Anabaptism

Following somewhat the thesis of Vos and Mellink pertaining to the origin of Anabaptism in the Netherlands, J. F. G. Goeters has recently challenged Rembert's approach and conclusions. He points out that the actual practice of re-baptism, or adult baptism, prior to the Münster catastrophe was minimal and concludes that the early reformatory movement of the German Lower Rhine was a popular movement containing humanistic, Lutheran, and spiritualistic-sacramentarian elements. Anabaptism did not stand at the beginning of this reformation movement, according to Goeters, but entered midstream and helped too clarify concepts. It constituted a radicalization of the spiritualistic-sacramentarian movement.