The origins of sectarian Protestantism : a study of the Anabaptist view of the church / by Franklin Hamlin Littell.

Formerly published as: The Anabaptist view of the church.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-222) and index.

Chapter I: The quest for the essence of Anabaptism -- A. Radicalism in the centers of reform -- In north Germany -- In Switzerland -- In south Germany and Strassburg -- B. Revolution -- The "Maccabean" type of radical -- The Davidic realm at Münster (1534-1535) -- Persecution intensified -- C. An unusual case: the tolerance of Philipp of Hesse -- Refusal to put dissenters to death -- Attitude to church reform -- Success of Philipp's policy -- D. Who were "the evangelical Täufer"? -- A convenantal people -- The problem of classification -- Chapter II: The fall of the church -- A. Religious primitivism as a pattern of thought -- Anabaptism: a form of Christian primitivism -- Sources of sixteenth-century primitivism -- The fall of the church -- B. Elements in the idea of the fall -- Glorification of the Heroic Age -- After the golden age, a fall -- C. Uses of the idea of the fall -- Chronological aspects -- Cultural aspects: the marks of the fallen church -- D. Analysis of the idea of the fall -- Periodization of history -- Eschatology -- E. Origins of the idea in the left wing -- Chapter III: The restitution of the true church -- A. The problem of continuity -- Where did the restitution begin? -- A different view of tradition -- B. What are the marks of the true church? -- Believer's baptism -- Spiritual government -- Community -- The Lord's supper -- The authority of civil government; passive obedience -- Chapter IV: The Great Commission -- A. The Anabaptist understanding of the command -- Central to their testimony -- Relevant to the life of the common man -- B. The opposition of the reformers to literal obedience -- Command exhausted in Apostolic Age -- Maintaining an intact Christendom -- C. The recapture of early Christian missionary zeal -- The method -- The heroic prototype -- Economic factors of importance -- D. Quiet Eschatology -- Eschatology a common ground for revolutions and nonresistants -- A theology of suffering -- The Anabaptists and natural law -- E. The verdict of history -- Chapter V: The changing reputation of the Anabaptists -- The critical problem -- A. Former treatments of Anabaptism and the source of problem -- Traditional interpretations -- Lutheran -- Reformed -- Roman Catholic -- In-group records and writings -- Friendly out-group writing -- B. Current developments in interpretation -- Impact of religious sociologists -- The rediscovery of primary sources -- The disputations -- C. In conclusion.