Summary (also available through PDF flier):  What makes Mennonites and Amish different from other Christians? What do they have in common with other Christians (probably more than you think)? Anabaptist pastor, sociologist, and theologian Karl R. Landis provides clear and focused answers to these questions for a general audience.

As Michele Hershberger summarizes it, "Who are the Anabaptists and why do they do the strange things they do? This book is the perfect answer to that question as Landis uses Scripture to explain six core Anabaptist beliefs. Once you understand these core distinctives, the practices make sense. This easy-to-read book is inspiring and thought-provoking, a book that will lead us closer to Christ."

Landis offers a concise and easy-to-follow summary of New Testament faith as understood in the Anabaptist tradition (which includes Mennonites and Amish). His summary includes both the scriptural basis for Anabaptist beliefs and relevant quotations from Anabaptist authors. Landis argues that Anabaptist practices are based on six core beliefs, noting that the practices vary as different groups live out the core beliefs in different cultural settings.

Landis points to the ways in which Anabaptist core beliefs have impacted the beliefs and practices of other Christian groups while also highlighting practices that remain distinctive for Anabaptists today.

Due to his broad interdenominational experience and sociological perspective, Landis is able to discuss the variety in Christian expressions with warmth and respect. His tone is inviting and engaging. This book is an excellent resource for Christians who seek to understand Anabaptist life and thought as Anabaptist themselves understand their beliefs and practices. 

“Landis inspires readers to come and follow Jesus with wholehearted discipleship, empowered by the Spirit. His distinction between the varied practices of Anabaptist groups and the values that undergird them is a good reminder even for those steeped in Anabaptism.”
—Rose Bender Cook, Mosaic Mennonite Conference Leadership Minister for Formation and the Mosaic Institute Director; Pastor, Whitehall Mennonite Church

"Landis leads the way as he puts Jesus in the center of Anabaptist faith and practice. If Jesus is Lord over absolutely everything—and He is—and we follow Jesus as a community committed to reconciliation, then everything falls into place. We are changed on the inside and live differently on the outside, and then, through the power of the Spirit, the world is healed too." —Michele Hershberger, Bible and Ministry Professor and Co-Campus Pastor, Hesston College

Market: All interested in an accessible resource on Anabaptist-Mennonite core beliefs and contemporary Anabaptist practices;  high school, college, graduate students; study groups.