Anabaptist Perspectives

Sister Judy was converted at 26. She shares her Christian life story. Why does she wear a habit? What has she learned from varied church settings? Sister Judy encourages us to find deeper life in Christ and fellowship with the fellow-disciples he brings to us. Access the Martyr’s Mirror online Access the Ante-Nicene Fathers online See all our episodes with David Bercot View Brother Bercot’s “ An A...

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Integration into a new church community does not happen automatically and often comes with difficulty. What does it take to successfully put deep roots into a new community? Melvin Lehman brings pastoral experience to questions from audience members and asks us to remember that participating in strong communities come at a price. Though building communities that is both strong and welcoming comes...

To preach is to explain the Scripture and apply it to the life of the hearer. Paul Emerson calls those preaching to study, to pray, and to present the results simply so Scripture can speak to the listener. Paul gives guidance on Bible study and Greek and Hebrew that are useful to anyone, preacher or not. Getting Ready to Share from Scripture Episode — Verlon Miller The Inside-Out Sandwich Episode...

God can bring redemption after abortion. Dale Eby speaks from his many conversations with women (and occasionally the men involved) who are considering abortion, feel pressured toward abortion, or who have had an abortion. This is the 197th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-...

Suffering, from a worldly perspective, is meaningless. Dale Eby walks us through perspectives on suffering and redemption while acknowledging the hard realities that we don’t know how to respond to. What is the cause of suffering? How does God use it in our lives? What is the Christian’s ultimate hope with regard to suffering? This is the 196th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog,...

We educate for reading the scripture and for service. Paul Emerson urges us to educate for eternity. Children getting good jobs or going to college is not the central aim (though it is not excluded). Since all wisdom and knowledge come from Christ, education is ultimately Christology. Learning how to read scripture is not just a matter of learning to read words in the early grades. For example, th...

From the beginning, the phrase “The Earth Is the Lord’s” seized the imagination of Anabaptists. John Roth unpacks the powerful resonances of this phrase in the 16th century and calls us to see its contemporary significance for the global Anabaptist movement. This is the 194th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anab...

A viewer asks: “Does Jesus really call us as His children to build anything?......an identity, a structure, or a culture or rather to simply align ourselves with what He has already promised us He would build in and through His ekklesia?” This was in response to Melvin Lehman’s previous episode “The New Conservatives”. In this episode Melvin argues that the New Testament calls churches to proactiv...

Freedom comes from mature integrity. Chester Weaver explains we can only relate well to others when we are honest with ourselves, others, and God and guided by God’s Spirit. This is the 192nd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contain...

What kind of community should Christians cultivate? Melvin Lehman argues that particular Christian communities should be shaped by shared values, shared geography, shared goals, and shared commitments. This includes submitting to brotherhood decisions. But it must be framed within the greater commitment to the Lordship of Jesus. Look for two more episodes with Melvin to further develop these ideas...

Doubt is not a sin and questions are not always doubt. Questions and doubts should spur us to dig deeper in the appropriate areas, be our struggle factual, philosophical, emotional or volitional. Daniel gives practical encouragement for each dimension of doubt. We should be active in our search for understanding and growth. Even as we wrestle with Christian doctrine we must not give up on prayer a...

How does a struggling believer find reassurance? Daniel Yoder discusses four categories of doubt: factual, philosophical, emotional and volitional. In dealing with any of these we need to investigate the truth.  The power is not in the strength of our faith but in the power of God in whom we have faith. Based on Romans 10, Daniel calls us to reconfirm our confession of Christ as Lord and subm...

How do God’s people compose the church? How do they relate to society? What is salvation? Chester Weaver explains how he sees Anabaptists navigating these questions.  The quotation from Frank Reed This is the 188th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our monthly em...

How can Christians think about and practice community well? Kyle Stoltzfus describes two perspectives that orthodox Christians have represented, the Evangelical view and the "resident aliens” view. Kyle looks at the strengths and weaknesses of both perspectives and encourages us to embrace ways of thinking that are distinctly Christian and that differ from the prevailing culture.  The Benedic...

Anabaptists easily outline high ideals. Living them is a continuing challenge which we need to embrace. Chester Weaver articulates a version of the Anabaptist Vision and the challenges to living it out. Chester adapts themes from Harold Bender’s “The Anabaptist Vision” and Stephen Dintaman’s reflections on “The Spiritual Poverty of the Anabaptist Vision.”  Harold Bender’s “The Anabaptist Visi...

We are tempted to divide life and exempt parts from Christ’s rule. Chester Weaver decry’s these various dualisms as deadly threats to Christian life. Unless profession and behavior come together, unless work and worship unite, unless our Christianity affects our money, wholeness and integrity are threatened.   This is the 185th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and You...

How can Christians see risks and even failure as beneficial? Kyle Stoltzfus encourages us to embrace paths where we don't know the outcome and leave growth and increase up to God. We should remember that, “There is a God. I'm not him. Thank God for that."  This is the 184th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative A...

Salvation is not a ticket to heaven, but the life of God planted in human hearts. The Holy Spirit brings us into God’s life and enables us to do His work in the world. Chester Weaver explains this through various paired ideas. “Truth walks on two legs.” This is the 183rd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptis...

Anabaptists, like most of American society, are much more conscious of abuse than we were a few decades ago. There have been improvements in how we respond. There have also been changes in our response that are not necessarily for the better. Roseanne Bauman describes the way individuals and churches tended to respond in the past and comments on how responses in our communities have shifted. &nbsp...

Someone discloses abuse. How do I respond? Roseanne Bauman urges us to honor their courage in speaking, to listen well and talk little, and to connect them to someone who has appropriate experience to walk with them. This is the first in a series of two episodes where Jaran Miller interviews Roseanne about responding to sexual abuse.  Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused Godly Res...

Is it unhealthy to celebrate something that lifts up individuals or that marks a division among believers? How do we view Anabaptist history in relation to other Christian traditions? Long-time Mennonite historian John Roth calls us to “right remembering” of history, the good, the bad, and the mixed. There is much to celebrate in Anabaptism past and present, but we do well to recognize the shadow...

The gospel is about all that God created us to be. Not just managing sin, but living life with God and ruling creation with Him. Without downplaying the barrier of our sin that is overcome in Jesus’ death and resurrection, Kyle Stoltzfus urges us to see the large, rich picture that God has in mind for our living “in Christ.”  In light of that, our practical struggle against sinful actions, be...

“We don’t get to choose what story we are living in, but we can choose what character we will be.” New Testament scholar Paul Lamicela helps us see ourselves in the story of Lot’s family in Sodom and the story of David and Goliath. (Hint, we are not primarily David or Goliath in that story!) Also discussed is how Jesus saw Himself in the story of Israel in the wilderness.   If you enjoye...

Twain’s biting satire exposes the temptation to think God is on “our side” of a war. Sadly, Mark Twain himself was not a believer, but his insight into Christian hypocrisy and the perversions that come with tying religion to nationalist or imperial causes is well worth listening to. Let’s follow the Lord of peace and flee all attempts to enlist God in human war-mongering.  The War Prayer is i...