessness and nonresistance, the refusal to swear oaths, and the separation of church and state. Ideal for both scholars and students, this book provides a comprehensive and scholarly account of the history and development of the Anabaptists, alongside the Mennonite, Hutterite, and Amish traditions that emerged from their movement.

Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21^st Century shows the cultural diversity of the Anabaptists over five centuries as they moved between persecution and toleration, isolation and social integration, and tradition-alization and renewal. Amidst these tensions, the Anabaptist story is told here anew based on the current state of the field on the eve of its 500-year anniversary. Written by an established scholar of Anabaptist history, and expertly translated into English by Victor Thiessen, this comprehensive study appears in the Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies series, edited by Maxwell Kennel, and published by Pandora Press.

PD Dr. Astrid von Schlachta is a Lecturer at the Universität Hamburg and head of the Mennonite Research Center in Weierhof, Germany.

She is the author of Hutterische Konfession und Tradition, 1578–1619 (Zabern, 2003), Die Hutterer zwischen Tirol und Amerika (Wagner, 2006), Gefahr oder Segen? Die Täufer in der politischen Kommun-ikation (V&R, 2009), Täufergemeinschaften: Die Hutterer (Institut für Europäische Geschichte, 2011), Alles Mythos! 20 populäre Irrtümer über Preußen (Theiss, 2011) and Die Täufer in Thüringen. Von wehrhaften Anfängen zur wehrlosen Gelassenheit (Vopelius, 2017).

Two of her books have already been translated into English, including From the Tyrol to North America: The Hutterite Story Through the Centuries. Trans. Werner and Karin Packull (Pandora Press, 2008) and “Holding Fast to What is Good?” Tradition and Renewal in Hutterite History. The 2020 Jacob D. Maendel Lectures. Trans. Jesse Hofer (Hutterian Brethren Book Centre, 2020).

Praise

“From one of the pre-eminent historians in the field, Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21^st Century provides an essential overview of the diversity and dispersal of Anabaptist thought. This fine English translation makes an important work available to Anabaptist scholars and students around the world, providing insights into both the nature of Anabaptist movements and their historiography. Anyone interested in Anabaptism will find significant value in this book.”

– Kat Hill, Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University (2024-2025), and author of Baptism, Brotherhood, and Belief: Anabaptism and Lutheranism, 1525-1585 (OUP, 2015)

“In this impressive volume by a leading scholar of Anabaptism, Astrid von Schlachta provides a fresh encyclopedic synthesis of the Anabaptist movement. Richly illustrated with examples drawn from primary sources, von Schlachta’s work captures the complexity of the movement across an expansive geographic, chronological, and methodological field of vision. This work will be a significant point of reference for Anabaptist scholarship for decades to come.”

– John D. Roth, Project Director of Anabaptism at 500 (MennoMedia) and Professor of History Emeritus, Goshen College.

“In Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21st Century, Astrid von Schlachta succeeds brilliantly in balancing dynamic concision with the thoroughness necessary to deal with the complex topic of Anabaptism. It is rare to find, within a single book, equally knowledgeable presentations of vastly disparate events in Anabaptist and Mennonite history, from the Zurich beginnings to Mennonites in the GDR. To pick out just one of many examples, her sincere portrayal of the painful struggles within the nineteenth-century German Mennonite bourgeoisie to accommodate traditional Wehrlosigkeit to newly acquired and appreciated citizenship makes for captivating reading. The lucid translation preserves both the readability and precision of the original.”

– Stephen Buckwalter, Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Reasearch centre on “Theologenbriefwechsel im Südwesten des Reichs 1550-1620.”

“A tour de force survey textbook of Anabaptist history, Astrid von Schlachta’s Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21^st Century applies the latest scholarship to the fascinating and complex history of these religious dissenters from their origins in the 1520s to the current day. She also brings this history to life by incorporating the personal stories of numerous men and women who joined or were members of one of the various Anabaptist groups, often at great peril to their own lives. The author’s balancing of sophisticated theoretical analysis, clear historical narrative, and human-interest stories sets this textbook apart from all other surveys. A truly impressive volume which avoids simplistic organization in favor of a more sophisticated thematic one that deals head on with all of the major problems, controversies, and headaches of the Anabaptist history. Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21st Century presents five centuries of complex history in one volume, and with plenty of human interest. I can see this becoming the standard text for courses on Anabaptism.”

– Gary K. Waite, Professor Emeritus, Department of Historical Studies, University of New Brunswick.

“Published on the 500^th anniversary of the first Anabaptist baptisms, this overview of the movement is a most welcome and insightful work of commemoration. A leading scholar in the field, Astrid von Schlachta shows both the enduring convictions and remarkable diversity of a movement that is marked by traditionalism and reform, increasing integration into society, and the continuous desire for spiritual reinvigoration. The author shows how what was “Anabaptist” or “Mennonite” was understood differently by each generation. In the 21^st century, Anabaptist communities are active citizens in the democratic state and part of the ecumenical movement. They can be credited with initiating discourses about freedom of conscience and tolerance that still resonate in our conflicted world.”

– Douglas H. Shantz, Professor Emeritus, Department of Classics and Religion, University of Calgary.

Praise for the Original German Edition

[A] comparable work on Anabaptist history – a comprehensive overview across time and space, written in a lively and vivid manner, saturated with sources and based on the latest research – does not exist in this country.

– Freikirchenforschung (No. 29, 2020)

As head of the Mennonite Research Center in Weierhof and a proven expert on the subject, Astrid von Schlachta is ideally qualified for the ambitious project of an overall overview: In nine chapters, Anabaptism is presented in its “diversity” and its respective contexts, from its beginnings to the present.

– PD Dr. Ingo Klitzsch, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen.

…this newly presented Anabaptist history by a proven expert, designed for study purposes, offers an excellent overview, both for self-determination with regard to Anabaptist heritage or as an outside view for the reader with historical and confessional interests.

– Dr. Thomas Klöckner, Pastor of the EFG Kaiserslautern, and Habilitation candidate at JGU Mainz.

If you want to gain profound insight into the diverse and exciting history of the Anabaptists, we recommend Astrid von Schlachta’s detailed and comprehensive account.

– Moritz Vachek, in Ichthys (Frühjahr 2022).

Anyone interested in Mennonite history will appreciate this monograph. It is written in an understandable manner, contains interesting background information, is enriched by selected images and photographs, and has a detailed bibliography that encourages further study.

– Bibel und Gemeinde (June 17, 2020)

von Schlachta provides a wealth of examples for each individual topic, so that a clear and source-based picture emerges.

– Allianz-Spiegel (September 23, 2020)

von Schlachta’s presentation takes the current state of research into account, she writes comprehensibly, organizes it skillfully and offers a rich list of literature including detailed indexes and illustrations. A standard scientific work…

– ekz Bibliotheksservice (July 28, 2020)