3IINONN3I/M an Illustrated Quarterly Published by Bethel College, North Newton Kansas

3IINONN3I/M an Illustrated Quarterly Published by Bethel College, North Newton Kansas

Z 9 6 L Al n r 3 j n 3IINONN3I/M An Illustrated Quarterly Published by Bethel College, North Newton Kansas EDITOR Cornelius Krahn ASSOCIATE EDITORS John F. Schmidt, Walter Klaassen DESIGN CONSULTANT Robert Regier DEPARTMENT EDITORS Faith and Lift’ Walter Klaassen, Chairman Henry Poettcker (Bible) Leland Harder (Church) Russell Mast (Worship) Heinold Fast (Theology) John Howard Yoder (Theology) Orlando Waltncr (Missions) Esko Loewen (Service) Social and Economic Life J. Winfield Fret/. Chairman J. Howard Kauffman (Family) Calvin Redekop (Community) Eldon Gräber (Education) Howard Raid (Agriculture) John Sawatzky (Industry) Paul Peachey (Sociology) Jacob Loewen (Anthropology) Fine Arts Paul Friesen, Co-chairman Elaine Rich. Co-chairman Mary Eleanor Bender (Literature) Warren Kliewer (Drama) Walter Jost (Music) Robert Regier (Art) History and Folklifc Melvin Gingerich, Co-chairman John F. Schmidt, Co-chairman Irvin B. Horst (History) N. van der Zijpp (History) Delbert Grätz (Genealogy) Gerhard Wiens (Folklore) Mary Emma Showalter Eby (Foods) ADMINISTRATION Orville L. Voth, President Justus G. Holsinger, Acting Dean Merle L. Bender, Director of Development Hartzel W. Schmidt, Controller MENNONITE July, ig6y Volume XXII Number 3 LIFE CONTRIBUTORS The Anabaptists and We 99 ROBERT FRIEDMANN, formerly professor of His­ By Robert Friedmann tory and Philosophy at Western Michigan Univer­ sity, Kalamazoo, continues his researcli in Ana- baptism. He was Merino Simons Lecturer at Bethel The Mourner College, 1966. Doctrine | qj JACOB SUDERMANN, Professor of German, Divi­ sion of University Extension, Indiana University, By Jacob Sudermann South Bend, Indiana. JAN GLEYSTEEN, formerly of Amsterdam, is an artist employed by the Mcnnonitc Publishing House, The Springs Folk Festival 102 Scottdale, Pennsylvania. By Jan Gleysteen ROBERT REGIER, professor of art at Bethel Col­ lege, is Design Consultant and advisor in the Fine Arts department for Mcnnonitc Life. Art and Environment 105 J. A. DUERKSEN, formerly Chief, Section of Gravity and Astronomy, U.S. Coast and Geodetic By Robert Regier Survey, Washington, D.C., is now retired. Duerksen is continuing his research pertaining to his home Transition from Dutch to German in West Prussia 107 community, Goessel, Kansas. J. THIESSEN, professor of German, United College, By Jacob A. Duerksen Winnipeg, Manitoba, wrote his Ph.D. dissertation at Marburg, Germany, dealing with the Low German language. The Low German of the Canadian Mennonites 110 J. H. JANZEN was a writer of Low German plays, By J. Thiessen Fiction and poetry. HENRY D. DYCK, professor of English at Bemidji State College, Bemidji, Minnesota, wrote his Ph.D. Plautdietsch jjß dissertation on the Low German language at the University of Pennsylvania. By J. II. Janzen JAMES C. JUHNKE, instructor in History at Bethel College and Hesston College, is writing a Ph.D. Few Know Low German 116 dissertation on “ The Political Acculturation of the Kansas Mcnnonitcs.” Translated by Elmer F. Suderman ELMER F. SUDERMAN, professor of English at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota, has been doing extensive research in the field treated Language Differentiation Among the Low German by him. Mennonites of Manitoba 117 CORNELIUS KRAI-IN is editor of Mcnnonitc Life, published by Bethel College. By Henry D. Dyck MELVIN GINGERICH is Executive Secretary of the Historical and Research Committee, Goshen, Ind. John Schräg Espionage Case 121 J. P. JACOBSZOON, editor of the Dutch Mcnno­ nitc Conference paper, Algcmecn Doopsgczind U'cck- By James C. Juhnke hlad, was on a leave of absence and taught at East­ ern Mcnnonitc College this past year. JOHN F. SCHMIDT is curator of the Archives The Mennonite Character in American Fiction 323 of the Bethel College Historical Library and Director By Elmer F. Suderman of the Kauffman Museum. NELSON P. SPRINGER is Director of the Men- 11 unite Historical Library of Goshen College Biblical You Are the Soul 130 Seminary. By Jacob Sudermann COVER American Mennonite Fiction: Amsterdam: Foto KLM. Back Cover: New Congress Hall, Amsterdam; Foto Spaan. A Contribution toward a Bibliography 131 PHOTO CREDITS: By Elmer F. Suderman Pp. 103, 104 Jan Gleysteen. Maps pp. 112, 113 from J. Thiessen, Studien zutn Wortschatz der Mennonite Research in Progress, 1966 134 Kanadischen Mennoniten (Marburg, 1963) pp. 55, 61, 63, 71. By Cornelius Krahn, Melvin Gingerich, J. P. Jacobszoon Mennonite Bibliography, 1966 136 Printing and lay-out by Mcnnonitc Press Compiled by John F. Schmidt. Nelson P. Springer, North Newton, Kansas 67117 J. P. Jacobszoon and others MENNONITE LIFE is an illustrated quarterly mag­ azine published in January, April, July, and October by Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. Second- Books in Review 140 class postage paid at North Newton, Kansas 67117. By Cornelius Krahn, James M. Stayer, Bennie Bargen, Delbert SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year, $3.00; Three years, $7.50; Five years, $12.50. Single issues, 75 cents. Grätz, Eldon W. Gräber, N. Klassen, Warren Kliewer IN THIS The front and back cover of this issue feature Amsterdam and the Congress ISSUE Hall in which the Eighth Mennonite World Conference will convene. The April issue was devoted to the martyrs of Anabaptism, particu­ larly of the Low Countries. This issue is indirectly related to sixteenth century Anabaptism in the article “The Anabaptists and We” and in the linguistic studies which point out that Mennonites coming from Holland and settling in West Prussia This jiage from the Flemish Mennonite and Danzig continued to speak the language of their home Church record of Danzig shows a change country up to the end of the eighteenth century. Anabaptism from the Dutch to the German language in the year 1784 albeit only in one word. is also featured in “Research in Progress,” the “Bibliography” In 1784 the Dutch verb sijn was replaced and in book reviews. *1 The linguistic peculiarities of the by the German sind (were). This was done throughout the book. Mennonites of Dutch background who exchanged their language for the Low German used in the daily life and the High German used in the worship service and schools are treated in three articles. These articles illustrate what happened to the Low German dialect transplanted from country to country. Not entirely unrelated is the feature “The Springs Folk Festival” which portrays one aspect of the Pennsylvania-German heritage. The treatment of the Mennonite character in American fiction as well as the Bibliography of Mennonite writers have never before been so extensively featured and are therefore a unique contribution. *1 “Mennonite Research in Progress” and “Mennonite Bibliography,” which appear normally in the April issue, carry more information than they usually do. Special effort was put forth to report about research projects undertaken in connection with some new organizations. The Anabaptists and We By Robert Friedmann Anabaptism was something new (or rather very thorities. Admittedly, allegiance to Christ does not yet old, if we think of the early Christians) in contradis­ establish a theology in the conventional sense but the tinction to “normative” Protestantism. It actually had Anabaptists knew very well why they stood where they a theology all of its own though it was not systematically did. Their leaders were not learned men as were their developed but only implied. This theology was closest counteqiarts in Protestantism, but they succeeded very to that which was implied in the Gospels and was well in expressing the reasons for their faith and their accepted by the early Christians before their en­ difference from the world around them. counter with Greek philosophy. Anabaptism, to say it Reading Anabaptist writings is highly revealing: succinctly, went “beyond Paul” right to the heart of here a strength is speaking to us, a conviction and the teachings of Jesus, the Master, accepting his message originality which often enough is overwhelming. The of the Kingdom of God -and its .imminent coming. In way they read and used the Scriptures is amazing. this regard the theology was basically eschatologically It was original and often enough surprisingly con­ oriented. “Be ready for the Kingdom and prepare the vincing and adequate to the genius of the Bible. Their way for it.” spirit seems to have been rather akin to that of the early Once the idea of discipleship was accepted as the disciples and they understood Scriptures intuitively basic principle of Anabaptism, the entire outlook on without much learned studies. God, man, creation, sin, salvation, and so on, changed To be fair however, in our evaluation, two obvious and assumed a different character from that of, say, drawbacks of such a position have to be frankly dis­ Lutheranism. The latter intentionally de-emphasized cussed. They are serious enough. Thus in our final discipleship as something foreign to it, at best as a evaluation we have to turn now to such problems that terminal ideal unattainable for the poor sinner. we may be better enabled to judge the Anabaptist We can understand Anabaptism perhaps best as phenomenon. “existential Christianity” in contradistinction to any These then are die critical points as I see them: form of creeclal Christianity. By the term existential I 1) Early Anabaptism, particularly in Switzerland and mean a concrete faith, subjectively experienced {erlebt) the neighboring countries, was inclined to by-pass but not in the pietistic fashion—a faith witnessed to, Western culture. 2) The law of generations applies also suffered for and in the end triumphant in spite of to the Anabaptists according to which such uplifting external defeat. The martyrs during the sixteenth cen­ experiences as we claimed for die sixteenth century tury were numberless but as Tertullian observed in faded away in due time giving room to the emergence 200 A.D. “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the of a new “Anabaptist tradition.” church.” The Anabaptists did not seek it but they did Let us discuss diese questions as frankly as possible.

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