The unit begins with a critical account of the emergence of the Anabaptist movement in various places in sixteenth-century Europe, setting this in its historical and theological framework. It explores the development of this movement through the centuries and investigates the distinctive Anabaptist approaches to theology, ecclesiology, ethics and missiology, contrasting their strengths and weaknesses with other contemporaneous approaches. The mission context of western society in the twenty-first century is examined, with particular reference to postmodernity and post-Christendom, and the significance of Anabaptist missiological perspectives for this context is assessed. The unit concludes by examining and critically evaluating examples of distinctive mission activities that have emerged from the Anabaptist tradition.
- Teacher: Roland Sokolowski