The Secret of the Strength: What Would the Anabaptists Tell This Generation?

by Peter Hoover, Kingdom Driven (Editor)

“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you,” Christ told his followers. And a few fishermen, a tax collector, and a motley group of believers set out to change the world. In fact, they succeeded.In 16th century Europe, the Anabaptists preaching in cities by night, on back streets, and in secret corners behind rail fences set out to do the very thing the apostles had done. They, too, turned the world of their day upside down. What was the secret of their strength? In this book, Hoover explains what gave the Anabaptists their incredible spiritual strength.Was their secret a return to the Bible? No, they were far more than Biblicists. Was it a return to apostolic tradition? No, they were far more than keepers of tradition. Fundamentalism and traditionalism have never held Christianity together nor made it work.The “secret of the kingdom of God” is stunningly simple. With two words Christ revealed it to His disciples. Upon comprehending it, His disciples came to a sudden knowledge of the will of God, of the whole Bible, and of the right way to live.This book is more than an Anabaptist history; it is a challenge to all Christ-followers to put the teachings of Jesus into practice and to be part of a Kingdom movement that transcends the man-made boundaries of denomination.

Genres: History

234 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2013

Reviews

[Clayton Wagler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It contains a lot of direct quotations, which counts for a lot in my books (no pun intended). It concisely provides an understanding of how the early anabaptists viewed certain issues. 4.5/5 stars

[Ike Unger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding Anabaptist beliefs. How incredibly sad that as the persecution ended, so did their deep conviction to follow Christ. Hoover does an amazing job tackling key issues and shining clarity on them.

[Gordon McConnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Anabaptist Story

An interesting read telling a general history of the Anabaptist's and their teachings which was not always consistent showing they were a mixed bunch depending from what part of Europe they were from.
But it was a worthwhile reading of its history.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wandering path through anabaptistes history

Anabaptism is part of my history too. I appreciate this author’s pointing out the strength in this way. The honesty and sorrow expressed with the mistakes that complicated this story help balance the exceptionalism and undue reverence that we give the past sometimes.

The structure and length were a challenge for me, perhaps hindered by poor digital formatting.

[David Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons from the anabaptists

A comprehensive overview of Christians from the 1500 up to the present. Peter Hoover challenges us to consider Eternal things

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

How good it would be to be “the little flock” again.