When people hear the word "Anabaptist," they might think of Amish communities or Mennonite churches scattered across Lancaster County. But the roots of Anabaptism run far deeper than these familiar local expressions. The movement emerged 500 years ago in 16th-century Europe, born of deep conviction and radical dissent against the established norms of church and state.

According to Steven Nolt, professor of history and director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, Anabaptism began as a grassroots movement during the Protestant Reformation.

"The word itself can be confusing," he said. "Some people mishear it as 'anti-Baptist,' but it actually comes from a Latin term used in the 1500s to describe those who practiced adult baptism."

At the time, infant baptism was nearly universal throughout Europe, required by both the Catholic Church and emerging Protestant churches. Baptism was not only a religious rite but a legal act that incorporated a newborn into both the church and society.

But the early Anabaptists - mostly young adults in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1525 - challenged that system. They believed that faith was a personal and voluntary decision, something that could not be made on someone else's behalf. They rejected infant baptism and insisted that only those old enough to understand their commitment should be baptized.

This seemingly simple belief had radical implications. To the authorities of the time, it was a direct threat to the social order. Anabaptists were harassed, persecuted and often executed. Between 1525 and the early 1600s, historians estimate that about 2,500 Anabaptists were killed for their beliefs by both Catholic and Protestant state churches.

Now, five centuries later, Anabaptism and its roots are at the heart of the mission of the Young Center, and the center is hosting a conference with Mennonite Life called "Early Anabaptism in Global Perspective: Past, Present, and Future at 500 Years" July 22 through 24.

"This is an opportunity to think about the wider perspective on the 16th-century roots of Anabaptism while also thinking about the fact that today, these Anabaptist traditions still exist around the world," Nolt said.

He's served as the director of the Young Center since 2020. The center opened in 1986 at Elizabethtown College, a site founded by members of the Church of the Brethren.

"The Young Center started as a research entity on campus to study and offer public presentations and interpretations out of which the Brethren faith grew," Nolt said. "We do public programming. We host conferences. We host researchers from all over the world, and we teach some classes on campus."

He noted that most of the questions visitors to the center have are about the Amish, but people also ask for information and resources about the history of the Church of the Brethren. In addition to providing research resources, the Young Center features the Bowers Interpretive Gallery, a small bookstore, offices and a classroom.

Its mission is to conduct scholarly and interpretive investigations of the life, culture and beliefs of Anabaptists and Pietists, primarily in their North American context.

Preserving the history and interpreting the impact of the Anabaptist movement is a complicated topic. Unlike other Reformation movements tied to leaders like Martin Luther, Anabaptism was decentralized and diverse from the beginning. It developed in small, independent communities. Over time, these communities evolved into the various groups we recognize today: Mennonites and Amish, Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren and the Hutterites.

Some of these groups, particularly the Brethren in Christ, also drew from another movement known as Pietism. Emerging about 150 years later in the late 1600s, Pietism was a renewal movement within the Lutheran and Reformed churches.

"Pietists thought the Protestant churches had focused too much on doctrine and not enough on personal devotion, worship and service," Nolt explained. By blending Anabaptist ideals like adult baptism and separation of church and state with the emotional and devotional focus of Pietism, these new Brethren groups emerged.

Today, Anabaptism has a global presence, Nolt said, with Anabaptist churches on nearly every continent.

"You might be surprised to learn that the typical Anabaptist today is a young woman in East Africa, not a Germanic farmer in Western Europe," he remarked. "The largest Brethren group in the world is in Nigeria."

The enduring Anabaptist message - centered on voluntary faith, nonviolence, community and service - still resonates in today's world.

"That message of peace is more relevant or as relevant as ever," Nolt stated. "As with any ideal that one holds, Anabaptists themselves have not always been entirely peaceful with each other. They've had their disagreements. Living out their convictions in ways that are consistent with their faith is one of the challenges they face, but also one of the opportunities to grow in their faith."

To learn more about the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, visit http://www.etown.edu/centers/young-center.