“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you,” Christ told his followers. And a few fishermen, a tax collector, and a motley group of believers set out to change the world. In fact, they succeeded.
In 16th century Europe, the Anabaptists preaching in cities by night, on back streets, and in secret corners behind rail fences set out to do the very thing the apostles had done. They, too, turned the world of their day upside down. What was the secret of their strength? In this book, Hoover explains what gave the Anabaptists their incredible spiritual strength.
Was their secret a return to the Bible? No, they were far more than Biblicists. Was it a return to apostolic tradition? No, they were far more than keepers of tradition. Fundamentalism and traditionalism have never held Christianity together nor made it work.
The “secret of the kingdom of God” is stunningly simple. With two words Christ revealed it to His disciples. Upon comprehending it, His disciples came to a sudden knowledge of the will of God, of the whole Bible, and of the right way to live.
This book is more than an Anabaptist history; it is a challenge to all Christ-followers to put the teachings of Jesus into practice and to be part of a Kingdom movement that transcends the man-made boundaries of denomination.
NOTE: The Kindle version of "The Secret of the Strength" does NOT contain the images you will find in the print version. As well, due to formatting difficulties, the footnotes of the original have all been removed. (Most of these simply cite the historical documents from which quotes are taken.) These changes, however, do not detract from the text itself. Free .PDF versions of "The Secret of the Strength," which include both photos and citations, are available from various Internet sources.
Peter Hoover ( - )
Is an author familiar to many conservative Christians of Anabaptist and similar heritage in the United States, Canada and western Europe. He is a member of the Detention River Christian Community in Tasmania, Australia, a Plain Christian community of Hutterite tradition.Hoover's books have focused on the stories of Christians in recent centuries who have most closely reflected the relationships, values, zeal and impact that Christians had claimed in the New Testament and ante-Nicene period. His books include Secret of the Strength (What Would the Anabaptists Tell This Generation?), which is published in both English a German edition in Europe (as Feuertaufe. Das radikale Leben der Täufer. Eine Provokation) , and an online Spanish edition. Also, he has written Behold the Lamb (The Story of the Moravian Church), and The Russians' Secret (What Christians Today Would Survive Persecution?), and The Mystery of the Mark: Anabaptist Missions under the Fire of God.
... Show more