The radical reformers who believed only adults could truly repent
In the 16th century, a group of dissenters emerged that refused to recognize the validity of infant baptism. They argued that faith requires a conscious choice—a stance so radical it earned them the label 'Anabaptist,' meaning to baptize again.
The Anabaptist movement emerged during the Radical Reformation, a period of intense religious upheaval in the 1500s. While mainstream reformers like Martin Luther focused on theological doctrines like justification by faith, Anabaptists pushed for a more fundamental social and spiritual shift. Their core tenet, known as 'believer's baptism,' held that baptism is only valid when a candidate can personally confess their faith in Christ. Because infants cannot repent or make a conscious decision, Anabaptists viewed infant baptism as fundamentally invalid.
This conviction led to significant friction with both the Roman Catholic Church and Magisterial Protestant leaders like Ulrich Zwingli. In Zurich, the division became clear in 1523 when radicals clashed with Zwingli over whether church reform should be dictated by the city council or by the Bible alone. The movement's identity was further solidified by the Schleitheim Confession in 1527, an early foundational document of faith. However, the cost of dissent was high; the movement faced heavy persecution from state churches, and early leaders like Michael Sattler were executed.
The origins of the movement remain a subject of intense historical debate. Some scholars support 'monogenesis,' the theory that the movement began with a single event in Zurich on January 21, 1525, when Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock. Others argue for 'polygenesis,' suggesting the movement grew from several independent points of departure, such as South German, Swiss, and Dutch groups. Despite these debates, the legacy of the Anabaptists survives today in denominations like the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites, who continue to practice many of the movement's original principles of non-violence and separation from worldly politics.
Source: Anabaptism
