In A Third Way, author Paul M. Lederach proposes two main purposes for writing the book. First, he desires “to set forth in simple terms some of the key affirmations of the Mennonite faith,” while secondly he attempts “to compare or to contrast Anabaptist/Mennonite views with other theological streams, both historical and current.” In the remainder of this book review I will discuss whether or not he managed to achieve these goals, plus I will include some comments on views and ideas presented in the book.
Reaction to Author’s Stated Purpose for Writing
While Lederach stated two purposes for writing A Third Way, he struggled to actually achieve his intended goals. A number of chapters did very well to communicate the Anabaptist position on topics such as baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Church, but too many other chapters tended to slip away from the intended discussion and moved instead into a generalized theological discussion. While these topics, such as two chapters dedicated to a discussion on the Holy Spirit, were valuable to read about, the lack of support for the advertised focus on Anabaptism made the discussions less enjoyable. Furthermore, the goal of comparing and contrasting Anabaptists to other theological streams from current and historical sources was either mainly absent or else too
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In the first chapter, the author discusses the matter of the centrality of Jesus Christ. He begins with a discussion of how the Old and New Testaments should be viewed and moves towards the Anabaptist understanding that although the whole Bible is equally divine, ultimately Jesus and the Gospel’s should be held with the most importance. Still, even with this understanding, it is important to make sure that one does not separate Jesus’ physical life, teaching, death, and resurrection. I was pleased to once again see the idea of the incarnation proclaimed as one of the basis of Anabaptist