Emblems
An emblem is a device, sign, or article associated with a person or truth; in Catholic piety, e.g., a carpenter’s square is associated with Joseph; an eagle with the evangelist John and with Augustine. In Mennonitism the term has most frequently been used in connection with the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper, the expression most commonly being the “sacred emblems.” In the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition the bread and wine are symbols only, the doctrines of transubstantiation and consubstantiation being alike rejected.
In modern times the Mennonite Central Committee emblem has become familiar in Mennonite circles and in relief work—a circle within which is a cross with two clasped hands superimposed over it, along each side heads of grain, and over the cross a dove, together with the words, “In the Name of Christ.” This symbol of peace, love, and service represents the concern to minister to mankind in the name of Christ and in response to His love which moves His children and disciples.
In the Netherlands youth groups like Menniste Bouwers have emblems; on the Dutch hymn-book of 1945, appear the symbols of Lamb and Sun (emblems of the former separated groups of Lamists and Zonists). The Mennonite congregation of Aardenburg has a seal which shows a lamb.
| Author(s) | John C Wenger |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wenger, John C. "Emblems." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Emblems&oldid=80456.
APA style
Wenger, John C. (1956). Emblems. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Emblems&oldid=80456.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 194. All rights reserved.
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