“Although each congregation has its own history and social and cultural background, it is common to experience the same sorts of conflicts, troubles, and situations,” says Ellul Yongha Bae, a Mennonite church leader and publisher in South Korea.
“MWC Communications is very helpful to show that as Mennonite churches, we have raised similar questions and tried to figure out solutions with a focus on community, discipleship and peace issues.”
Daejanggan publishing company has been translating Mennonite books into Korean since 2010, including the 2015 Global Anabaptist Mennonite Shelf of Literature book Life in the Spirit by John Driver.
“It is not easy to find a good model about radical movements in Korean Christian history,” says Ellul Yongha Bae. Teaching on peace is crucial in Korea because of the continuing wound created by the split between North and South Korea.
“We believe that Mennonite peace theology can be a good way to teach Christian ethics and a practical way of life,” says Ellul Yongha Bae.
Daejanggan pays translators a small stipend to work on these books to help the Korean Anabaptist churches learn alongside other MWC churches. “It guides us to see there are other possible ways that we can see other than Christendom,” says Ellul Yongha Bae.
The publisher is part of an organization that includes a web design firm and small farm. Donations – some from international Anabaptist partners like Hutterites and Bruderhof communities – help finance the translations.
The Mennonite books are mostly read by seminarians and lay leaders in Anabaptist house churches. But they also appeal to other Christians in Korea who seek alternative ways of living out a Christian life, says Ellul Yongha Bae.
“Although we are small, it is very meaningful to confess that we are followers of Jesus Christ in the context of Anabaptist ways of discipleship,” says Ellul Yongha Bae.
“The Global Anabaptist/Mennonite Shelf of Literature invites our members to participate in a global conversation about matters of faith and practice from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective,” says John D Roth, secretary of the Faith and Life Commission. “Many of the books are co-authored by leaders from different cultural contexts; most of the books include study questions, which aid small group discussion; and all of them are deeply rooted in Scripture.”
Click here for links to all eight titles in the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Shelf of Literature.
—Mennonite World Conference release
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Shelf of Literature:
Anabaptist Seed
De Semilla Anabautista (Spanish)
Graines d’anabaptisme (French)
重洗派的根源 (Chinese)
Täuferische Saat – Weltweites Wachstum (German)
Anabaptist Beej se (Hindi)
アナバプテストの種から (Japanese)
재세례신앙의 씨앗으로 부터 (Korean)
Từ Hạt Giống Anabaptist (Vietnamese)
Sharing Gifts in the Global Family of Faith
Compartiendo Dones en la Familia Global de la Fe (Spanish)
Dons de chacun au service de tous (French)
Teilen, was wir sind und haben (German)
God’s Shalom Project
Shalom – un proyecto de Dios (Spanish)
Shalom, le projet de Dieu (French)
Schalom – das Projekt Gottes (German)
シャローム 神のプロジェクト (Japanese)
A Culture of Peace
Ein Kultur des Friedens (German)
Stewardship for All?
What we Believe Together
Lo que juntos creemos (Spanish)
Was wir gemeinsam glauben (German)
Keyakinan kita bersama: mengungkap butir-butir keyakinan bersama gereja-gereja Anabaptist (Indonesia)
우리가 함께 믿는 것 (Korean)
Life Together in the Spirit
Convivencia Radical (Spanish)
Vivre ensemble, unis dans Esprit (French)
Hidup Bersama dalam Roh: Spiritualitas Radikal untuk Abad Kedua Pubu Satu (Indonesian)
성령과 함께 하는 삶: 21세기의 급진적 영성 (Korean)
Vida no Espírito em Comunidade : Uma Espiritualidade Radical para o Século XXI (Portuguese)
God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective
El Pueblo de Dios en Misio?n: una Perspectiva Anabautista – forthcoming (Spanish)
Le peuple de Dieu dans la mission : une perspective anabaptiste – forthcoming (French)
If you know of a translated version that is not listed here, please let us know.
Email info@mwc-cmm.org