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 email newsletter which contains new and featured content! Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to...

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 Benedict Option Resident Aliens  A Community of Character Growing in the Life of Faith  The Nature of...

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 Vision” Stephen F. Dintaman, “The Spiritual Poverty of the Anabaptist Vision,” The Conrad Grebel Review 10...

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 YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our...

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 Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured...

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 Anabaptist life and thought.  Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured...

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.   Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused: https://www.churchcares.com/   Godly Response to...

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 Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment Anabaptist Awareness Symposium on Sexual Abuse This is the...

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 sides of our strengths as well as what we have received from other traditions.  Learn more about...

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, becomes a fight for our true selves which are found in Christ.  The phrase "gospel of sin management"...

“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 enjoyed this episode, check out Paul’s stimulating overview of Galatians. Redeemed from the Present Evil...

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 in the public domain and the text can be found online....

 “There is nothing, nothing harder to do in my life than church.” Dean Taylor responds to audience comments on deep disappointment with Anabaptism and on difficulties in understanding the bible due to textual complications and lack of historical context. We will often be surprised at the results if we are willing to be humbly and honestly up front with our church leaders. Dean also argues for the trustworthiness of what is known as the “Majority Text” or “Byzantine Text” of the New...

How can we engage in mission as “little Christs” and not as Americans? Kai Steinman and Rebekah Mui encourage us “learn Christ” in His humility, service, and laying down of Himself. Christ, when He is lifted up, will draw people to Himself.  While our guests acknowledge the dangers of empire and arrogance, they encourage all who reach out in humility for the sake of Christ.  “Empire is a culture just as much as the kingdom of God is a cultural”    “Good solders will be there with bread and...

Western missions were tied to imperialism and colonialism. Kai Steinman and Rebekah Mui discuss the interweaving of empire, Christendom, and mission with all its dark sides. At the same time, they call our attention to the beauty of Christ’s kingdom shining among the ashes.  The China Mirage by James Bradley  The Way of the Cross by Guy Hershberger  Rebekah discusses and quotes extensively from Hershberger’s book in this essay. Stuart Murray, “After Christendom: Does the Label Matter?”  Find...

Are Christians naïve to advocate accepting immigration? Staff members, Jaran Miller, Reagan Schrock, and Marlin Sommers respond to listener comments and discuss pertinent biblical teaching and practical realities. Also, a listener asked how to access our videos without using YouTube. See below for links to our Telegram/CloudVeil channels. Jesus, a Refugee by Josh Nisly Anabaptists and Muslims by Dean Taylor: Cultivating Spiritual Creativity by Reagan Schrock: Anabaptist Perspectives...

How can we see Bible study as a tangible way to know God? Kristi Mast shares how she moved from intimidation at Bible study to delight in seeing God through scripture. She also reflects on cultural factors that can make serious biblical engagement more difficult for women in conservative circles.  She calls all of us to study the Bible together in our pursuit of knowing God.  This is the 172nd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various...

Galatians is about God’s New Creation, as Paul Lamicela helps us see. This episode probes major themes in Galatians in light of Jesus bringing the newness that redeems us from the present evil age. For much more detail listen to Paul’s four espisode series on the Think Truth podcast https://think-truth.org/2022/01/18/galatians-series-the-big-picture/ https://think-truth.org/2022/01/31/galatians-series-the-spirit-church-rules-and-culture/...

The internet is an “attention economy.”  Websites sell your attention to advertisers and use sophisticated algorithms to personalize your feed.  Myron Eby and Verlon Miller discuss the downsides of an internet built around selling ads, and encourage us toward some ways to combat those dangers by intentionally seeking good sources of information.  12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You    Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked  Triston Harris – Center...

Does internet filtering work? Is it just a cop-out from the hard work of cultivating a pure heart? Verlon Miller and Myron Eby discuss various tools designed to protect us from the dark side of the internet. They also discuss these tools in relation to the role of community and also guarding our hearts.  This is the 168th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.  Visit our YouTube...

Does communion involve the literal body of Jesus? Does baptism save us? Dean Taylor addresses listener comments regarding baptism and the Lord’s supper. These questions were responses to Dean’s episode “The Essence of Anabaptism” in which he emphasized believing scripture “without a complicated interpretation.” Some viewers argued that doesn’t fit with Anabaptist views of communion and baptism. You can view these and other comments, as well as the original episode on YouTube. This is the...

As our board and staff were together recently, we hammered out a vision statement.   “Using digital media to encourage allegiance to Jesus’s sacrificial kingdom.”  We also discussed operation improvements. Until now we have run this podcast by seasons and currently we are in Season 4.  Going forward, we will not be using seasons. We will instead release episodes biweekly and avoid extensive season breaks.  With more time between episodes, this is a good chance to check out our other podcast....

[Note: After this episode, we will be shifting to a biweekly release schedule.]  One YouTube commenter wrote: “In the Anabaptist worldview, we value community above almost everything else. We are often even reluctant to discuss controversial Bible passages for fear of disrupting our sense of community. In the academic world, on the other hand, promoting, debating, and defending your own controversial views is an essential skill.”   This was only one of the comments left on Vince Beiler’s...

A listener commented “I love the theology and cannot stand the exclusivity” in reference to John’s episode “The Kingdom of God in Anabaptist Thought.”   John affirms the existence of other Kingdom Christians. His comments also clarify what he means by Kingdom theology. We are to be a city set on a hill, which is a light to the world as a community, not just as individuals. We are to be a society of the redeemed demonstrating what the world should look like.  This is the 165th episode of...

Whether, it’s a Sunday school lesson, topic, or sermon, teaching scripture can feel overwhelming. Verlon Miller gives helpful tools and pointers from years of preaching experience. Verlon calls us to diligence in study, whenever we have the opportunity to share. Tools discussed include cross-references, commentaries, and simple software.  This is the 164th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and...