The Munsterite Kingdom – 1534 – 1535

Constantine PROKHOROV

Authors

Constantine PROKHOROV He teaches church history and other subjects at Baptist theological schools in Kazakstan and Siberia,

Keywords:

The Munsterite Kingdom, Anabaptist movement, Zwinglian, Mennonites

Abstract

It is well known that the events at Munster in 1534-35 represent one of the basic reasons why Baptist historians are sometimes reluctant to trace their denomination’s origin from the Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century. The author of this article offers a new look at the unfortunately well-known events of the “Munsterite kingdom,” comparing them with analagous events in the ancient church and also in contemporary Anabaptist, Roman Catholic, and Protestant (Lutheran, Zwinglian) history. A comparative analysis shows that the situation in Munster applied to the radical wing of the Anabaptists only and was, at the same time, not that far beyond the bound aries of religious practice common in Europe at the time. The moderate Anabaptist wing condemned the events at Munster, and future development of the movement, especially among the Mennonites, moved in the direction of absolute pacifism.

Author Biography

Constantine PROKHOROV, He teaches church history and other subjects at Baptist theological schools in Kazakstan and Siberia

Constantine Prokhorov was born in 1966. He is a graduate of North Kazakstan University and Odessa Theological Seminary. He teaches church history and other subjects at Baptist theological schools in Kazakstan and Siberia, and has completed a Master’s degree at International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. Prokhorov is the author of two books on history and theology. He is married and has three children.

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