The Anabaptists of Münster Took the Sword and Perished by the Sword
Published on October 6, 2026
In Münster, Germany, three iron cages still hang from the tower of St. Lambert's Church. They once held the bodies of three Anabaptist revolutionaries who seized the city and ruled it by force.
Join Dean Taylor, Stephen Russell, and Reagan Schrock on the streets of Münster and throughout Europe as they guide us through this difficult conversation about religion and violence. The era was a tumultuous one. Only ten years before Münster, the Peasants' Revolt came to a bloody conclusion, with thousands massacred at the Battle of Frankenhausen and their leader, Thomas Müntzer, captured and executed.
But Münster was different because of its ties to the Anabaptist movement. To this day, many associate the Anabaptists with the violent uprising in Münster. Most of the Anabaptist witness is peaceful, a display of sacrificial love that would rather be killed than kill, but Münster is a dark stain on that testimony.
What false teachings allowed the situation to deteriorate so far? And what can we learn from this sad chapter in our history?
Anabaptist Origins is a 10-part documentary series produced by Anabaptist Perspectives that tells the story of the first hundred years of the Anabaptist movement.
Credits: https://anabaptistorigins.org/credits/
Paintings of Jacob Hutter and Peter Riedemann are by Jason Landsel and used by permission of Plough Publishing House.
Find his work at https://www.plough.com/contributors/jason-landsel-en?page=2
Resources: https://anabaptistorigins.org/resources/
Website: https://anabaptistorigins.org/
Anabaptist Perspectives podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@AnabaptistPerspectives
Anabaptist Perspectives website: https://anabaptistperspectives.org/
Join Dean Taylor, Stephen Russell, and Reagan Schrock on the streets of Münster and throughout Europe as they guide us through this difficult conversation about religion and violence. The era was a tumultuous one. Only ten years before Münster, the Peasants' Revolt came to a bloody conclusion, with thousands massacred at the Battle of Frankenhausen and their leader, Thomas Müntzer, captured and executed.
But Münster was different because of its ties to the Anabaptist movement. To this day, many associate the Anabaptists with the violent uprising in Münster. Most of the Anabaptist witness is peaceful, a display of sacrificial love that would rather be killed than kill, but Münster is a dark stain on that testimony.
What false teachings allowed the situation to deteriorate so far? And what can we learn from this sad chapter in our history?
Anabaptist Origins is a 10-part documentary series produced by Anabaptist Perspectives that tells the story of the first hundred years of the Anabaptist movement.
Credits: https://anabaptistorigins.org/credits/
Paintings of Jacob Hutter and Peter Riedemann are by Jason Landsel and used by permission of Plough Publishing House.
Find his work at https://www.plough.com/contributors/jason-landsel-en?page=2
Resources: https://anabaptistorigins.org/resources/
Website: https://anabaptistorigins.org/
Anabaptist Perspectives podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@AnabaptistPerspectives
Anabaptist Perspectives website: https://anabaptistperspectives.org/