Part I Contemporary and Historical Context -- pg. 7

1. Why This Task? -- pg. 9

Some Historical Considerations -- pg. 12

Overview -- pg. 13

2. A Tumultuous History -- pg. 17

Switzerland -- pg. 17

South Germany and Austria -- pg. 24

The Netherlands -- pg. 35

Poland (and Italy, Lithuania and Romania) -- pg. 40

3. Approaching the Theological Endeavor -- pg. 46

Contemporary Approaches to Historic Anahaptism -- pg. 47

Contemporary Approaches to Theology in Anabaptist Perspective -- pg. 57

4. Some Main Assumptions -- pg. 94

The General Nature of Theology -- pg. 95

Approach to Historic Anahaptism -- pg. 101

Contemporary Context and Audience -- pg. 102

Part II THE COMING OF THE NEW CREATION -- pg. 105

5. The Personal Dimension -- pg. 109

The Reformation Debate -- pg. 110

Historic Anabaptist Perspectives -- pg. 113

Contemporary Appropriations -- pg. 132

6. The Communal Dimension -- pg. 157

Baptism -- pg. 160

The Lord’s Supper -- pg. 184

Discipline -- pg. 208

Economic Sharing -- pg. 234

Ecclesiological Themes -- pg. 252

7. The Missional Dimension -- pg. 255

Evangelism -- pg. 257

Church and World -- pg. 289

PART III THE CONVICTIONAL FRAMEWORK -- pg. 325

8. Jesus and Divine Reality -- pg. 329

The Work of Jesus Christ -- pg. 331

The Person of Jesus Christ -- pg. 365

The Trinity -- pg. 421

9. Human Nature -- pg. 465

Historic Anabaptist Perspectives -- pg. 468

Contemporary Appropriations -- pg. 490

10. The Last Things -- pg. 512

Historic Anabaptist Perspectives -- pg. 515

Contemporary Appropriations -- pg. 538

Summary -- pg. 562

Bibliography -- pg. 567

Names Index -- pg. 588

Scripture Index -- pg. 595

In this comprehensive volume Thomas N. Finger takes on the formidable task of making explicit the often implicit theology of the Anabaptist movement and then presenting, for the sake of the welfare of the whole contemporary Christian church, his own constructive theology. In the first part Finger tells the story of the development of Anabaptist thought, helping the reader grasp both the unifying and diverse elements in that theological tradition. In the second and third parts Finger considers in more detail the major themes essential to Anabaptist theology, first considering the historic views and then presenting his own constructive effort. Within the Anabaptist perspective Finger offers a theology that highlights the three dimensions of its salvific center: the communal, the personal and the missional. The themes taken up in the final part form what Finger identifies as the convictional framework of that center; namely, Christology, anthropology and eschatology. A landmark contribution of Anabaptist theology for the whole church in biblical, historical and contemporary context.