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Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives examines the escalating conflict between New York state and Amish communities over the removal of religious vaccine exemptions for children. He summarizes the state-imposed fines for running unvaccinated schools, the Amish refusal to pay, and the legal trajectory that has reached the Supreme Court. Eicher places the crisis in historical context, recalling mid-20th-century fights over private Amish schooling that helped establish current rights to private and home education, and he recounts the famous photograph that shifted public opinion. He also contrasts responses within Amish communities (e.g., Lancaster) where some vaccination occurs, and notes recent measles outbreaks tied to the debate. The discussion moves from practical and legal tactics—parental rights, community authority, and individual bodily autonomy during COVID—to deeper theological questions about whether Amish objections rest on biblical grounds or a broader commitment to resisting state control. Eicher explores how these arguments might play out in court and what a Supreme Court decision could mean for the future presence of Amish in New York and beyond, with wider implications for religious liberty, state power, and cultural diversity.

This is Jerry Eicher from Anabaptist Theological Perspectives. The subject this morning is, in a broad sense, the veiling of the head, particularly the woman, although I'm going to zero in on only one single point, which is the glory on the head, or the glory of the woman, the glory of the man, all that, the issue with glory. But some background first, I wrote it up as a Facebook post a week ago and was not expecting a whole lot, but it got 40,000 views and, it's not that extraordinary to me, but it appeared to generate a lot of interest. So I thought I should come on here, too, and give you the details of that in verbal form. And you can go on my Facebook page, it's public, and see it there. It's the latest post if you go on this week. And further background, so I opened up the little piece by pointing out, giving it some context, that, the issue of the head veiling, and particularly the woman, It sends to zero in on her while it's just as much an issue of the man. There's a big problem in religious circles, Catholics in particular, and the Jewish people still do it. Muslims do it. The men cover their heads during worship service, and that's a big issue. That's not made as much of an issue of as the woman is, but it still is, because they are representing the covering of Christ. Doesn't matter what they say, in their heart of hearts, that is the public persona they're presenting to the world, is they are still covering up Christ in some form or the other. But this issue was largely a dormant issue for over 1900 years. And I say dormant in the theological sense, not in practice. It was very broadly practiced, mentioned every once in a while by a church father. I think Calvin even mentioned it. It just was there. That's what women did, especially in church, but also outside church. It spread both ways and that's where things stood there was not a lot of theological development other than what Paul had said but, Paul's 15-17 verses there in the first Corinthians as he opens up the issue, is deeply complex and. To people who surfers read it incomprehensible at times And I remember back in my early days coming out of the Amish, going to United Bethel there and, Oh, it was the school that they had. Rosedale, yes, was big, big and conservative. Men in that circle. And the big argument then was over Paraballo and Cotoclipto. They were in the process of throwing off the veiling. So that's what they were arguing about. And one of the teachers at Rosedale, who is now gone because this is all a long time ago, a very highly respected man. And I heard him personally say, after going over all the Parabolo and Catecliffe, and by the way, those are the two Greek words for covering and bailing, the two different ones that are used. He said he doesn't know what it is. So here was this esteemed Rosedale Mennonite, teacher saying that with all this study of Greek and all his understanding. He doesn't understand it. That has always given me a bad taste of digging into Greek, even though I do it, because you still kind of see what you want to see. And if you don't want to see it, you don't see it, no matter how many Greek stuff is thrown at you. So that's my aside about Greek. Anyways, for my 1900 years up until the opening of the 20th century, not a lot of theological development. So the attack against the veiling started early 20th century. As you go into the woman's suffrage movement, pressure starts to build, and they, on the other side, see it very much as an authority issue. They are rejecting the authority of God and how the order of creation is done between not only man and woman, but as Paul says, Christ. God is supreme. Under him is Christ. That does not make... Christ any less God, and then the man is under Christ and the man and the woman. And because the woman is under the man, it does not make the woman of any less value. But that's where things stood going into the 20th, first part of the 20th century. And when the assault came, the bulwarks, the barrier just went down quickly. It's amazing how fast it went. By the early 1960s, when the the second wave of the feminist movement started, they had a burn your veil day, openly said what it was about. The issues was about authority, rejecting the submission under man. And that's where maybe some of the later theologies kind of swirled around was that the veiling is about expressing the submission under the man. And that was a rabbit trail done, which there was no benefit at all. That's not, what it's about. It's about recognizing authority of God over you and how you are to conduct your life individually. So it's the man acting individually and the woman acting individually. And that goes out and out and on and on. So the barriers went down rather quickly and has been my contention that it was partly because those who were practicing it didn't know why, they just did it. And I've heard other people mention that. And. I could speculate on why that was. I don't really know, so I don't see a lot of benefit of that. But what has been a marvel to me, and this is what I then delved into, was that there is emerging a theological structure among Christians that is both beautiful and increasing in complexity. They are dealing with these multiple facets and issues that Paul is bringing up and weeding it into a tapestry that is worthy of God, as paraphrased Einstein. Many times he was noted for, as he looked for answers, not good enough yet, not good enough. And what is emerging is a very beautiful thing to me, and it's a marvel, it's a blessing. The sad part is that it's not coming out of the established Mennonite Bible schools, I wish it was. For whatever reason, again, they don't seem to have an interest or capability of doing that. It's occurring. Individual theologians kind of scattered all over the place. And most of them, I don't think, even have Anabaptist background. And they are coming up with the correct answers and putting it together in the proper order that it should be. And it's a very beautiful thing. And this and i'm just so focusing in on one subject one issue the glory, the glory of the woman and what does that mean what is that glory these are all questions and why is the woman called a glory she herself is called a glory and why is the hair called a glory, and what is this thing about the hair being a covering credit at the at the end there are pentecostal churches i understand. Yeah, I know some of them. Tony Coy, a pastor on Belle Fountain, his church. The women all have long hair, and that is the covering. That's how they feel that 1 Corinthians is fulfilled, by not cutting the hair. Not correct, but they pull that out of the very end of the verses and make it, cancel out everything else that was said, and it just doesn't work. So here is the structure in three parts that I'm going to lay out, or did lay out, and from what I can tell, it has withstood all attempts at this point to take it down, meaning that's one of the questions of a new perspective, a new theory that you put out, it's can it withstand the attacks that come against it? And this breakdown has withstood the attacks up to this point, at least from what I can tell. So let's break it down to three levels. Let's begin with the basic starting point that the apostle begins with. And in order for us to see it, because in this cacophony of noise that's associated with these 15, 17 verses, This can get lost. So let's strip it down to its basic starting point. And let's forget about hair right now. Let's forget about a covering. And let's just begin with the man and with the woman, just as a person, as a being, created being. The apostle claims, and claims correctly, that the man is a glory, has a glory about him. And we can go into that and butt first and support it. but it simply is. Just see, human beings have a glory around them. There's a presence, an aura, something. And the man has a glory about him just. As a person, and that is the glory of God. It's not all the glory, no, even a fraction of it, but it's a small representation of God's glory. And this is why masculinity is being so viciously attacked in our cultures is because it expresses the glory of God, the innovation, the self-motivated energy that a man has to his problem-solving, his taking charge. That's all expression of God's glory. In the same way, and again, leave the hair out of it, leave the covering out of it, the woman has a glory, a femininity it's called, just as a person, beautiful glory. And that is a representation not of God, but of the man himself. And you can take that broader, mankind, you can take it to represent glory of the church. And we don't look at humans often that way. We see them as something fallen, so on. In the original creation order, God sees humanity, created humans as a beautiful thing. They bear the image of God, and the woman reflects that glory, man's glory. That's it. Just think on that. Just absorb that point fully before you continue. Otherwise, it doesn't become a solid foundation that you're building your thought process on. So, enter the next level that the apostle introduces, which is the covering itself. So, take that just in isolation, just covering the head. This involves action from human beings. This is something that you choose to do, to put a covering on your head. And let's just kind of jump in here with practical application up front. There's nothing said about the size of it. Obviously, the covering has to be seen, so on and so forth. You have to be large enough to see it. That would be the only point. And let's take the woman first, because we see it the best there. Just think in your common, ordinary life, when a woman covers any part of her head in her normal existence. Let's say she is having a conversation and throws her hand up and covers her mouth. That is a distinctly feminine gesture. And it's beautiful. It enhances her femininity. It makes her more feminine by covering

Jerry Eicher concludes his Romans series by focusing on Romans 12:1–2 and the central theme of sacrifice woven throughout Paul’s letter. He argues that sacrifice is the foundational posture of the new life in Christ — presenting our bodies as a living, holy, acceptable service and being transformed by the renewing of the mind. Drawing on Anabaptist and Amish cultural examples, personal anecdotes (including family stories and a dramatic refugee bus journey), and practical concerns about gifts, obligation, and putting family first, Eicher explores how sacrificial service looks in ordinary congregational life and warns against lukewarm compromises. He also surveys historical missionaries and revival movements — from Hudson Taylor’s faith-based endurance to Amy Carmichael’s lifelong service — to show how sacrifice has driven mass spiritual change. The episode invites listeners to rethink sacrifice as the core expression of post‑baptismal Christian living and to consider how that commitment might be recovered today.

Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) walks listeners through Romans 8–11, focusing on the thorny passages in chapters 9–11 often cited in Calvinist debates. He examines key examples Paul uses—Isaac’s twins (Esau and Jacob), Pharaoh, and the potter and clay—asking what Paul means by foreknowledge, predestination, and election. Eicher contrasts deterministic Calvinist readings with an approach that sees God foreknowing types of people God can work with, not detailed individual destinies. He explores biblical examples (Abraham’s intercession, Moses, Sodom and Gomorrah), the role of human will and surrender, and how God can incorporate the ‘unknown’ into his purposes. Practical application emphasizes surrender and participation with God’s shaping work.

Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives tackles the difficult passages in Romans 7, setting them against Romans 6 and 8 to clarify Paul’s message about law, sin, and new life in Christ. He focuses on key verses (e.g., Romans 7:15), the baptism imagery of being "alive from the dead," and the marriage metaphor that explains freedom from the law through Christ’s death. The episode explores the struggle between flesh and mind: how engaging the law with our flesh leads to condemnation and spiritual death, while acknowledging God’s law with the inward mind and offering sacrificial surrender allows the Spirit to work. Practical points include using reason to discern God’s will, the role of sacrificial surrender over performance-based obedience, and how the Spirit enables victory. Listeners can expect a clear, pastoral unpacking of doctrine and application for everyday Christian living—honest wrestling with failure, steps toward surrender, and the hopeful transition into Romans 8’s promise of no condemnation and Spirit-led obedience.

This is Jerry Eicher from Anabaptist Perspectives exploring Romans 3—particularly the phrase "the faith of God" in verse 3—and arguing for the plain reading that God himself has faith in and through his own purposes. Jerry traces biblical support (including Isaiah 63), examines how God’s faith relates to human failure, law, and conscience, and reflects on the cosmic stakes of redemption. Topics covered include the priority of faith before works, how the law exposes human failure, historical and liturgical echoes (Feast of Fools, medieval imagery), a Timothy Keller observation on moral truth as a matter of faith, and the development of atonement theories—from early church Christus Victor to Anselm’s penal-substitution emphases. Jerry argues that penal substitution is necessary but not the whole story: the goal of redemption is the defeat of Satan and the vindication of God’s truth through the shedding of blood. No guests; key points: God’s faith carried the redemptive plan, human unbelief does not nullify God, faith precedes sacrificial works, and the deepest meaning of the cross is cosmic victory over evil—not merely internal legal satisfaction. Listeners can expect theological reflection, biblical exegesis, historical background, and practical implications for why faith remains central.

This episode features Jerry Eicher from Anabaptist Theological Perspectives taking a deep dive into Romans 2–3. He focuses on contested passages about judgment, works, and faith — distinguishing the works of the law from works of sacrifice — and explores how sacrifice, repentance, and baptism relate to justification. Eicher engages with historical and modern interpreters (including a note on Jordan Peterson), examines Paul and James on Abraham and works, and argues for a coherent reading that preserves both God’s righteousness and the believer’s path of patient, sacrificial faith.

Host Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspectives) explores Romans chapter 1—especially verses 16–17—to ask what Paul means by “the righteousness of God,” surveying theological controversies about whether God’s righteousness is inherent in his nature or defined by his will. The episode traces the biblical foundation from Genesis through Paul: the fall’s effect on the human will, idolatry and God giving people over to sinful desires, the role of conscience vs. the law, and how moral choices relate to true righteousness. Eicher contrasts Anabaptist (Menno Simons) and Protestant/Reformed/Catholic readings, arguing for the necessity of a real new birth (dying to the old self) rather than merely forensic imputation or moral reform, and discusses pastoral implications—including sensitive treatment of sexual sin, human inclination, and the limits of moralism.

Host Jerry Eicher explores the growing debate over the annihilation of the soul at death, arguing for the traditional biblical view of eternal punishment and critiquing annihilationist readings of scripture. Drawing on a quote from George MacDonald and on Stephen Hawking’s work on black holes and Hawking radiation, Eicher argues that annihilation is both theologically and scientifically problematic: evil must ‘live its evil’ until it chooses good, and matter appears to be returned to the universe rather than erased. Key points include the impossibility of ultimate annihilation, the idea of hell as containment and preservation rather than simple obliteration, and the ethical urgency for human beings to choose rightly in light of these considerations.

In this episode Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives argues that well‑intentioned mercy can sometimes do more harm than good because spiritual choices shape biological and cultural outcomes. Drawing on Jesus’ “seek the kingdom first” principle and recent neuroscience and epigenetic ideas, he explains how habits and neural connections are formed, passed between generations, and require deliberate spiritual disciplines to change. Jerry applies the principle to mission work (including a discussion of Haiti’s history and current challenges), international adoption and foster care, and the reception of new converts in Anabaptist communities. He emphasizes the importance of teaching Bible reading, prayer, fasting, submission to God’s will, and sustained discipleship rather than assuming material aid or kindness alone will produce lasting change. Listeners will learn practical cautions for missionaries, adoptive parents, and church leaders, and why deep, multi‑generational spiritual formation—not just immediate relief—is necessary to produce durable transformation.

Host Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist perspective) unpacks a week of cultural watershed moments: the Lindsay Clancy murder trial and the surprising public support it revealed; a provocative quote from Matt Walsh and a reflection on Peachy Keenan's piece about why many women are angry despite apparent gains. Eicher also examines a parallel controversy inside the Mennonite world — a pastor’s monetary ‘purity’ contracts with students, the outcry over spiritual abuse, and what these practices reveal about control, sexual ethics, and the erosion of traditional agreements between men and women. The episode ties these events to broader themes: the crossing of cultural lines (the “Rubicon”), the decline of male agency in contemporary Christian circles, the role of institutions, and a call to reconsider a biblical vision of manhood and household responsibility.

Jerry Eicher (Anabaptist Theological Perspective) examines the “freeloader” or “free rider” phenomenon as it appears in politics, social media, and the church. Drawing on evolutionary theology, Scripture (Paul’s “if a man will not work, he shall not eat”), and voices like Jordan Peterson, Eicher traces how individuals or movements ride on functioning institutions without contributing to them. The episode explores examples from recent public life — the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder and funeral, Candace Owens’s investigatory posture, debates involving Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro, and the broader rot in universities and institutions. Key points include the danger of self-exaltation, the need for submission to community norms, and Paul’s recommended response: exclusion rather than accommodation of freeloaders.

Host Jerry Eicher closes his two-part series on deconstruction by engaging John Taylor’s article “Deconstruction Has a Grief Problem Nobody is Talking About.” This episode examines how deconstruction is not merely a theological debate but a profound experience of loss — of beliefs, community, identity, and the frameworks that make suffering and meaning intelligible. Eicher interweaves personal testimony (including his own departure from Amish circles and vivid moments like the loss of a beloved first car) with cultural examples (a story about a former youth and a death-metal scene) to illustrate the emotional and spiritual fallout of leaving a faith community. He reflects on how grief is often unacknowledged by those who publicly celebrate deconstruction and how that silence obscures the depth of the loss. Key arguments explored: deconstruction functions like a death more than a mere doctrinal shift; it risks leading to nihilism when nothing replaces the structures that once held meaning; lament — not quick answers — is central to a Christ-formed response to loss. The episode closes with pastoral implications for those accompanying people who are deconstructing, encouraging attention to grief, lament, and the search for God rather than prideful reinvention.

Host Jerry Eicher continues Anabaptist Theological Perspectives with part two of his critique of Jim Palmer’s list of “13 religious ideas that no longer fit reality.” In this episode Eicher addresses ideas 7–13, confronting Palmer’s deconstructionist claims about miracles, the nature of evil, divine violence, atonement, final punishment, the purpose of Jesus, and the authority of Scripture. Eicher defends a traditional theological reading—drawing on C.S. Lewis and contemporary thinkers like Jordan Peterson—arguing that miracles reinforce rather than suspend natural law, that evil involves real malevolent forces, and that divine justice may necessarily include force. He also explores atonement (including penal substitution and the ‘‘bait’’ theory), critiques annihilationist alternatives to eternal conscious punishment, and rejects the reduction of Jesus to a mere mechanism for escaping hell. Throughout the episode Eicher situates his critique within an Anabaptist emphasis on local, grassroots rebuilding of faith communities rather than wholesale institutional destruction. He closes with personal testimony about encountering God and a call to engage robust theological resources rather than sweeping deconstruction.

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspective responds to Jim Palmer’s article “13 Religious Ideas That No Longer Fit Reality,” defending core Christian convictions while critiquing Palmer’s deconstructionist, overly materialist approach. Eicher addresses the first six claims Palmer raises: the image of a male God, a literal six‑day creation, the virgin birth, Jesus as fully God and fully human, Adam and Eve as the first Homo sapiens, and the doctrine of original sin. The episode surveys biblical, theological, and cultural arguments: how traditional Christian language and representation of God remain theologically robust beyond crude caricatures; why mainstream Christian engagement with science has moved beyond strict 24‑hour creationism; the theological significance of miraculous birth narratives; the mystery of Christ’s two natures; interpretive options for Genesis and human origins; and a nuanced reading of original sin as inherited propensity rather than simple biological guilt. Eicher closes by noting this installment covers only the first half of Palmer’s list and promises a follow‑up episode to continue the conversation, inviting listeners to consider both the harms of religious abuse and the constructive theological alternatives to nihilistic deconstruction.