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[English Version] (Rinck), Melchior (ca.1493 – nach 1561/1563), Anführer der Täufer in Osthessen. R. schloß sein Studium als B.A. in Leipzig ab und setzte seine humanistischen Studien in Erfurt fort. 1523 wirkte er als Kaplan und Schulmeister in Hersfeld für die Reformation, erregte Unruhe und wurde ausgewiesen. J. Strauß vermittelte ihm eine Pfarrstelle im thüringischen Eckhartshausen, wo er bald in den Bannkreis Th. Müntzers geriet. Gemeinsam mit H. Denck, der ihn nach der Niederlage der Bauern b…

[English Version] I. Allgemein Die täuferischen Bewegungen gingen aus dem reformatorischen Aufbruch und den Wirren des Bauernkriegs um 1525 in Deutschland hervor. Sie griffen allgemeinreformatorische Losungen auf, wie das »sola scriptura«, das »sola gratia«, das allgemeine Priestertum, und stimmten in die Kritik am kath. Verständnis des Abendmahls (: II.,3.) ein. Sie weigerten sich, Unmündige zur Taufe zu tragen, und führten die Bekenntnis- bzw. Erwachsenentaufe ein. Die Taufe sollte als ein indivi…

[English Version] Roll, Heinrich (? Hilversum – September 1534 Maastricht). R. war Karmeliter in Haarlem, bevor er sich reformerischen Einflüssen öffnete und Prediger im westfälischen Wassenberg wurde. Um 1531 setzte er sich in den »Slotel van dat secreet des nachtmaels« mit dem kath. und reformatorischen Abendmahlsverständnis auseinander. Das Abendmahl war für ihn eine Feier, die an die Erlösung durch Jesus Christus erinnerte und alle vom göttlichen Geist ergriffenen Menschen zu einer Glaubensgeme…

[German Version] I. General Considerations – II. Swiss Anabaptists – III. Middle and Upper German Anabaptists – IV. Lower German and Dutch Anabaptists I. General Considerations The Anabaptist movements were a product of the Reformation awakening and the turmoil of the Peasants' War around 1525 in Germany. They adopted universal Reformation concepts such as sola scriptura, sola gratia, and the universal priesthood, and concurred with the criticism of the Catholic understanding of communion (Euchar…

[German Version] (possibly Dec 20/21, 1489, Stolberg, Harz [see Vogler] – May 27, 1525, Görmar near Mühlhausen, Thuringia [executed]), priest, preacher, radical Reformation theologian, and leader of the Thuringian peasants' uprising in 1525. Müntzer attended the Latin school at Quedlinburg, and matriculated in 1506/1507 at Leipzig University, and in 1512/1513 at the Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder. He completed his studies as Magister artium and Baccalaureus biblicus. In 1514 he was offered a benefice in Brunswick (Braunschweig), became a priest in the dioces…

[German Version] I. Historical Roots – II. Spread – III. Denominational Features and Theology – IV. Organizations The Mennonites trace their roots to the Anabaptist movements in the early years of the Reformation; in the second half of the 16th century, they became the first Protestant free church on European soil. Since that time, their congregations – under various names – have grown to form a denomination with some 1.2 million baptized members in many parts of the world. In ecumenical conversations, Menno…

[German Version] (?, Hilversum – Sep 1534, Maastricht), was a Carmelite in Haarlem, the Netherlands, before he yielded to Reformation influences and became a preacher in Wassenberg in Westphalia. Around 1531 he contested both Catholic and Reformation understanding of the Lord’s Supper in his Slotel van dat secreet des nachtmaels [Key to the secret of the supper]. The Lord’s Supper was for him a celebration that recalled redemption through Jesus Christ, and bound together all those touched by the divine spirit in a fellowship of faith. After a new church order was promulgated he fled ¶ with…

[German Version] (also Rinck; c. 1493 – after 1561/1563), leader of the Baptists in East Hesse. Rink gained his B.A. in Leipzig and continued his humanist studies in Erfurt. In 1523 he was active on behalf of the Reformation as chaplain and schoolmaster in Hersfeld; he stirred up unrest and was expelled. J. Strauß enabled him to become a pastor in Eckhartshausen in Thuringia, where he soon came under the influence of T. Müntzer. After the defeat of the peasants near Frankenhausen in 1525, H. Denck…

[German Version] (c. 1500, Moos near St. Lorenzen, southern Tyrol – Feb 25, 1536, Innsbruck) founded the Hutterite Brethren. He settled in 1526/27 in Spattal on the Drau as a hat maker and joined the Anabaptists (Anabaptists). In order to escape persecution, he organized the exodus of Tyrolian Anabaptists to Austerlitz (Slavkov) in Moravia in 1529. A schism in Austerlitz in 1531 led to the establishment of a communitarian congregation in Auspitz (Hustopece), from which Huter along with his followe…

[German Version] (1480/1485, Friedberg, near Augsburg – Mar 10, 1528, Vienna), theologian and Reformer. Hubmaier (also called Friedberger and Pacimontanus) was among the most learned leaders of the High German Anabaptists. Following studies at Freiburg im Breisgau beginning in 1503 and ordination to the priesthood, he received his degree from the University of Ingolstadt in 1512 under the direction of J. Eck. After teaching there and becoming prorector, he was appointed cathedral preacher in Regen…