Discussion Questions

Dean Taylor highlights the shame of the Thirty-Year War as “a brutal war between so-called Christians.” What does that historical moment reveal about what God values in His people, and how should it reshape the way Christians today talk about “defending the faith” through political or national power? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Thirty-Year War show about what God wants from His people? How should it change the way Christians today talk about “defending the faith” using politics or national power?

Lieutenant Heinrich Frick’s conversion is described as a man who found the Bible and asked, “Wow, what if Jesus really meant that?” What does that question assume about the authority of Jesus’ words, and where do modern Christians subtly treat Jesus’ commands as ideals rather than expectations? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When Frick asks, “What if Jesus really meant that?”, what does that say about how much authority Jesus’ words have? Where do Christians today treat Jesus’ commands as nice goals instead of real commands?

Frick named “lack of church discipline, infant baptism, militarism, and the oath” as reasons for separating; in the trial record he is accused of giving a “bad example” and spreading “the Anabaptist fantasy.” How does the state’s reaction expose what governments fear most about obedient discipleship, and where might Christians today prefer to be seen as “respectable” rather than “dangerous”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the government’s reaction to Frick show about what rulers fear when people truly obey Jesus? Where might Christians today choose being seen as “respectable” instead of faithfully “dangerous”?

Dean tells stories of tortured prisoners who recanted, repented, and suffered again (including the starving young man and the soup through the straw). What does this lesson force you to face about perseverance, human weakness, and God’s mercy—especially in contrast to modern assumptions about assurance and what “counts” as real faith? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What do these stories of people failing, repenting, and suffering again teach about staying faithful, human weakness, and God’s mercy? How does that challenge modern ideas about being “sure” of faith and what counts as real faith?

The refugees in Alsace were welcomed because landowners needed their castles and land restored after devastation, yet a church record calls them a “swarm” and “weed” to be uprooted. How does this mix of economic usefulness and spiritual hostility reveal the world’s posture toward God’s people, and how might Christians today be tempted to accept “tolerance” at the price of spiritual compromise? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it show when refugees are welcomed for their labor but hated as “weeds” in church records? How might Christians today accept “tolerance” while slowly giving up what God asks?

The Alsace congregations officially accepted the Dordrecht Confession (1660), while Emmental churches largely continued with the Schleitheim Confession, and Dean warns about “assuming” shared fundamentals. What does this episode suggest about the role of clear confession and shared teaching in preserving unity, and where do your churches rely on unspoken assumptions that could later explode? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does this story teach about why clear statements of belief and shared teaching matter for unity? Where does your church assume agreement without saying it, and how could that later cause a blowup?

Leroy Beechey frames the Amish origins as a renewal movement of brothers “on fire for the Lord,” while others see a split; Dean notes the “conflicts…when a church is a generation or two old.” What does this tension reveal about how God often works through renewal that disrupts settled communities, and what kinds of “on fire” people does modern church culture tend to distrust? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does the Amish origin story show about how renewal can shake up a comfortable church? What kinds of “on fire” Christians does church culture today tend to distrust or push away?

The conflict begins with the desire for communion twice a year (partly because pregnant women were staying away), but quickly shifts into deeper disputes about discipline and shunning. What does that progression teach about how secondary practices can become flashpoints for deeper heart issues, and what current “small” church debates might be masking larger spiritual concerns? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it teach when a debate that starts small (like communion timing) turns into bigger fights about discipline and shunning? What “small” debates in your church might really be about deeper spiritual issues?

Hans Reiss repeatedly avoids direct answers—using wordplay about preparation for communion, the priest entering once a year, and later quoting, “What goeth into the mouth does not defile…”—while Jacob Amen demands clarity and treats evasion as possible apostasy. What does this reveal about truth-telling, fear of “traps,” and integrity in leadership, and how should Christians weigh the difference between careful speech and evasive speech? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does this clash show about honesty, fear of being trapped, and integrity in leaders? How can Christians tell the difference between careful answers and dodging the truth?

Jacob Amen’s excommunications at Moser’s barn (without the brotherhood), the later realization that “fault on both sides” existed, and the “We were wrong, but…” apologies all appear in the breakdown. What does this lesson reveal about God’s concern for process, humility, and communal discernment (Acts 15), and what concrete habits would help your community confront sin and error without creating a culture where disputes escalate into irreversible division? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does this breakdown teach about doing things the right way, staying humble, and deciding together as a church (like Acts 15)? What habits could help your community deal with sin and mistakes without fights turning into permanent splits?