By Fire: The Jakob Hutter Story (Heroes of the Radical Reformation, Number 2), Jason Landsel, Richard Mommsen, Sankha Bannerjee. Plough Publishing House (ISBN: 9781636081434), 2025.

Summary: A graphic biography of this early leader of the Anabaptist movement, marriage to Katharina, and martyrdom.

The Radical Reformation arose among Christians who believed the Reformation did not go far enough. Because adherents believed in baptizing only those professing faith, they became known as Anabaptists. The early movement taught holding all in common, living peacefully, including refusing to pay taxes for war. This incurred the wrath of the rulers of the lands they inhabited, resulting in the deaths of many.

This graphic biography portrays the life of one such figure, Jakob Hutter, after whom the Hutterites, a continuing movement are named. But Hutter was not always a peaceful Anabaptist. The first part portrays him, along with a friend who saved his life (and later betrayed him), Peter, engaging in the failed Peasants Revolt.

Through a refugee, Ursula, he comes to hear Georg Blaurock, who preaches removing from the existing church, and the way of peace and community according to the gospels. Jakob is convinced and parts ways with his friend Peter to join the Anabaptists, soon becoming one of their teachers. Meanwhile, Peter is growing more in love with Katharina, a young woman in the village, who also knew Jakob.

During this time, as the Anabaptists refused to pay taxes to fund Ferdinand’s war against the Ottoman empire. Arrest, drowning, hanging, and death at the stake followed. Katharina had joined the Anabaptists after hearing Jakob, was arrested, and saved her life by recanting. Meanwhile, the Anabaptists had fled to Moravia. Katharina, convinced she has made a mistake, joins them. Eventually, she and Jakob marry.

They live peacefully for a time until driven to live in the open fields. As a result, Jakob wrote a plea to the governor of Moravia, further engendering hostility.

Peter, in his anger and jealousy for losing Katharina, agrees to spy on the Anabaptists, and betray them to the authorities. And so, when Jakob and Katharina secretly return to Tyrol, he betrays them. The authorities arrest them and take them to Innsbruck. Jakob endures torture and preaches repentance as the flames mount around the stake. (This may not be a good scene to show younger children.) Katharina, after escaping, was recaptured and executed, probabably by drowning.

A few things about this graphic portrayal. I appreciate the artistic detail, the use of muted colors, and the willingness to let images rather than words tell the story at points, giving the reader a chance to imagine and reflect. “Peter” is a fictional character. However, he is based on the life of Jorg Frue, who actually betrayed, for money, Jakob and other Anabaptists. This story appears in the after matter, which also includes the mandates against Anabaptists, maps, profiles of historical figures, a timeline, and two of Jakob’s letters.

This is not a pretty story, even though a plaque marks the site of Hutter’s death, a picturesque square in Innsbruck. The denomination of which I’m a part traces its lineage back to the Radical Reformation as do the present-day Hutterites. I wonder if many of us realize that we have martyrs in our spiritual lineage. And I wonder if we reckon with the possibility that some of the radical values we embrace, at least in theory, might require us to follow Jakob and Katharina, and the One they loved.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.