ABSTRACT
The term radical Reformation covers a large group of separatist churches, sects, conventicles and individuals. These groups proliferated in the period after the Reformation, although the total number of people involved was not particularly great. Radical groups held many differing beliefs, which varied from one group to another, but certain ideas frequently recur. There is an emphasis on separation from the Roman Catholic Church and from churches created by magisterial reform, as radicals emphasised the need for the Church to be free from secular influence. They also stressed that their church should be formed only from those who were true believers, who should keep themselves distinct from others in society. Such views made them appear subversive and a danger to civil society, to the secular and ecclesiastical authorities. Radicals were also treated with suspicion as many rejected worldliness and accepted signs of status and power. In some cases, as with the Hutterites, this led to the formation of communities in which property was held in common. These attitudes have led to the radicals being referred to as the Left Wing of the Reformation. The fears of the authorities concerning the radicals were heightened for, as James Stayer has shown, some of the radicals in the 1520s, men such as Hans Hut, had also been associated with the Peasant War of 1525. An important strand of the radical Reformation was Anabaptism, which held that baptism was the sign of true believers accepting Christ. Since infants were unable to make this decision, baptism should be administered only to adults. Another important strand of radicalism was apparent in mysticism. This emphasised the importance of direct inner enlightenment of the human soul by God. This approach valued mystical experience over biblical study and outward signs of Christian witness. Within the radical Reformation there were many who held strong apocalyptical beliefs, and in some cases endorsed the need for the godly to use violence against their enemies. These ideas were evident in the teaching of Müntzer, and were most clearly seen in the events in Münster, but pacifism generally prevailed after 1534.
