The "Radical" Reformation
The Reformation, as with most things of great significance, experienced a sort of spinoff that eventually went out of control.
The original, mainline reformers are sometimes classified as “magisterial” reformers. This is because they supported the idea and pursuit of a Christian state with the help of magistrates and secular authorities. Regrettably, traces of Constantinianism lingered here. For instance, on occasion, military and political power was employed to rid the world of heretics. Later, Baptists in the mainline reformed tradition would see inconsistency in this approach and advocate a separation of church and state.
In addition to the “Magisterial Reformation” there was what is often called the “Radical Reformation.” This was a rather more spirited affair. These radical reformers, often described as the “Protestants of Protestantism,” were of the view that their magisterial counterparts hadn’t quite pushed the Reformation far enough. Their aim was to bring the Christian church back to its apostolic roots, stripping away what they saw as the needless trappings of the established church.
The “radicals” were not off on everything. They advocated several biblically significant convictions. For instance, they emphasized the importance of regeneration. In light of this, they rejected the practice of infant baptism, opting instead for believers' baptism. Moreover, they firmly opposed any form of coercion in matters of religious belief, advocating instead for freedom of conscience.
A major emphasis of the Radical Reformation was their belief in the separation of church and state, insisting that the church should be a distinct and separate remnant, free from worldly entanglements. This principle was perhaps the most universal tenet of the movement.
But not all their convictions sit comfortably with the broader counsel of Scripture. Their emphasis on pacifism and simple, even ascetic, lifestyles strike a somewhat inconsistent chord. They placed greater importance on practical living than on creeds and doctrinal confessions. This led to a tendency to diminish the importance of objective scholarship and open the way to subjective experiences. Their zeal for purifying the church extended to a wholesale rejection of anything traditional. Their aversion to traditions threw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Good and healthy Christian traditions were sacrificed in a spirit of zealous rebellion against institutionalism.
Some crucial priorities and some lamentable practices of the “radicals” missed the fundamental substance and spirit of the Reformation’s chief discovery.
The largest and most influential group of the Radical Reformation was the Anabaptists. Learn more about this group through the links below.
