Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 3
Price: $45
CEUs: 1.0
Required books?: No
Live video session?: No
Part of a certification or series of courses?: No
Over the past few decades, Anabaptism has been used as a modifier for different church traditions. One can find “Anabaptist-Presbyterians”, “Anabaptist-Methodists”, as well as other traditions. With barely over 600,000 Anabaptists in the United States, one wonders how this tradition even rises to the level of being noticed.
Yet, with high profile theologians and leaders such as Stanley Hauerwas and Will Willimon, Anabaptist have garnered the interest of Christian leaders. Hauerwas’ and Willimon’s 1989 publication of Resident Aliens, perhaps helped to generate interest. From the standpoint of pop-culture, the 1985 film, Witness created a lens to view the alternative and community focused life of the Amish.
This course will look at aspects of Anabaptist history, practice, and theology that may find expression in other Christian traditions. Stemming largely from the Schleitheim Confession in 1526, affiliated Anabaptist groups have used this as a document to guide Christian discipleship. Using key elements of the Schleitheim Confession, this class will interpret in order to understand in context, lift key Christian practices, and consider how these are expressed, or can be developed (or rejected) in non-Anabaptist congregations and traditions.
Price: $45
About the Instructor
Craig Morton is a church consultant and the co-pastor of the Mennonite church he and his wife, Karla, planted over 15 years ago in Meridian, Idaho; a suburb of Boise and one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
Craig’s consulting work helps congregations with missional imagination and discernment, navigating difficult transitions, and transforming conflict. He recently completed his doctorate in Organizational Leadership and continues to study the practices of cohesion which support denominational unity.
Craig also teaches college courses in management, ethics, and organizational behavior at Northwest Nazarene University and other schools. From November through July, Craig coaches high school and advanced track athletes, specializing in sprinting and hurdles as well as doing speed and agility coaching, for Meridian High School, and the Treasure Valley YMCA Team Idaho Track and Field Club.
Together, he and Karla have four adult children, two grandsons, a border collie/Australian shepherd mix, and a rascally cat. He loves to be outside hiking, gardening, fishing, or camping, and loves to cook, bake artisan style breads, and experiment with new recipes. You can read his blog on Patheos.