A testimony to how gripping simple truth can be in the lives of folks suffering under the oppression of political, social, and religious systems. Jakob Hutter was a hatmaker with a message dangerous enough to undo an entire consortium of social reality. His message was direct, unflinching, and practical. His suggested alternative, a community in which all goods would be shared with all, was also simple. It was something simple folks could understand. It made sense. Moreover, this effective alternative also happened to be—according to Hutter—biblically more faithful than the religious rigor undergirding the oppressive systems of the day. For this reason, it was revolutionary and dangerous.

This volume provides the best scholarly introduction to the life and pastoral career of Jakob Hutter, the founding father of the Hutterites. This work has greatest emphasis on English translations of the eight preserved letters authored by Hutter, but it places them in the context of chronicle sources as well as published official records.  It helps us to understand how and why the continuing religious communitarian movement has retained the name of Jakob Hutter.

For the first time, we have access to a remarkable collection of writings by and about the founding leader of the Hutterites: Jakob Hutter. This exhaustively curated source collection gathers into one volume the primary sources relevant to Hutter's literary and historical legacy. I highly recommend this book not only to scholars but to anyone interested in the fascinating and inspiring story of Hutterite beginnings.

This volume is of great significance for the study of early Anabaptism. It is essential reading for all who wish to understand – and be challenged by – what Hutter said and did.

Hutter’s letters acknowledge anxiety, display grief, summon solidarity, manifest longing, offer encouragement, and express joy. The editors have provided many helpful tools for reading and understanding these letters well, from a detailed biographical introduction to a wealth of other primary sources that illuminate the context for Jakob Hutter’s life and letters.

Brilliantly illuminates the unique communitarian faith and early history of one of the three Anabaptist movements that have outlasted the centuries. This is a must-read and a most worthy addition to the Classics of the Radical Reformation series.

Like so many of the early Anabaptist leaders, Hutter’s ministry lasted less than a decade before he was martyred. His leadership of the community that still bears his name nearly five centuries later lasted only two years. The letters included in this comprehensive collection of writings by and about him reveal a pastor who was deeply concerned for the flourishing of those he served. This is a welcome addition to the Classics of the Radical Reformation series.