Menno Simons
Dutch theologian, founder of the Mennonites (1496-1561) · Netherlands · Academics · Died at 65
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Something wrong?A Catholic priest who walked away from the church in 16th-century Friesland and gave his name to an entire faith tradition - the Mennonites - that still numbers over two million adherents worldwide.
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About this person
Menno Simons was born in 1496 in the Friesland region of the Low Countries and ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. As the Protestant Reformation swept Europe, he broke with Rome and joined the Anabaptist movement, a radical wing that rejected infant baptism and state churches alike. His leadership came at a time when Anabaptists faced persecution from both Catholic and Protestant authorities. Simons spent the next quarter-century traveling, writing, and organizing scattered congregations across northern Europe. His followers began calling themselves Mennonites, and the name stuck. He died on 31 January 1561, leaving behind a tradition that would migrate across continents and survive into the present day.
Academics from the Netherlands 6
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