The Origins of Peter Riedemann's Account of Our Faith

Abstract

Peter Riedemann's Account of Our Faith has been designated the most substantial, coherent statement of faith and practice of the early Anabaptist-Hutterite community. This article examines the historical context of the Account's origin. An analysis of Riedemann's correspondence suggests that the two-part division of the Account and its repetitiveness was the result of two separate writing periods. Thus the second part, the so-called Six Tracts, is best understood as Riedemann's response to issues disputed with the clergy while he and his two companions were imprisoned in Marburg, Hesse. The first part of the Account, on the other hand, was most likely written under the more pleasant circumstances in Philip of Hesse's hunting lodge at Wolkersdorf. There are no persuasive reasons to reject Hutterite claims that the entire Account was written in Hesse-issues that were current in Hesse are reflected in the document. The evidence, therefore, suggests that Riedemann intended the Account as a personal and community apology addressed to Philip.