A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

in emphases which account largely for the spiritual dynamic of the group's message and ministry. The following list of distinctives is by no means exhaustive, but has been selected to provide a general theological profile of the M.B. Church. 1. Practical Biblicism The biblicism of the early Mennonite Brethren, like that of their Anabaptist forefathers, was practical, rather than propositional, in nature. They turned to the Scriptures, not to construct systems of theology, but to find the solution to their spiritual problems. They searched the Scriptures daily for spiritual nurture and guidance. Wesley Prieb has aptly described this practical biblicism of the Mennonite Brethren: "The early members of our church were often recognized by their bulging coat pocket which contained a well-worn Bible. The Bibelstunden became the basis of their fellowship and worship. Reading the Word was part of their daily family pattern." 2 ' As mentioned in the introduction to this chapter, the Brethren were averse to any rigid dogmatism and creedalism that might displace the authority of the Bible. Seldom, if ever, did they ask: What does our Confession of Faith say? But often one could hear the question: What does the Scripture say? In their study of the Bible the Brethren developed an elementary hermeneutic — they discovered the locus of scriptural authority in the teaching of Christ and the Apostles. In the statement prepared by Daniel Fast in the spring of 1865, which contained the first major refutation of the Froehliche Richtung, this principle of Scripture interpretation is clearly evident. According to Fast, true godliness does not find expression in dancing, leaping, and shouting as some teach on the basis of certain Old Testament passages. In the teaching of the Apostles the mark of a true faith is not an outward happiness, but a genuine love. 30 In later years the Mennonite Brethren have endeavored to institu- tionalize their biblicism. In order to emphasize the centrality of the Scriptures in the curriculum, the Brethren put the word "Bible" into the name of the schools they built: Bible school, Bible academy, Bible institute, Bible college and Biblical seminary. In their somewhat simplistic biblicism, the Brethren have sometimes been guilty of stressing the "letter," rather than the "spirit" of Scripture. A collection of "proof-texts" has occasionally been construed as representing a "biblical approach" or as "Scriptural teaching." In general, however, even this sort of naive biblicism has served the churches well. It has compelled the brotherhood again and again to turn UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL REVELATION 369 to the Bible for a reexamination of traditional beliefs and practices. In a continued emphasis of practical biblicism lies the hope for a continued spiritual renewal of the church. 2. Experiential Faith From the beginning and throughout their history Mennonite Brethren have taught that