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Episode 111 · July 16, 2026 · 33:15

Anabaptist Peacemaking

In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the Holy Convergence series by exploring peacemaking, the gift of the Anabaptist tradition.

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In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues the Holy Convergence series by exploring peacemaking, the gift of the Anabaptist tradition. Emerging during the Radical Reformation of the sixteenth century, the Anabaptists believed that following Jesus meant more than affirming correct doctrine, it meant obeying the teachings of Jesus in everyday life. Their commitment to believer’s baptism, discipleship, nonviolence, and allegiance to the kingdom of God set them apart from both Catholics and other Protestant reformers.  

Derek traces the origins of the Anabaptist movement through figures such as Felix Manz, Michael Sattler, and Menno Simons. Despite severe persecution, imprisonment, exile, and martyrdom, these radical reformers remained committed to the teachings of Jesus, particularly his commands to love enemies, forgive offenders, and reject retaliation. 

The episode then explores peacemaking in the way of Jesus. Rooted in the Sermon on the Mount and the example of Christ’s self-giving love, Christian nonviolence is presented not as passivity or mere niceness, but as the courageous pursuit of reconciliation, justice, mercy, and truth without violence. The Anabaptist witness reminds us that the teachings of Jesus are not impossible ideals but practical instructions for faithful Christian discipleship. 

 

Key Takeaways 

 

Scriptures Mentioned 

 

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Transcript

Welcome back to Welcome to another episode of Peaceable and Kind. I am your host, Derek Vreland, and we’re in a series called A Holy Convergence, where I’m talking about the convergence of seven. Different traditions, and how this has shaped my life and the life of our church. And so on this episode, I want to talk about Anabaptist peacemaking. I want to introduce you to the Anabaptist tradition and talk to you about the great contribution of the Anabaptists, and that is the reminder. That as followers of Jesus, we are to obey all that he has commanded. Before we get started, let me Encourage you to leave a rating and review. And if you have not subscribed already, please get subscribed wherever you’re listening to this podcast. And on this episode, I want to do something a little bit different. So let me sort of pull back the curtain a little bit and share with you a little bit of The behind the scenes of Peaceable and Kind, as it were. I work on these podcast episodes all throughout the week, but normally the morning that I’m recording, I’m putting together my notes in an outline. I try to present things in a conversational tone. I know sometimes I get preachy. I I don’t intend to do that, but it’s just my my nature, the preacher starts coming out. But I do want these to be conversational, but then I also want to have my facts straight. I want to have correct verses and I want to get quotes right and all that sort of thing. So sometimes in my outline I will have longer portions that I read, but I don’t want it just to sound like I’m reading. uh an essay or lecture to you. I want these episodes to be engaging. Well I have been working on building a case for Christian nonviolence. Of course, that was an entire episode, but I’ve been working on that content for something that I want to do in the future. And because of that, I did a lot of writing in preparation for this episode. And so I’ve made the decision for this episode, and I don’t necessarily think it will continue. But on this episode, I do want to simply read to you what I have written. Now, I might stop. to add some commentary, but there’s a lot of content. I want to get the content straight. And if I don’t simply read this Uh this will be a two-hour episode. Because if I if I diverge too much, even from an outline, I’ll just ramble and go on and on forever. And I I feel the sense that with this topic, which is one that is close to my heart, I mean, we call this podcast peaceable and kind. Because peacemaking is uh is a passion for me. It’s it’s something that I see as critical for Christian discipleship. So I think my my temptation will be to chase too many rabbits. So to avoid that I simply want to read to you what I’ve written. Now it’s about 3,000 words. So buckle up. Get yourself a cup of coffee or your favorite drink. But I’ll try to read uh slowly with articulation because some of this is history, some of this is practical theology. But I hope you enjoy this. Now, if you don’t like this form of the podcast, reach out to me on social media. Or if you have my number, text me and let me know. Say don’t read to me again. I’m open to that. But for this discussion of Anabaptist peacemaking, I’m going to read. So let’s begin. The Protestant Reformation, with towering leaders like Martin Luther in Germany or John Calvin in Geneva, reverberated through Western Europe. But there was another movement born in the sixteenth century, a smaller and yet equally audacious renewal movement. that took seriously the reformed doctrine of sola scriptura. Their vision of Christian discipleship would give the church one of its most enduring testimonies of nonviolence, religious liberty, and radical allegiance to King Jesus over every aspect of life. These radical Jesus followers would come to be known as the Radical Reformers or the Anabaptists. Their story begins in Zurich, Switzerland, in the early 1520s. The Swiss reformer, Holdrich Zwingli, was leading a movement to reform the church according to Scripture. Much like Luther and Calvin. Around him gathered a group of young students, including Conrad Grable, Felix Mons, and George Blaurock. Zwingli’s preaching sparked a passion in these young men. Together they studied the New Testament and dreamed of a church renewed by the teachings of Jesus At first these young reformers admired Zwingli, but over time they became frustrated. They believed the Reformation was not going far enough or happening fast enough While Zingli worked within the structures of government, these young radicals became convinced that the church should be governed by King Jesus alone. We who live in liberal democracies often take the freedom of religion for granted. I know I do. But in sixteenth century Europe, the church was the state church. Civic governance and religious authority were tied together. The radical reformers saw no such conflation of church and state. Rather, they saw the anti-imperial nature of the gospel. In the world of the New Testament, Caesar had his domain and the church had hers. As they read the New Testament, one issue became especially troubling. They could find no example of infant baptism. Everywhere in Scripture, baptism followed repentance, faith, and a conscious commitment to follow Jesus. For them, the question of baptism followed a desire to uphold the apostolic witness of the New Testament Church. In sixteenth century Europe, infant baptism functioned as the entry point into both church and society. To reject infant baptism was to challenge the entire system of Christendom a church state arrangement that in some respects anticipated modern forms of Christian nationalism. Then came the pivotal evening of january twenty first, fifteen twenty five. Gathered secretly in Zurich, a small group prayed together, seeking God’s wisdom and direction Becoming convinced that the sprinkling of a newborn child did not match the form of baptism in the New Testament, Conrad Greble baptized George Bla Rock upon his confession of faith. Blarok then baptized the others. With that simple act, the Anabaptist movement was born. Their opponents called them Anabaptists, meaning re baptizers. To their critics, they were dangerous radicals. To themselves, they were simply Christians Seeking to restore the New Testament church. They didn’t see themselves as re-baptizers because they denied the church’s practice of infant baptism. Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli all carried on the tradition of infant baptism, but the radical reformers felt that their Reformation teachers had not gone far enough with their reforms. Despite having no political protection and facing persecution from both Catholics and Protestants, Anabaptist evangelists spread across Switzerland, Southern Germany, Austria, Moravia, and the Netherlands. They were not merely proclaiming a new doctrine of baptism. They were announcing a new way of being Christian. One that set aside the authority of church tradition and elevated the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. For the Anabaptists, our experience of salvation included following Jesus. To be a Christian meant becoming a disciple. Infant baptism, according to the Anabaptists, gave people a false sense of security and squelched the desire to intentionally follow Jesus As they studied the Sermon on the Mount, they became convinced that Jesus meant what he said. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, turn the other cheek Bless those who curse you. They believed these were commands to be obeyed, moral imperatives to incorporate into the life of the church For other Christians of their day, both the newly emerging Protestants and Catholics, these commands were aspirational and unobtainable ideals For the Anabaptists, they were binding instructions, sewn into the very fabric of Christian discipleship As a result, they rejected participation in war. They refused military service. They would not take up arms against their enemies. Many also refused to swear political oaths, believing their allegiance belonged first and foremost to Jesus and his kingdom. These convictions cause them to draw the attention of political authorities. And remember, church authorities and civic authorities work together. What you did or did not do in church could put you on the wrong side of the law, and some crimes related to religious practice were punishable by death. Felix Mons suffered such an untimely death. Mons had become one of the founders of the Swiss Brethren. When Conrad Greble baptized George Blarok, he did so in Mons home. Mons and Blaroch had been preaching and teaching the ways of Jesus. and Mons was arrested for re baptizing people. The Zurich Council had passed a law making the practice of re baptism a capital offense anyone caught baptizing an adult would be sentenced to death by drowning. It’s difficult to imagine the senselessness and cruelty of such a severe punishment but it goes to show how intertwined Christian faith was with civic law. On January fifth, 1527, the Zurich authorities sentenced Felix Mons to death by drowning in the Lamont River. The irony was not lost on anyone. If he loved baptism so much, they thought, let him die by water. As he was led to his execution, Mons, like the early Christian martyrs of the first couple hundred years of church history, reportedly praised God. He died not resisting his executioners, but he continued praying and singing. This pattern of martyrdom would repeat itself thousands of times. Anabaptists were imprisoned, exiled, tortured, and executed throughout Europe Some were burned at the stake, and others were drowned. Many lost homes, property, and families. They were viewed as social agitators and heretics, and they consistently refused violent retaliation. One of the most important moments in the movement came later that same year. In fifteen twenty seven, leaders gathered in the Swiss village of Schleitham under the leadership of Michael Sattler, a former Benedictine monk. Together they produced what became known as the Schleitheim Confession. This document outlined the essential convictions of the emerging movement. It affirmed believers’ baptism, church discipline, separation from the corruptions of the world, and perhaps most significantly, nonviolence Christians, the confession argued, should never use the sword. The weapons of believers were not political coercion or military force, but faithfulness, suffering prayer and love. They believed the word of the Apostle Paul who wrote, We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons. to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 2 Corinthians 10 4 In the Schleitheim Confession, they wrote, the sword is ordained of God outside the perfection of Christ. In other words, God had put the sword in the hand of the State, not the Church. This statement revealed what many considered the most radical teaching of these radical reformers. The logical, legal, and practical separation of the church from the state. Just months after helping draft the confession, Michael Sattler himself was arrested He endured brutal torture before being executed. At his trial before execution, Sattler declared, We have been sent to bear witness to the word of God Sounds like Luther’s declaration, I am bound by the scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. According to eyewitness accounts, Sattler faced death with remarkable courage and forgiveness. His witness became emblematic of the Anabaptist understanding of discipleship Following Jesus meant carrying the cross, taking upon ourselves the emblem of suffering and death. Perhaps no figure was more important in this movement, particularly for American Christians, than Minno Simons. He became the founder of a movement known as the Mennonites. A former Dutch Catholic priest, Minna was deeply troubled by both the corruption of the established church and excesses in his city. In 1536, he joined the Anabaptist movement and soon emerged as one of its most influential leaders. Minnow spent the next 25 years traveling, teaching, writing, and organizing scattered congregations again and again. He emphasized that the church Jesus was building could never be built by force. The kingdom of God advances through persuasion, service, holiness, and love, but never by the sword Under Menno’s leadership, the Anabaptist movement gained stability and clarity. His followers eventually became known as the Mennonites During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Swiss German Mennonites traveled to North America, setting up farming communities, first in Pennsylvania, and later they moved west to establish communities across the Midwest. The hope of religious freedom in the newly formed United States drew them to relocate. Hey friends, I want to pause this episode for just a moment to let you know that Resurrection, 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us, the third and final book in the God in the Neighborhood Bible study series. Is out now. Go to the show notes for ordering information. At the same time, another branch of the movement developed in Moravia under Jacob Hutter. The Hutterites embarrassed a life of Christian community sharing possessions and resources in common. Their communal settlement sought to embody the mutual care described in the Book of Acts Like many Anabaptist leaders, Hutter eventually paid for his convictions with his life, being burned at the stake in 1536. By the end of the 16th century, thousands of Anabaptists had died. Entire communities had been uprooted and relocated. Yet the movement endured, and with it a vision of Christian peacemaking that would influence generations to come. Today, their descendants include Mennonites, Amish, Hutterites, Brethren in Christ, and numerous other traditions around the world Their greatest legacy is their conviction that the teachings of Jesus are not impossible ideals reserved for saints and dreamers. Rather the way of Jesus can be lived in real time. It isn’t easy. It doesn’t come without suffering. But we can live in faithfulness to Jesus and watch as the kingdom of God expands. The gift offered to us and their contribution to our holy convergence is peacemaking The purpose for which Jesus came is peace in the ancient Jewish sense of the word. In Hebrew, the word shalom, often translated peace, means wholeness. flourishing, completeness, well-being where nothing is broken, nothing missing, nothing out of sorts I know Jesus said very provocatively, Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10, 34. But that was in the context of relationships, where some people follow the way of Jesus and some people don’t. Jesus warned them, as he is warning us today, of the inevitable sort of division between people who follow him in the ways of enemy love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation and those who succumb to the darkness of hate, bitterness, and revenge. Don’t confuse Jesus’ warning about the inevitable sword of relational division With the mission of his peaceable kingdom. Long before his birth, the prophet Isaiah announced that the coming Messiah would be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and that there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom Isaiah 9, 6 and 7. Jesus fulfilled that prophetic vision not only by bringing peace, but by teaching his followers to become people of peace. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5. 9. We who bear the family likeness of God work together to make peace. Throughout his ministry, Jesus consistently called his disciples to embody peace. He instructed them, Be at peace with one another. Mark 9, 50. When he sent them into towns and villages, he told them, Whatever house you enter, first say peace to this house. Luke ten five. As Jesus approached Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he wept over the city, saying, If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace. Luke 19, 42. His grief revealed the tragedy of rejecting God’s way of peace in favor of the way of violence, power, and conflict The Jerusalem crowd that sang praises to God when Jesus entered into the holy city of Jerusalem was the same crowd Clamoring for violence at Jesus’ trial with the words, crucify him, crucify him, on the night before his crucifixion Jesus promised his disciples a peace unlike anything the world could ever offer, saying, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. John 14, 27 Then after his resurrection, when his fearful disciples were hiding behind locked doors, the first words Jesus spoke were the words of peace. Peace be with you. John 20, 19. From the prophecy of Isaiah to the resurrection appearances, the life and ministry of Jesus are framed by peace. And one of the most important contributions of the Anabaptist tradition is its unwavering commitment to peacemaking in the way of Jesus While many Christian traditions have emphasized the value of mystery, beauty, liturgy, and audacity in our faith. Anabaptists have consistently called the Church back to the teachings of Jesus, particularly his commands to love enemies, forgive those who wrong us, and refuse retaliation. Anabaptists encourage us to imagine Isaiah’s vision of nations climbing the mountain of the Lord, and there they will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9 Far from being a political opinion, peacemaking is at the heart of Christian discipleship. And at the center of Anabaptist peacemaking is the conviction of Christian nonviolence. Nonviolence in the way of Jesus is the refusal to answer violence with violence, hatred with hatred, or insult with insult. In Genesis four, when the Lord saw the heart of Cain, the Lord said, Sin is lurking at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it. Genesis four, seven Cain’s sin, the first sin recorded after the banishment from Eden, was violence. Jesus came to save us from this seminal sin and teach us to live without violence. We root the practice of Christian nonviolence in Jesus’ command to love our enemies, and also his example of absorbing violence on the cross with the intention never to return it. Anabaptists teach us that peacemaking requires courage in the face of fear. It takes courage to let go of hate and forgive It takes courage to pursue reconciliation. It takes courage to stand against ridicule and mockery, to give voice to the oppressed and seek justice without taking up the rhetorical sword. Nonviolence is essential to peacemaking because it reflects the character of Jesus Himself, who conquered sin, the Satan, and death itself through self-giving, co-suffering love. In Jesus, we see not the love of coercive power, but the dazzling beauty of the power of love. This commitment begins with the Sermon on the Mount and the Kingdom announcements known as the Beatitudes. Jesus proclaimed Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven The Anabaptist understood that these kingdom values shape how Christians are to live here and now. Peacemaking, therefore, is not only opposition to war. It is an active way of life marked by reconciliation, mercy, forgiveness, and the courageous pursuit of justice without violence It seeks to heal what is broken rather than destroy those who are perceived as enemies. Some people confuse peacemaking in the way of Jesus with being nice. I try to be kind. This podcast is called Peaceable and Kind. I’m generally friendly and nice, but. Nice as a general disposition isn’t the same thing as peacemaking in the way of Jesus. In working for peace, we don’t try to unify hate with love. Peacemaking in the way of Jesus doesn’t require us to tell everyone, I’m okay, you’re okay, everyone is okay. That would be peacekeeping when Jesus has blessed those involved in peace-making. We can create a false sense of peace when we refuse to confront evil, sin, and injustice, the things that don’t promote a healthy, flourishing society. Now, how and when we confront evil in the way of Jesus requires wise discernment. The tone we take in our confrontation matters. We need God’s help and a steady reminder that we cannot obey Jesus by any means we choose. We live obediently to Jesus in the way of Jesus. In other words, we cannot confront sin and evil in the name of Christian peacemaking. Using the means of violence, either physical or rhetorical violence. All of this nuance is to say that peacemaking in the way of Jesus is hard Did you ever see the 1992 movie A League of Their Own? It tells the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. During World War II, when women stepped onto the baseball field while many Major League players were serving overseas. It’s based on a true story, though the characters are fictional. It stars Gina Davis, Tom Hanks, Laura Petty, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell. And the film follows two sisters whose competitive relationship unfolds alongside the challenges and triumphs of a pioneering women’s baseball team. It’s such a great film. It’s funny and it celebrates friendship and the often overlooked contribution of women athletes. all while delivering one of the movie’s most memorable lines, There’s no crying in baseball? One of the greatest scenes in the film pops up towards the end. Dottie Henson, played by Gina Davis, is leaving baseball because her injured husband has returned from war. Her coach, Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks, is upset. In a heated conversation before she leaves, he says Sneaking out like this, quitting. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It’s what lights you up. You can’t deny that. Dotty replies, it just got too hard. To which Jimmy responds, it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great. Nothing of true moral greatness ever comes easy. Christian nonviolence is hard, but it is the one and only way to peace in the way of Jesus. Christian nonviolence cannot be practiced apart from the Christian story and the practice of Christians gathered in worship and prayer. You can practice passivism and nonviolence as a moral theory, like Gandhi and others throughout history But for nonviolence to be distinctly Christian, it requires devotion to a Christian text and Christian worship and prayer within a Christian community. One prayer that helps to sustain nonviolent Christian peacemakers are the opening lines of the Serenity Prayer. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. We experience social frustration whenever we have misaligned expectations, when we assume one thing and other people assume another. This is why active peacemaking requires dialogue and effective listening techniques. We cannot resolve conflicts nonviolently if we do not understand one another We also cannot resolve conflict if we try to change things which are not in our power to change. We cannot change other people. That is God’s job We can only influence other people, and within the confines of Christian nonviolence, we influence by love and truth, never by rhetorical force. The next lines contain the true wisdom for peacemakers. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace. The pathway to a peaceable and kind life, one that works for the things that make for peace, is hard. The sooner we accept the truth that we cannot change the hardness of peacemaking, The sooner we can participate in the peace God has created. The hard is what makes it great. And that is all I have for this episode. Thanks for joining me. Go in peace. Peace and be kind.

This transcript was generated with AI and may contain errors.