Community and Catastrophe - An Ecclesio-Political Reading of the Schleitheim Confession

This book enters a conversation with the "Schleitheim Articles" from a contemporary perspective. To do this, it closely follows Schleitheim''s seven articles, each of which discusses a practice to shape the church community. These range from freely chosen baptism to mutual discipline, the election of leaders, and the dissociation from worldly sovereignty. On its surface, the text suggests a severe separation from the outside world. On closer reading, however, we find a text marked by tensions and openings. Separation is never quite achieved, and negotiating ambiguity becomes key to shaping a nonsovereign co-presence. The shared life it envisions remains a matter of repeated practice, persisting without guarantee, making space for human freedom in response to God''s invitation and amid creaturely existence.

Product details

• Authors: Marius van Hoogstraten
• Publisher: T. & T. Clark Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 22.01.2026
• EAN: 9780567724564
• ISBN: 978-0-567-72456-4
• No. of pages: 176
• Series: T&T Clark Studies in Anabaptist Theology and Ethics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; RELIGION / Theology, RELIGION / Christian Theology / Ecclesiology, RELIGION / Christianity / Mennonite, Theology, Religious institutions and organizations, Religious institutions & organizations, Calvinist, Reformed & Presbyterian Churches, Calvinist, Reformed and Presbyterian Churches