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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 19: The Anabaptists Come to America  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The Hostetler Massacre account framed nonresistance as “a theology of martyrdom…the point is you die,” and Dean connected that to the Nickel Mines forgiveness; what parts of your theology (of God’s protection, suffering, justice, and assurance) would have to change for you to accept “defenseless death” as a faithful outcome rather than a failure, and how would that reshape how you prepare your family and church for conflict?
Another way to ask: What would you have to believe differently about God, suffering, justice, and protection to see “defenseless death” as faithfulness, not failure? How would that change how you prepare your family and church for conflict?

Direct Answer Dean teaches that nonresistance only makes sense if you accept martyrdom as a faithful outcome—trusting God’s will even when He does not prevent death. That would require a theology where obedience and witness matter more than survival, and where forgiveness and endurance are expected responses in tragedy.

Support from Transcript:

  • In the Hostetler story, the sons want to fight, but Jacob says, “No…we should not resist the evil…God would defend us…trust God no matter what happens.”
  • Dean states the key principle: “it is a theology of martyrdom. The point is you die.”
  • He contrasts warfare and nonresistance: “in warfare, other people die,” but nonresisters “die a defenseless death.”
  • He warns that without willingness to die, debates become “pragmatic” and “gray,” but willingness to die makes nonresistance “very substantial.”
  • He connects to Nickel Mines (2007): the world noticed Amish forgiveness after the massacre; this legacy shows “trust in God’s will” in “incredible tragedies.”
Discussion Follow-ups What do you currently assume God must do to count as “protecting” you? How would you teach children and new believers to prepare for conflict if you truly believed faithful obedience may include suffering or death?

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