ABSTRACT
The Frankenthal Disputation was an extended debate between Reformed theologians and Swiss Brethren, sponsored by the Palatine elector, Frederick III. The Swiss Brethren at Frankenthal interpreted the words and the deeds of Jesus as having provided the norms of conduct for all Christians of all times and places. This literalistic, Christocentric reading of biblical ethics cemented Swiss Brethren apolitical separatism. Evidence from the Frankenthal Disputation of 1571 confirms that even a decade beyond the period covered by Anabaptists and the Sword, the radical apoliticism of Schleitheim still remained the standard Swiss Brethren position. The Swiss Brethren found themselves attempting to create living spaces, looking not just to community purity in the short term, but also to the future survival of their communities. The Marpeckite manuscripts that circulated and were copied by the Swiss Brethren provided some new and potentially useful ideas for the Swiss Brethren.
