The Naked Anabaptist
The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith
by Stuart Murray
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Pub Date Oct 20 2015 | Archive Date Nov 20 2015
Description
Who are the Anabaptists? What do they believe? Where did they come from? What makes them different from other Christians? And can you become an Anabaptist without leaving your own church?
Follow Stuart Murray as he peels back the layers to reveal the core convictions of Anabaptist Christianity, a way of following Jesus that challenges, disturbs, and inspires. Glimpse an alternative to nationalistic, materialistic, individualistic Christian faith. If you are seeking a community of authentic discipleship, heartfelt worship, sacrificial service, and radical peacemaking, consider this your invitation.
New Edition features:
- Voices and stories from North America and the global church.
- Updated and expanded definition and discussion of Christendom.
- Updated resource section.
Advance Praise
“The Naked Anabaptist needed to be written, and I can't imagine anyone better than Stuart Murray to write it. I fully share Stuart's enthusiasm for what the Christian community at large can learn from the Anabaptist way of being Christian, and I hope you'll share my enthusiasm for this book. Please read it and encourage others to do the same.”—Brian D. McLaren, author, speaker, and activist
“The Anabaptists are beginning to make more and more sense to a world that is increasingly aware of the emptiness of materialism and the ugliness of militarism. Anabaptist logic is rooted in the wisdom of the cross of Jesus, which Scripture says confounds the wisdom of this world. It seems the world is poised for a new Anabaptist movement, and The Naked Anabaptist may well be the spark that lights the fire.”—Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution
“I am finding a growing hunger for a more authentic whole-life faith that makes a difference in the lives of others. Many are discovering their answer in the Anabaptist witness, as I did 30 years ago. The Naked Anabaptist is a treasure for those who want to become more faithful followers of Jesus in our troubled world. Stuart Murray compellingly explains how the Anabaptist witness calls us to take Jesus seriously in every area of our lives and in response to the urgent issues of peace and justice that fill our world.”—Tom Sine, author of The New Conspirators
“Yes, it is good to be naked. That’s a profound concession for a traditional Mennonite. Whether you have been steeped in Anabaptism from birth, as I have, or are just trying to understand a peculiar worldview, you will learn a lot from this study written by an Irish/English Anabaptist.”—James Toews, pastor at Neighbourhood Church, Nanaimo, B.C., and Mennonite Brethren Herald columnist
“In The Naked Anabaptist, Stuart Murray lays bare—in clear, simple, vulnerable detail—central themes of radical Anabaptism that have sometimes been obscured by the ethnic and cultural garb of the Mennonite denominational tradition. For anyone eager to learn how Anabaptist theology might be translated cross-culturally—whether within the global Anabaptist fellowship or among renewal movements at the edges of mainstream Christianity—this is an essential book.”—John D. Roth, Goshen College
“Stuart Murray offers a compelling exploration of the heart of Anabaptism. For traditional Anabaptists, this book serves as a necessary reminder of a dynamic movement that cannot be claimed by anyone but the Spirit. Anabaptists-at-heart will be encouraged by the recognition that they are not alone. And everyone else will be confronted with a vision that, if taken to heart, has the power to revive the Church and change the world.”—Mark Van Steenwyk, JesusManifesto.com and founder of the Missio Dei community in Minneapolis
Marketing Plan
- Press kit and review copies to target market's online blogs, podcasts, social media, and print media outlets
- Online Q&A with the author
- ARC strategy with select reviewers and targeted retailers
- Direct marketing to flagship churches studying Anabaptism
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780836199833 |
| PRICE | $14.99 (USD) |
Links
Average rating from 6 members
Featured Reviews
Mark K, Reviewer
I've been seeing increasing mentions of Anabaptists recently. Like many American Christians, probably the only associative reference I have of Anabaptists are groups such as the Amish, Mennonites, and Quakers. This book was a good introduction on some of the history, the core values, and how these values are practiced in contemporary society.
The title The Naked Anabaptist comes from the purpose of the book: to strip away group and cultural accouterments that are associated with forms of Anabaptism and get at the core values that are shared across most, if not all, who belong to it. There are seven such values, and among them are what is likely familiar to many Christians: peacemaking, community, and social justice. There are others that are less familiar, but no less important such as methods of reading and interpreting scripture; engaging the public sphere; and ministry according to gifts, not culturally and culturally-informed theologically based roles (aka, gender roles, women's roles in the church, etc.).
One of the key principles used throughout the book is the distinction between Christianity and Christendom. The first is faithful to Jesus and gospel; the second is a creation of (literally) men. The former is the first two to three centuries of the Church; the latter is what happened when Church and Rome came together and continues to be a priority of most Christian groups and denominations today. Even among those who claim separation of church and state, many look with nostalgia on the time when the public sphere had the imprimatur of the Church and vice versa, and the hierarchical structure taken from secular power reign in most formal church organizations. Anabaptists are very much for Christianity, but are strongly against Christendom.
The book ends with a chapter on some of the criticisms and critiques that Anabaptism has received, some of its shortcomings and dangers.
The book is evangelistic, but not proselytizing: i.e., it seeks to spread the good news that is found in Anabaptist values. And there are many. There are parts of the original gospel, hidden and minimized in many forms of more mainstream Christianity, that are emphasized in Anabaptist values. These can provide correctives to some skewed expressions of Christianity, and offer hope and a new vision to Christians disillusioned by what they see and don't see in current forms of popular Christianity. But it does not seek to turn people into Anabaptists. The room is big enough for many strands and expressions of Christianity. Anabaptist values can be incorporated into existing frameworks, providing a more robust and more genuine expressions of what it means to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ.
(This review is based on ARC supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)
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