Anabaptist Perspectives

The Nicene Creed has been a bedrock of Christian orthodoxy for 1700 years. But what is it and why was it written? Does the Nicene Creed still matter today? Stephen Russell describes what led to the formation of the Nicene Creed. He argues that we, like the early Anabaptists, should affirm and use the Nicene Creed in our lives and churches. In this episode Stephen briefly mentions catechesis (instr...

John Ghanim was born to a conservative Muslim family and community in Yemen. Eventually, John left Islam and fled Yemen as a refugee. In this episode, John describes what Muslims believe, how we can better reach out to Muslims, and what showed him that Islam is a false religion. John’s testimony John’s website Jay Smith on Islam’s Origins Special thanks to Credo Schloss Unspunnen for the filming l...

Heiko and Sabine grew up in Germany in homes that did not foster relationship with Christ. Together they tell the story of their journey towards Christ. Before conversion, they experienced love from Christians which pointed to the truth of Christianity. After conversion, Scripture became a powerful force for change in their lives, and Jesus’ redemptive work saved their marriage. Special thanks to...

Sam Baer was raised in a Mennonite home, but he left Christianity altogether as a young man. Living in sin and in the world, Sam eventually came face to face with the reality of who Christ is. Sam explains how Christ brought him back, and how he experienced rejoining the church. The Bible Project Christina's Story Special thanks to Credo Schloss Unspunnen for the filming location and hospitality....

Americans are fascinated with politics. How can we engage our communities and neighbors in political topics while we hold to a faith tradition that embraces nonviolence and non-governmental participation? Bryant Martin tells how he was embarrassed about these beliefs in the past, and how he came to a clear understanding of serving society by engaging with it in nonpolitical ways. Bryant outlines w...

Zoltan Dohi was born into a broken family behind the Iron Curtain. Christianity was heavily persecuted in the Eastern Bloc and was not practiced in Zoltan’s home. Zoltan recounts how the principles he learned from his grandparents about the Sermon on the Mount eventually bore fruit in his life; he began to read the Bible for the first time. He describes the incredible power of the Sermon on the Mo...

What did the early church believe about the atonement? David Bercot takes us through the early church writers to show that they didn’t think of the atonement through the same frameworks we have about the atonement. David explains that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not teach penal substitutionary atonement (PSA); rather, PSA is a modern interpretation read back into the original texts. Our episode wi...

Jared describes his work of removing landmines left from the war which continue to make this region dangerous for local residents. He explains how this work is a tangible witness both to Christ’s love and to the power of radical enemy love for people whose lives have been torn apart by the horrors of modern warfare. This effort is a hands-on way of “turning swords into ploughshares,” as the prophe...

20th Century North American Mennonites wrote several confessions of faith including statements formed in 1921, 1963, and 1964. Edsel Burdge introduces us to the background and writers of these confessions, and he comments on the conditions that lead to their creation. He also explores how these confessions have been received in the Mennonite community. Timestamps: 1:44 - 1921 Garden City Fundament...

Christina Baer was raised in a secular home and didn’t give God or Christianity much thought. But through the power of the Bible and the influence of believers, she eventually came to know Christ. Christina shares her journey of joining the church and discusses the beauty and challenge of joining a community of believers. Special thanks to Credo Schloss Unspunnen for the filming location and hospi...

Enda was raised in home that had little interest in Christianity. In his years of searching for meaning, he joined the New Age spiritualism movement and became involved in various forms of dark activities. Eventually, Enda discovered the light of Scripture and turned away from the evil in his former worldview. Enda explains why he left the New Age movement and how the light of the Gospel conquered...

There are many differing opinions about our interactions with spiritual warfare; Rick Rhodes outlines some principles for engaging in spiritual warfare as Christians. What is it, really? What are proper ways we should think about and engage with this topic, and how does spiritual warfare affect our daily lives? Rick Rhodes’ ministry website This is the 290th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a p...

John Ghanim was born and raised in Yemen, in a conservative Muslim family and community. While on his pilgrimage to Mecca, John began to have doubts about Islam. Afraid of what his family would think, he kept those doubts secret, but he was convinced that Islam is not real. John fled the war in Yemen to a refugee camp in Europe, where he met Christians for the first time. John came to Christ, and...

Vince Lewis was an officer in the United States Air Force, and flew multiple combat missions. After leaving the Air Force, he found the Anabaptists and came to believe in nonresistance. In this episode, Vince explains what nonresistance is and why this doctrine is so important to all Christians. Vince Lewis’ Testimony Christianity, War, and America’s Salvation Story This is the 288th episode of An...

Randall Graber moved his family to Greece, where they live and work with refugees from around the world. In this episode, Randall explains why they moved across the globe, the lessons of integrating across cultures, and the challenges refugees encounter while becoming part of a new community. Randall has spent years creating a business that provides jobs for refugees and helps them rebuild their l...

Charlette Lewis married an Air Force officer and spent many years as a military wife. Through the difficulties of that lifestyle, she decided to give up on her marriage. Charlette filed for divorce and took the children to live on the opposite side of the country from her ex-husband. In this episode, Charlette tells the story of how she found Christ and how God restored and redeemed the relationsh...

The modern world is full of technological wonders and advances in science. Yet despite human efforts to control the world, chaos and the unknown remain in our experiences through war, disease, natural disasters, and more. Kyle Stolzfus discusses how we can respond to the uncertainty and chaos of the world as followers of Christ. What is the proper response to chaos? What are ways that Christ can u...

The Schleitheim Confession was written in Switzerland in 1527 as the first confession of faith from the Anabaptists. It has continued to be important to the Anabaptists in the nearly 500 years that have followed. Dean Taylor and Stephen Russell unpack what it says, why it matters, and how it continues to affect us today. This roundtable discussion was filmed as part of the Anabaptist Origins docum...

Why did Jesus enjoin us not to swear oaths? Zack Johnson shares what he learned from his personal experience with oaths of loyalty to Ecuador and the United States before he knew the significance of this prohibition. He challenges us to avoid oath-taking in all areas of life. John Calvin’s explication of the third commandment Schleitheim Confession Mathew Bates Episode Zach’s First Episode This is...

Dwight Peavy was stuck in sin, but God intervened and saved him. Dwight recounts how he was on the verge of abandoning hope when God took him off his path of destruction and into a life of fellowship with God and his people. What Is Addiction? How Can We Help Each Other? by Michael Hochstetler Osceola Christian Fellowship This is the 282nd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and Y...

Vince Lewis was an officer in the United States Air Force for 24 years, flying multiple combat missions during the Vietnam War. He commanded a B-52 (a nuclear capable bomber) at Griffiss Air Force Base during the Cold War and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with top level security clearance. In this episode, Vince describes how he came to Christ while in the Air Force. He came to believe i...

Lot is often regarded in a poor light, yet the apostle Peter described him as “righteous” (II Peter 2:7-8). Glenn Martin explains the research he did on Lot and explores the important pieces he believes we have missed. How was Lot righteous? Have we misunderstood this story? Is there another perspective that has been lost to history? Glenn Martin’s book: Righteous Lot? a historical retelling Stren...

Dan Yoder has lived in Ireland for the past 28 years as part of a mission and church plant. He discusses lessons he learned while planting a church in a cross-cultural setting and addresses some of the specific challenges he encountered. This is the 279th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thoug...

This is the 278th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Anabaptist Perspectives has done a number of episodes on the early church and how their writings can inform and instruct us today. Kyle Stolzfus addresses some of the points previously discussed that drew pushback from listeners regar...

It is often argued that the early church did not teach penal substitutionary atonement, but rather taught Christus Victor. Dean Taylor argues that penal substitutionary atonement thinking was present in the texts of early Christian writers such as Origen, Eusebius, and Chrysostom alongside Christus Victor teachings. Dean believes that Anabaptists have misunderstood the early church position on the...