Baptists and Anabaptists after Christendom: Opportunities for Mutual Learning

Abstract

Although early Baptists differentiated and distanced themselves from Anabaptism for a number of understandable reasons, these traditions have much in common as a recent Baptist/Mennonite dialogue demonstrates. But there are also divergencies and opportunities for mutual learning, especially in the emerging post-Christendom context in western societies. This article reflects on examples in the areas of ethics, missiology, and ecclesiology. Contemporary Baptists and Anabaptists can learn from each other in relation to issues of war and peace, different approaches to evangelism and interpretations of the atonement, participative communities and mutual accountability. An acknowledged limitation of this article is its western focus. It concludes by recognising that both traditions have much to learn from Baptists and Anabaptists in and from the Majority World.