The Doctrines of the Mennonites
by John C. Wenger
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
The Mennonites are the present-day spiritual descendants of the evangelical Anabaptists of the sixteenth century, having been founded in Switzerland by Conrad Grebel in 1525 and in the Netherlands by Obbe Philips in 1534. Menno Simons united the Dutch Obbenites in 1536 and soon was their most prominent leader; hence the name Mennists or Mennonites. In recent decades European and American scholars have had to rewrite much of Mennonite history as a result of fresh and original studies of Anabaptism. What is the picture that is emerging? Did the Anabaptists of Switzerland, the so-called Swiss Brethren, reject the trinity? Were they legalists? Did they believe in salvation by grace through faith? Were they opposed to the private ownership of property? Did they teach insubordination to the governments of this world? In short, were they fanatics, or were they simple disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ? This volume, based on comprehensive research, attempts to give a brief and clear summary of the beliefs of the Brotherhood.
J. C. Wenger, ThD, was a member of the Mennonite Historical Committee from 1945 to 1973 and the first editor of the Mennonite Historical Bulletin. He was ordained as a bishop of the Mennonite Church in 1951, regarded as a faithful minister, teacher, historian, and storyteller, and is considered to be one of the most prolific writers of the century.