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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 8: The Early Swiss Brethren  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Dean suggested persecution “purified the church,” yet he also asked, “If that wouldn’t have happened, what could have happened?”—based on the examples of exterminated congregations in Zurich/Zollikon and scattered remnants, how should Christians think about God’s purposes in persecution without romanticizing suffering or treating it as a growth strategy?
Another way to ask: Dean said persecution can “purify the church,” but also asked what might have happened without it. How can we talk about God’s purpose in persecution without glorifying suffering or acting like persecution is a good church-growth plan?

Direct Answer Dean’s comments suggest Christians should recognize that persecution can purify motives and expose shallow commitment, while also grieving its real destruction—wiped-out congregations, scattered remnants, and fear—so we should not romanticize it as a technique for revival or assume bigger suffering always means better outcomes.

Support from Transcript:

  • Dean reads that persecution “finally exterminated the Anabaptist church” in Zurich and “quickly suppressed” it in Zollikon—persecution can erase visible congregations.
  • Yet he notes “there were always remnants,” scattered groups surviving privately, showing God preserved some even when public church life collapsed.
  • He says persecution “did purify the church,” because some who joined when it was popular found it “not worth dying for” once pressure came.
  • But he also calls it “hard times for the church” and asks, “if that wouldn’t have happened, what could have happened?”—a sober recognition of loss and unrealized possibilities.
  • He observes a “good thing” resulted: it prevented Anabaptism from becoming a “state church religion,” implying persecution hindered institutional corruption—but that doesn’t make persecution good in itself.
Discussion Follow-ups How can we pray for faithfulness under pressure without praying for persecution? What forms of “purification” can God bring through repentance and renewal rather than violence from outside?

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