아나뱁티스트들의 유아세례 논쟁 - 원죄 사상과 자유의지를 중심으로

Abstract

In the Christian Liturgy, baptism is a ritual of recognition of membership in the church and an external sign that symbolizes the beginning of communion with Christ. The most fierce struggle in Christian history over baptism was during the 16th century Reformation. The Anabaptist group aimed at a third church form different from those of Roman Catholic church and magisterial Protestant churches. Anabaptists were eager to reinterpret and apply the existing theological traditions in their context, hoping to restore apostolic form of the Christian church. In the process, they quarreled with the Roman Catholic Church and mainstream reformers. As a result, numerous anabaptists were persecuted or martyred.<BR> Anabaptists’ claims of baptism led to their separation from the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Protestant mainstream churches in relation to the nature of the church, church order, interpretation of the Bible, and understanding of the church and state. In short, the Anabaptist group’s basic beliefs, theology, the uniqueness of doctrine, and their identity were formed around the understanding of baptism.<BR> Although many scholars have analyzed the history and theology of Anabaptists, few studies have analyzed the theological and doctrinal aspects of the key subject of baptism, which is directly connected to their church form. What is the theological rationale for Anabaptists’ rejection of infant baptism and advocacy for adult baptism? This article argues that the characteristics of baptism, which Anabaptists have argued, are fully revealed when analyzed from the perspective of the idea of original sin and the theory of free will.<BR> For this task, this article will analyze the baptismal theory of Anabaptists and analyze the issues and core values through the ideas and discussions of contemporary reformers, especially Calvin. In addition, this article will clarify that Anabaptists’ baptismal theology is the key to supporting their church vision and ideals, and argue that their baptismal theology can grasp its full meaning when grasped in a historical context, following the times and places.