Dirk Philips

Dirk Philips (* 1504 in Leeuwarden, † 1568 in Emden ) was together with his brother Obbe Philips one of the first leaders of the Dutch and North German Anabaptist movement. Together with his brother, and Menno Simons, Dirk Philips was one of the founders of the Mennonites.

Life

Dirk Philips, born the illegitimate son of a Catholic priest, studied theology and then joined the Franciscans. At the end of 1533, Philips joined the Anabaptist movement. Just a year later he was ordained by his brother Obbe an elder. Within the fledgling movement, Philips made ​​a name for himself as strict and dogmatic theologian. Like his brother, and Menno Simons, Dirk Philips leaned from the apocalyptic and militant ideas of the Anabaptists of Münster around Jan Matthys and collected the pacifist Anabaptists, who qualified by the ideas of the staff officers. With Menno Simons Philips shared the views on non-violence, the incarnation of God ( incarnation ) and the Trinity ( Trinity ). Philips was a spiritualist and Monophysite Christology. In the discussions about the community spell Philips took along with Leenaert Bouwens a strict position, which led to the emergence of the liberal parties of the Water Country and High German in the Mennonite - Anabaptist movement. In the conflict between the Flemish and the Frisians later he positioned himself but on the part of the Flemings, the more stressed the municipal autonomy. This led to the rejection with Leenaert Bouwens, who joined the Frisians.

Since 1550, he had his main residence in Danzig, where at that time there were already many Dutch Mennonites.