Communist Prefiguration: The Munster Anabaptists

Abstract

Focuses on a sixteenth‐century religious movement that bears a striking resemblance to nineteenth‐twentieth century communism. Before securing power the movement presented itself as a peaceful, humanistic denomination that advocated egalitarianism, congregationalism, and self‐help. It rejected the institutionalization of both church and state. Securing power the Anabaptists established a totalitarian regime that exceeded its adversaries in regimentation and coercion. They totally restructured the economic system with “communism” and the traditional family system with polygamy. Demonstrates simi‐larity between Anabaptism and contemporary communism in the original recruitment pattern, the leadership configuration, the basic ideological development, the employment of coercion, the control of history, the reform measures, and the ultimate ramifications. The implication is that the communist principle may be endemic to the human condition and may reappear in a different form in the future.

Citation

O′Neil, D.J. (1994), "Communist Prefiguration: The Munster Anabaptists", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 21 No. 10, pp. 116-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068299410145710