An Overview of Anabaptist Hermeneutics

The purpose of this study is to examine briefly how Scripture was used and interpreted by the early Anabaptists during their formative years of the sixteenth century. This study is primarily a summary of Stuart Murray’s definitive book on the topic, Biblical Interpretation in the Anabaptist Tradition.

We will follow the six principles Murray identifies as the essentials of Anabaptist hermeneutics:

• The Bible as Self-interpreting
• Christocentrism
• The Two Testaments
• Spirit and Word
• Congregational Hermeneutics
• Hermeneutics of Obedience

It is our hope and prayer that this study of Anabaptist Hermeneutics will in a small way contribute to the current conversation about the relevance of Anabaptist practice and thought for today’s church.