John Smith and the Ghost of Anabaptism

Abstract

"Flnally, both studies by Shantz and Coggins describe the early Stuart religious setting, within which Smy,th made his theological pilgrimage, in the vaguest of generalities. , Neither study offers evidence of a substantial understanding of either the Puritan environment or the thought of the Continental Anabaptists, which certainly is needed in order to identify ,clearly possible sources for significant themes in Smyth's writings.' With the exception of scattered references to Calvin's Institutes, Smyth's thought is considered virtually in isolation. This is a serious flaw in studies that purport to address the key question of Smyth's debt to the Anabaptists in the course of his mercurial career. "