he writing of any history is a complex task. Whose stories get
told? What sources are used to construct a particular historical
narrative? What are the power relationships that contributed towards
the construction of particular historical narratives instead of others?
Why are some narratives given a higher qualitative value than others?
In contemporary historical scholarship there is an important focus
upon unearthing and telling "people's histories". Such projects are
predicated upon an ideological commitment to "re-read" the events and
historical sources of historical narratives, and of course to include new
perspectives and new sources, to tell a different story or focus on a
different element in the telling of the story. In church history, and the
history of Christianity, such approaches are described variously as
liberative, de-colonial, contextual, or social histories (among others).
The re-telling of history from differing perspectives invites the reader to
adopt a different vantage point in her or his understanding of persons
and events that constitute the narrative. This has the possibility to
unlock new meaning, to ask deeper and more critical questions, and to
gain a greater appreciation for the complexity of the task of the
historian. Of course, it can also create space for silenced persons to
speak, and marginalised communities to be seen.
Dr. Youjin Chung invites us into such a process as he seeks to "reread"
the histories of the Anabaptist Münster traditions through the
hermeneutic lens of Korean Minjung Theology. He is uniquely qualified
to undertake this task given his own theological tradition, his cultural
heritage, and his academic training. All of these elements serve to
enrich his scholarly contribution in this text.
This book poses some important methodological questions for
scholars in the field of church history. A primary question is, "To what
extent should Christian history give the ordinary people their voice?" His contention is that it is the responsibility of the academic Church
historian to seek to identify, listen to, and present the voices of the
"ordinary faithful" in their research.
