The Radical Reformation

Later in the 16th century, the Protestant movement again splintered, as another variant appeared in a different Swiss city, Zurich. Based on the writings of Heinrich Zwingli, this was a more extreme variant, which wanted to do away with all religious ceremonies and all dogma, so that religion would consist solely of each person reading and interpreting the Bible for himself.

This movement believed that each person should choose to be a member of the religion, rather than be born into it. Thus, each and every member had to be re-baptized as an adult, and the movement became known as the "re-baptists" or Anabaptists, which was then shortened into "Baptists."

The Anabaptists' greatest achievement came in the German cathedral city of Munster, where in 1534 they gained control of the city government and expelled all Catholics and Lutherans. Briefly, they established what they considered to be the "heavenly kingdom" on earth, living as they believed God commanded and Christ had shown. Soon, however, the population rebelled, and the Anabaptists were captured and hung in cages from the top of the (newly reconsecrated) Catholic cathedral in 1535.