Pastor, theologian, Pietist, mystic, Anabaptist, hermit, writer, composer, radical, controversial! All of these terms, and more, have been used to describe Conrad Beissel. Although he was a great communicator, Beissel held some unusual theological beliefs that set him apart. "Conrad Beissel: The Early Years" examines the development of his thought through various influences in the years leading up to his establishment of the unique community that would later be known as the Ephrata Cloister.