Peter Ridemann wrote his Account of Our Religion, Doctrine, and Faith (Rechenschaft), while he was in a Hessian prison. During this time, it was very dangerous to be a Hutterite. They sought safety whereever possible. Many lived in caves and the catacombs of Rome.
He served as an elder from 1542-1556. Of the 27 years Peter had belonged to the Hutterites, for nine of them he was imprisioned for defending his religious convictions.
As well as contributing to the moral and organization of the Hutterite groups, Peter's authorship of The Confession of Faith was extremely valuable to the Hutterite faith. It is still in use today.
