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Jumpstarter 10 of 10

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Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up  /  Chapter 18: The Anabaptist Fire  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The chapter claims toleration and prosperity led to decline: withdrawal from evangelism, growing interest in “things of this life,” fragmentation over discipline, and a drift from inner transformation to clothes and grooming; where do you see similar patterns in modern Christian communities (including “new Anabaptists,” Mennonites/Amish, or your own tradition), and what practices might keep zeal, inner change, and evangelism from being smothered by comfort and externals?
Another way to ask: Where do you see comfort and prosperity making churches lose zeal, evangelism, and inner change, and focus more on outward things? What habits or practices could keep a community from drifting that way?

Direct Answer Bercot suggests comfort and social acceptance can quietly smother evangelistic zeal and inner transformation, replacing them with inward-looking communities and fixation on externals. Practices that resist decline, in his telling, would include continuing evangelism, maintaining whole-soul devotion to Christ, and keeping the focus on the “inner man” rather than outward markers.

Support from Transcript:

  • While persecuted, Anabaptists had “fiery zeal,” were “tireless evangelists,” and their “blood was the seed” of growth.
  • After toleration, often conditioned on not evangelizing, many “withdrew into their own little conclaves” and became “the quiet in the land.”
  • Prosperity followed: their “hard work ethic” made many “fairly prosperous,” leading to more interest in “things of this life” than “life to come.”
  • Decline included “heated internal disputes” mostly about “discipline,” causing “endless…splits and divisions.”
  • Focus shifted from “transformation of the inner man” to “externals,” where “clothes and grooming” became central.
  • He applies this to descendants: Mennonites/Amish often have “little zeal for evangelism” and may be more concerned about “buttons on his dress coat” than sharing faith.
Discussion Follow-ups What would it look like for a comfortable church to intentionally choose costly evangelism and inner renewal—before persecution forces it?

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