In previous episodes with Paul Lamicela, the audience asked many questions about the book of Revelation. Here Paul engages with some of these questions and defines some of the discussion around the rapture, the tribulation, and the millennium. Resources referenced in this episode: The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary Discontinuity t…

Yuriy Kravets tells the story of his interactions with Anabaptists in different parts of the world and discusses portions of global Anabaptist history. Why did Anabaptists scatter to begin with? What happened to those who fled persecution to the East, instead of traveling west to America? What can we learn from the global Anabaptist community today…

Ruth Anna Kuhns shares from her personal experience as an educator who experienced teacher burnout. She shares tools for promoting sustainable teaching and avoiding unnecessary teacher turnover. Thriving teachers have greater opportunities to create engaging educational experiences for children. Our First Episode with Ruth Anna This is the 274th ep…

Tania Taylor enlisted in the United States Army along with her husband, Dean Taylor. They were stationed in West Germany during the Cold War, and during that time they came to believe in nonresistance and enemy love. She and her husband filed for conscientious objector status from the Army. After leaving the Army they joined a new church group with…

The term “faith” in our English Bibles could often better be translated as allegiance—or so argues Matthew Bates. The term “allegiance” better captures both the authentic relational import of faith and its relationship to the royal gospel of Jesus, who is Christ the King. Taking seriously both the nature of the Gospel as a proclamation of kingship,…

Hew Gregory-Smith was an Anglican vicar and missionary from the United Kingdom. Hew began a long journey of reexamining his beliefs after he encountered challenges to what he believed and taught. Eventually, this led him to the teachings of the Anabaptists, and he moved his family to Ireland to join a Mennonite church there. In this episode Hew sha…

A listener asked: “Which early church creeds can Anabaptists affirm?” Jaran, Marlin, and Reagan discuss how the Anabaptists have engaged with the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. What did the early Anabaptists believe about the Creeds? The Complete Writings of Menno Simons: Anabaptism in Outline: Song II from the Ausbund: Lecture on the Trinit…

Fred Saldana was a US Marine during the Vietnam War whose platoon saw intense combat during the Tet Offensive and other significant battles throughout the war. Wounded many times and awarded multiple Purple Hearts, Fred eventually left the Marine Corp full of bitterness, trauma, and anger. For years afterwards he searched for meaning, and ultimatel…

Do the debates about Christianity that stirred so much violence in the 1500’s still matter? Stephen Russell and Dean Taylor emphasize the importance of a believer’s church and the church refusing to adopt governmental power. “The same theology in similar circumstances will likely produce similar results” Love Is Like a Fire: Stephen Russell talks a…

Jeff and Deana Swanson spent years searching the Scriptures to find what Christ was calling them to. They share their story of looking for a community that they could plug into, and how they came to the Anabaptist worldview. This is the 267th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of c…

The English Bible is a translation of manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. How did we get the manuscripts that Bible translations use? Why do we see differences between different translations of the Bible, and should this concern us? Andrew Lamicela pulls from his experience as a teacher of biblical Greek to explore why biblical languages mat…

Susie Coyne grew up in Slovakia and was part of the Gothic underground. She later became involved in New Age Spiritualism and other dark practices, and had no interest in Christianity. In this episode, Susie tells her story of how she came to see that every knew will bow to Jesus, and ultimately how her and her husband left the New Age world behind…

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Charles Moore joins us to discuss a radical picture of truthful, peaceable, subversive allegiance to Jesus. The conversation is framed around Stanley Hauerwas’s latest book which Moore helped him produce. Moore also reflects on the significance of Hauerwas’s work for his own Christian journey and for the…

There are many forms of addiction. What causes it? How can we relate to those suffering from an addiction, and what are tools for dealing with addictions? Michael Hochstetler, a counseling that focuses on helping those trapped in addiction, gives insight into how we as individuals and churches can properly care and help those in addiction. Essays F…

The hosts of Anabaptist Perspectives respond to concerns that some of our guests are “woke” (or associated terms). This term can be used to identify awareness of social dynamics, to advocate for specific agendas regarding gender and sexuality, or as a catch-all term of critique. The currently popular “anti-woke” movement brings its own set of dange…

Edsel Burdge walks us through plainness, starting with the Quakers, addressing concerns of plainness at various points of conservative Mennonite history, and makes a case for why considerations of plainness should matter to Christians today. Burdge thinks of plainness as an approach to life that identifies a person with God’s people while resisting…

Trauma is complicated, with many different opinions and stigmas surrounding it. But what are basics all of us should know about trauma, to help us be more caring and gracious towards those that have experienced it? Michael Hochstetler is a counseling that speaks from his experience of helping those who have experienced trauma. Frank Reed Course: Th…

How did Mennonite thinking develop in the two centuries after they arrived in North America? Edsel Burdge reflects on their concerns and the social conditions to which they responded. Shippensburg Christian Fellowship History Series: “Building on the Gospel Foundation” by Edsel Burdge and Samuel Horst: This is the 259th episode of Anabaptist Perspe…

Romans 9 is often used as an example for predestination and Calvinism. But does Paul actually teach predestination? Or did Calvin miss something significant in this passage? David Bercot explores the challenges of free will versus predestination, and shows a framework for what Paul was communicating in Romans 9. David Bercot’s Romans commentary: Da…

Saher Haddad was a nominal Christian in Baghdad. He fled Iraq as a refugee and settled in the Netherlands, where he lost his faith. Over time, Saher came back to Christ, and in this episode tells the story of his faith journey. Saher lives in the Netherlands with his family. Episode on the church in the Middle East: This is the 257th episode of Ana…

Romans is often considered one of the hardest and confusing books of the New Testament. What is Paul telling us through this complex book? David Bercot breaks down what the early church believed about the book of Romans before the time of Augustine, and why it matters to our understanding of Romans today. David Bercot’s Romans commentary: I Was An …

Communication is something we do every day. But why does communication matter, and why should we try to do it well? Rick Rhodes describes how this should inform our churches and the way we present the message God has given us, while also giving many practical tips for learning to communicate better. Rick Rhodes’ communication conference: This is th…

In this episode Matthijs Blom shares his journey of searching for a fellowship of likeminded believers. And sheds light on the state of the Anabaptist church in Europe. Episode with sister Judy: This is the 254th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life an…

Supporting those suffering from mental illness is hard, complicated, and fraught with many opinions. Elizabeth shares some principles for how our communities can care for, and be gracious towards, those suffering from mental illness. Episode on Abuse in the Church: Trauma Informed Churches: This is the 253rd episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a po…

The book of Revelation can be confusing. Knowing the context for all the amazing scenes is important. In this episode Paul Lamicela discusses key points in the book of Revelation that provide context for it’s entirety. Paul’s Previous Episodes: What is Galatians All About?: Stepping Into Scripture's Stories: How to Read Revelation & Avoid the Mark …