The Anabaptist Vision

The Anabaptist Vision, given as a presidential address before the American Society of Church History in 1943, has become a classic essay. In it, Harold S. Bender defines the spirit and purposes of the original Anabaptists. Three major points of emphasis are: the transformation of the entire way of life of the individual to the teachings and example of Christ, voluntary church membership based upon conversion and commitment to holy living, and Christian love and nonresistance applied to all human relationships.

Harold S. Bender was born July 19, 1897, at Elkhart, Indiana. He held degrees from the following institutions: BS, Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana; BD, Garrett Biblical Institute; ThM, Princeton Theological Seminary; MA, Princeton University; and ThD, Heidelberg University.

He became dean of Goshen College in 1933 and from 1944 he served as dean of Goshen College Biblical Seminary until his death in 1962.

He was ordained to the ministry in 1944 and he became president of Mennonite World Conference in 1952.

In 1927 he founded the scholarly quarterly, The Mennonite Quarterly Review, and served as its editor until his death. He was also the author of Two Centuries of American Mennonite Literature, Conrad Grebel, First Leader of the Swiss Brethren, These Are My People, Mennonite Origins in Europe, and Biblical Revelation and Inspiration.