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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 15: The Munster Tragedy and Melchior Hoffman  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 5
In Emden, a revival included “burgermeisters… and peasants, lord and servants,” raising the question of “What do you do with these magistrates when they get born again?”—how would the early church’s refusal to baptize officials who “wear the purple” or participate in executions confront modern assumptions about Christian citizenship, policing, military service, and political power?
Another way to ask: If government leaders and people with power became Christians, what should they do about jobs that involve violence or executions? How does the early church’s hesitation to baptize officials challenge how we think about politics, police work, and military service today?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests the early church sometimes treated state office as incompatible with baptism when it required coercion, oaths, or participation in killing. That confronts modern assumptions by forcing Christians to ask whether certain roles can be held faithfully without violating Jesus’ teaching about authority and the church’s separation from state power.

Support from Transcript:

  • In Emden, Hoffman baptized “around 300 persons publicly… both burgermeisters… and peasants, lord and servants,” raising the practical dilemma of converted officials.
  • Dean asks the recurring radical question: “What do you do with these magistrates when they get born again?… Do we now try to develop this through the politics of this world… or… be completely separate?”
  • He references Jesus’ warning that “the people of this world exercise authority,” and says “we will not rule like the Gentiles rule.”
  • Dean cites Hippolytus (c. 250): if officials “continue to wear the purple… keep these oaths… [or] be involved in any kind of execution, you will not allow them to be baptized.”
  • He notes the church was “still struggling” with these issues very early, implying modern believers should not treat them as simple.
Discussion Follow-ups What jobs today function like “wearing the purple” because they require coercion or lethal force, and what alternatives could a church counsel?

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