October, 1956 REMBRANDT - 350th ANNIVERSARY Published in the interest o f the best the religious, social, and economic phases o f Mennonite culture Give Mennoitite Life to friends and relatives at special occasions— Birthdays, Anniversaries, Christmas. Bound Volumes Mennonite Life is available in a series of bound volumes as follows: 1. Volume I-III (1946-48) $6 2. Volume IV-V (1949-50) $5 3. Volume VI-VII (1951-52) $5 4. Volume VIII-IX (1953-54) $5 5. Volume X-XI (1955-56) $5 If ordered directly from Mennonite Life all five volumes available at $23. Subscription rates are: 1 year—$2.; 2 years—$3.50; 3 years—$5; 5 years—$8. Address your orders to: MENNONITE LIFE North Newton, Kansas COVER Rembrandt's painting: Cornelis Claesz. Anslo and Wife. Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin. MENNONITE LIFE An Illustrated Quarterly EDITOR Cornelius Krahn ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR John F. Schmidt ASSOCIATE EDITORS Harold S. Bender S. F. Pannabecker J. Winfield Fretz Robert Kreider Melvin Gingerich J. G. Rempel N. van der Zijpp Vol. XI October, 1956 No. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Contributors.............................................................. 146 Rembrandt van Rijn................................................ .N. van der Zijpp 147 Rembrandt Knew Mennonites................................ ....Irvin B. Horst 148 List of Mennonite Subjects in Rembrandt’s Art.... 154 Some Rembrandts in America.................................. ............................................ John F. Schmidt 155 Glimpses from a Visit to Soviet Russia................... ......................... Lloyd L. Ramsey er 160 Homemaking—A Challenging Vocation.............. ................................................ Wilma Loews 163 Oklahoma Mennonite Pioneers at Enid................... ........................................ Diedrich L. Dalke 165 The Kansas Floods of 1951.................................. .......................................... Harley J. Stucky 172 Oteila Augspurger Compton.................................. ........................ Wilson Martindale Compton 176 Recollections of Otelia Augspurger Compton....... ................ Airs. Rodolphe Kinsinger Petter 179 The Odyssey of a Mennonite Family....................... .................................................... Otto Bartel ISO A New Beginning in Alberta.................................. .............................................. Rudolf Janssen 182 A Christian Creed in Blue Delftware....................... ........................................ Sihold S. Smeding 183 Basic Beliefs of the Dutch Mennonites................... ..........................................H. W. Meihuizen 184 A Confession for Our Day...................................... .................. Henk van Bilder he ek 786 Anabaptist Church Discipline................................... ............. H einz Janzen 187 Did Our Forefathers Have a Theology?............... ............................ Albert D. Klassen, Jr. 189 Books in Review.............................................. ........ .Raul Peachey, Erland Waltner, J. W . Fretz 191 Mennonite Life is an illustrated Quarterly magazine published in January, April, July and October by Bethel College, North New­ ton, Kan. Entered as second-class matter Dec. 20, 1946, at the post office at North Newton. Kan., under Act of March 3, 1879. in 9AAu& WILMA TOEWS teaches home economies at Bethel College where she delivered this lecture as a chapel address (p. 163). H. W. MJIHUIZEN, Mennonite minister, The Hague, editor of Dutch conference paper, ALGEMEEN DOOPSGEZIND WEEKBLAD (p. 184). IRVIN B. HORST, studied at Amsterdam and did relief work in Holland, teaches at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg (p. 148). HARLEY J. STUCKY, who teaches history at Bethel College, was active in organizing aid during the Kansas Floods (p. 171). WILSON MARTINDALE COMPTON, Pres, of Council for Financial Aid to Education, Inc., N.Y.; son of Otelia Augspurger Compton [p. 176). LLOYD L. RAMSEYER, President of Bluffton College, Chairman of G. C. Board of Education, made a trip to Soviet Russia (p. 160). JOHN F. SCHMIDT, took a course in archival management in Washington, D. C.; devoted some time to Rembrandt in America (p. 155). MRS. RODOLPHE KINSINGER PETTER, for 60 years missionary to the Cheyenne Indians, lives at Lame Deer, Montana (p. 179). SIBOLD S. SMEDING, a Mennonite minister at Noordhorn, Groningen, is a regular contributor to MENNONITE LIFE (p. 183). ALBERT D. KLASSEN, Jr., Bethel graduate, worked at Menninger Foundation; Dist. Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor, Topeka (p. 189). N. VAN DER ZIJPP, minister of Mennonite church, Rotterdam and prof, of Mennonite history at Menn. Seminary, Amsterdam (p. 147). HEINZ JANZEN, who studied at Bethel and Goshen, has just graduated from Biblical Seminary, New York, with the S.T.B. degree (p. 187). HENK VAN BILDERBEEK, minister of the Mennonite Church, Bolsward, Netherlands; member of the study group he describes (p. 186). NOT SHOWN OTTO BARTEL, formerly farmer, minister and civil leader among the Mennonites of Prussia now lives at Calgary, Alberta (p. 180). RUDOLF JANSSEN, a son-in-law of O. Bartel, is a church worker and contractor, Calgary, Alberta (p. 180). D1EDRICH L. DALKE, has been dean of Missouri Wesleyan College and has taught in Arlington County schools, Virginia (p. 165). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Cover Photo, Franz Stoedtner, Düsseldorf; Phot, p. 147, A. Rosenberg, REMBRANDT, (1906) p. 251; Photo, p. 149 REMBRANDT BIBEL (Vol. II) between pp. 70-71; Photo, pp. 151-52 “Anslo and Wife," Franz Stoedtner, Düsseldorf; Photo p. 152 (left) A. Rosenberg, REMBRANDT, (1906 p. 118; (right) AMSTEDODAMUM 1933, p. 92; (bottom) Kunstinstitut, Marburg; Photo p. 153, H. E. van Gelder, REMBRANDT, p. 7; Cuts pp. 172-75, THE TOPEKA DAILY CAPITAL; Cuts pp. 167-77, College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio. MENNONITE LIFE AGENTS EASTERN USA Montgomery News Stand Country Store P. T. Friesen Bookstore Bluffton, Ohio Meade, Kansas Friendly Book Store Winkler, Manitoba Qunkertoxvn, I*n. Book and Bible Store Evangel Book Shop Mountain Lake, Minn. CANADIAN Steinbach, Manitoba Ilcruld Bookstore Snudcrton, I’a. The Bookshop Golden Rule Bookstore Mennonite Book Store Freeman, South Dakota 187 King St. East Rosthern, Sask. Weaver Book Store Kitchener, Ontario J. A. Friesen & Sons 1320 G St. A. P . R atzlaff Hague, Sask. Lancaster, Pa. Henderson, Neb. Peter II. Dirks Frintshop Virgil, Ontario Derksen’s Christian Supply CENTRAL AND WESTERN Mennonite Co-op Book Store N orth C learbrook, B. C. 4014 Woodlaxvn G. D. Woelk Henry Nikkei Gospel Book Store Chicago 15, 111. Leamington, Ont. Economy Corner Goshen, Indiana The Christian Press Coaldale, Alberta Menn. Brethren Pub. House 157 Kelvin St. Goshen College Book Store Hillsboro, Kansas EUROPEA N Goshen, Indiana Winnipeg, Manitoba Mennonitengemeinde Mennonite Book Concern Crossroads Co-op D. W. Friesen & Sons Suedwall 19 Berne, Indiana Goessel, Kansas Altona, Manitoba Krefeld, U.S. Zone, Germany Printed by the Mennonite Press, North Newton, Kansas Rembrandt uan Rijn 1606-1956 By N. VAN DER ZIJPP URING this year throughout the Netherlands, the wife Saskia died, which was a hard blow for him. Dur­ birth of the greatest Dutch painter, Rembrandt ing the same year he completed the now very famous Harmensz van Rijn, which occurred 350 years ago, "Night Watch" which was not very popular. His D finances dwindled rapidly. Commissions for paintings is being commemorated. He was born July 15, 1606, at Leiden and died October 4, 1669 at Amsterdam. In decreased and by 1656 his debts had grown to the point commemoration of his birth, large exhibitions of his that he had to give up his art collection and his own works of art are found in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. house. Some support and comfort came to him through There are some 100 of his oil paintings, 200 of his Hendrickje Stoffels who kept house for him. Together etchings and approximately 250 of his drawings on with his son Titus, he opened an art store through which display. he earned his daily bread. In 1662 Hendrickje died and Rembrandt is not only the greatest of all Dutch paint­ in 1668, his son Titus followed, one year before his ers, but he was also a true Christian for whom the Bible own death. had a special significance. The exhibitions of his works It has been claimed that Rembrandt was a Mennonite; of art again demonstrate this clearly. Particularly out­ however he was not a member of a Mennonite church. He standing among his etchings is the Hundred Gulden print did have numerous contacts with Mennonites. He made made in 1649 in which Rembrandt features the contents paintings and etchings of the Mennonite minister of of Matthew 19. Around Christ, who stands in the Amsterdam, Cornell's Claesz Anslo, and other Men­ middle of the drawing, are the Lord who pnys his nonites. He also painted rabbis and Reformed ministers. slaves, the children who are being blessed, and the rich However, this much must be said. During the later young ruler, etc. Another of his great etchings is that years of his life, Rembrandt’s work reveals piety which of the Crucifixion. There are the three crosses at Gol­ was closely related to the Mennonites of his day and gatha. On the left side a group of disciples with environment. This consists of sobriety, inwardness, a Mary, on the right side in the darkness, the unbelievers. turning away from outward things, and a concentration Among the pictures we find a number of illustrations of on the essentials which was a part of the Dutch Men­ the Holy Family,