The German Baptist movement was founded as a fusion of the Anabaptist and Radical Pietist movements. German Baptists are not to be confused with Primitive, Separate, Southern, Particular, and all other mainline Baptist denominations who, although generally unified on rudimentary doctrines such as baptism, would have conflicting views in other areas, such as non-resistance, etc. In addition, German Baptists are not to be confused with a recent, small, renewal movement of “Plain,” “Covered” Baptists, who, for all intents and purposes, have comparable beliefs and practice of the historic German Baptists for the most part (albeit in wide variance), but are of different origins.
The German Baptists and subsequent groups with the name “Brethren” are not to be confused with various other similar denominations such as the Plymouth Brethren, their respective variants, and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, etc. See Brethren for more information.
German Baptist can refer to the German Baptist Brethren, the American name of the Schwarzenau Brethren, or any of the several groups associated with them:
- Old German Baptist Brethren
- Old Order German Baptist Brethren
- Old German Baptist Brethren, New Conference
- Dunkard Brethren
- Church of the Brethren
- The Brethren Church
- Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches
- Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
- Church of God (New Dunkers)
- Brethren Reformed Church
Famous quotes containing the words german and/or baptist:
“That nameless and infinitely delicate aroma of inexpressible tenderness and attentiveness which, in every refined and honorable attachment, is contemporary with the courtship, and precedes the final banns and the rite; but which, like the bouquet of the costliest German wines, too often evaporates upon pouring love out to drink, in the disenchanting glasses of the matrimonial days and nights.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“I am perhaps being a bit facetious but if some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the K.K.K. in the ‘20s, I would have a little more genuine American respect for their Christianity!”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)