View source for Strasser, Gottfried (1854-1912)

Gottfried Strasser (1854-1912), Reformed pastor in Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland, author of the song which has become the folk song, the <em>Grindelwaldnerlied </em>or <em>Gletscherpfarrer von Grindelwald. </em>In [[Langnau im Emmental (Kanton Bern, Switzerland)|Langnau ]](Emmental), where he grew up, Strasser made some observations among the [[New Amish|New Amish]], which led him to a closer study of the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist ]]movement. In 1884 he published a historical treatise, "Der schweizerische Anabaptismus zur Zeit der Reformation" in the <em>Berner Beiträge zur Geschichte der schweizerischen Reformationskirchen, </em>which is, however, not entirely objective and does not go beyond the prejudiced position of church historians of an earlier era. As the foundation of his book Strasser used biased sources, especially [[Bullinger, Heinrich (1504-1575)|Bullinger]]'s books, and therefore came to the conclusion that the Anabaptists were only fanatics. Even the conversion of [[Grebel, Conrad (ca. 1498-1526)|Conrad Grebel ]]he thought took place from motives of hostility rather than of love for the cause of the Gospel. For the doctrines of the Anabaptists Strasser showed little understanding, although he admitted that their motivation was not mere fanaticism but their wish to be, "after the example of the apostolic time, in the narrower circle of the awakened, a brotherhood of active holiness, the gathering of a truly Christian people which would adhere to the Gospel, live the most blameless lives and not tolerate any grave sin among them." Concerning the strict Biblicism of the Anabaptists Strasser said, "It was not to be avoided that the petrified adherence to the letter of the Bible would soon after the inception of Anabaptism turn into a fanaticism that elevated itself above the Bible." He identifies the Anabaptist movement with the Peasants' Revolt; the reports of fanatical happenings that Strasser gives are taken from Bullinger. On the whole, like his contemporary [[Egli, Emil (1848-1908)|Emil Egli]], whose works he used, Strasser sought to do justice to the history of the Reformation.
= Bibliography =
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. ''Mennonitisches Lexikon'', 4 vols. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. IV.
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