I. The Low Countries During the Middle Ages.- 1. The Geographic and Ethnic Background.- 2. The Political Constellations.- 3. The Cultural Life.- 4. The Religious Life.- 5. Faith, Life, and Leaders.- 6. Asceticism and Monasticism.- 7. The Administration of the Church.- II. The Dawn of a New Day.- A. The Soil and the Seed.- 1. The Devotio Moderna.- 2. From Mysticism to Humanism.- 3. Desiderius Erasmus.- 4. The Role of Drama.- B. In the Embrace of a World Revolution (1517–1530).- 1. Channels of Communication.- 2. From Antwerp to Wassenberg.- 3. Cologne and Münster.- 4. East Friesland.- 5. The Range of the Reformation.- III. The Evangelical Sacramentarian Reformation.- A. From Sacrament to Symbol.- 1. The Catholic Tradition.- 2. Christian Humanism.- 3. Wittenberg and Zürich.- B. The Evangelical Movement.- 1. Faith and Witness.- 2. Literary Stimulation.- 3. Spread and Growth.- 4. Inquisition by Church and State.- IV. Melchior Hofmann: A Prophetic Layman.- A. From Wittenberg to Strassburg.- 1. Luther’s Messenger.- 2. Under Kings and Dukes.- 3. Strassburg: A Haven of Dissenters.- 4. A Champion of Anabaptism.- B. The Anabaptist Apostle to the North.- 1. The Sacramentarian Background.- 2. The Great Commission.- 3. The Sign of the Covenant.- 4. In the City Chosen by God.- 5. The Trial of the Prophet.- 6. Hofmann and the Melchiorites.- 7. Basic Views.- V. Anabaptism at the Crossroads.- A. In Search of the City of God.- 1. Centers of Melchioritism.- 2. The Spread of Melchioritism.- 3. Some Views of the Melchiorites.- 4. The Eschatological Hope and Persecution.- B. Münster: The New Jerusalem.- 1. The City of God.- 2. Life in the New Jerusalem.- 3. Münster and the Netherlands.- 4. Menno and Münster.- 5. The Battle of the New Jerusalem.- 6. The Fall of the Kingdom.- VI. Gathering a Christian Fellowship.- A. Sifting and Gathering.- 1. Appraising Differences.- 2. A Leadership Emerges.- 3. A Refuge in East Friesland.- 4. A Lasco and the Anabaptists.- 5. In the Pincers of Charles V.- 6. Anabaptism in the Liege-Cologne Area.- B. The Covenanted Church of God.- 1. The Renewal of the Covenant.- 2. David Joris: Spiritualizing Tendencies.- 3. Adam Pastor: Christological Issues.- 4. The Covenanters in the Arena.- 5. Letters from Prison.- 6. The Theology of Witnessing Laymen.- VII. Growth and Molding of the Brotherhood.- A. From Antwerp to Danzig.- 1. The Final Struggle in the South.- 2. A Refuge in the North.- 3. The Escape: London and Danzig.- 4. The Hanseatic Cities, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg.- B. Defining and Defending the Faith.- 1. Wismar: Agreements and Disagreements.- 2. “Without Spot and Wrinkle”.- 3. Relationship to the German Mennonites.- 4. The Struggle for Religious Freedom.- 5. Literary Duels and Religious Disputations.- VIII. Conclusion.- 1. In the Context of the Reformation.- 2. The Swiss and Dutch Anabaptists.- 3. At the Crossroads.- 4. Covenanters of Christ.- 5. The Ministry and the Ordinances.- 6. The Disciplined Brotherhood.- 7. The Christian and his Citizenship.- 8. Lasting Contributions.- Footnotes.- I. The Low Countries During the Middle Ages.- II. The Dawn of a New Day.- III. The Evangelical Sacramentarian Reformation.- W. Melchior Hofmann: A Prophetic Layman.- V. Anabaptism at the Crossroads.- VI. Gathering a Christian Fellowship.- VII. Growth and Molding of the Brotherhood.- VIII. Conclusion.- Selected Bibliography.
