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“the sort of evangelicalism the Emerging Church Movement is striving for is anabaptist.”  -Scot McKnight 

The “emerging peace church movement” is deeply influenced by some of the 20th century’s greatest pacifists like Gandhi, Dorothy Day, MLK, and Yoder. Yoda?!? No, not the little green guy from Star Wars but John H. Yoder who is one of the most significant peace theologians in recent times. Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine has said that Mennonite Theologian John H. Yoder, “inspired a whole generation of Christians to follow the way of Jesus into social action and peacemaking.”

To see just how “open” the anabaptist impulse is I’ve listed below people that have been influences on myself and the Peace Tree Community who are indebted to the ‘Anabaptist impulse’ (not always in agreement but always in deep dialogue) via the work of this socially awkward, less that perfect yet gifted man, who was once picked up by campus security at Baylor university because they thought he was homeless (he was there as guest at a dinner in his honour!), John Howard Yoder.

Yoder is most often know for his book “The Politics of Jesus” of which Stanley Hauerwas said, “I am convinced  that when Christians look back on this century of theology in America, The Politics of Jesus will be seen as a new beginning.” Below are examples of the diversity of his influence across the Christian traditions:

Anglicans: Stanley Hauerwas (yep, no longer a Methodist), N.T. Wright

Baptists: Glen Stassen

Catholic: William Cavanaugh

Charasmatic/Pentecostal: Paul Alexander 

Evangelicals: Gregory Boyd,  Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis

Emerging Church: Ryan Bolger, Shane Claibourne, Brian McLaren,

Luthrans: Marva J. Dawn

Mennonites: J. Denny Weaver, Ray Gingerich, Mark Thiessen Nation

Methodist (Uniting): Ian Barns, Walter Wink

Reformed: Sylvia C. Keesmaat, Brian J. Walsh 

Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ): Lee C. Camp

Quakers: Wess Daniels

Others (can’t remember background): Nancey Murphy,Richard B. Hays, Chris Marshall, 

I know there are many more but these are the ones that at this stage of my journey these are the ones who have been influence on me.