This Baptist history textbook highlights the diversity of the Baptist movement in North America as it has developed over the past few centuries. Under the Baptist tent are such diverse groups as Primitive Baptists, Freewill Baptists, Seventh-Day Baptists, American Baptists, Southern Baptists, North American Baptists, and Independent Baptists. Each of these Baptists groups shares some basic Baptist principles. However, there are significant theological and social differences between them. This book is the ideal survey for undergraduate-level students.
In the Baptist tradition, baptism marks the unique launch into a life of discipleship, drenched in God's love. Communion is the repeated experience of God's invitation into life-sustaining relationship, overflowing with grace. As such, baptism and communion are profoundly interconnected in the life of the Christian disciple. Theology happens in those moments. Affirming there is no single right way to perform these rites of the church, this book provides students, pastors, and congregations with the analytical skills needed to create robust services of their own, services that will help to shape our understandings of who God is, how God cares about the world, and how Christ-followers can perceive God's invitation to a life of grace through participation in meaningful services of baptism and communion. This book equips readers through, Identifying common struggles and questions concerning the ordinances, Offering multicultural liturgies that engage biblically rooted themes, Honing the analytical skills needed to create theologically robust services of your own, The author's website (https://jenniferwdavidson.com) offers supplemental materials and additional worship resources, making this a must-have resource to lead local congregations toward radical and faithful discipleship. Book jacket.
In attempting to write a history of the Baptists no one is more aware of the embarrassments surrounding the subject than the author. These embarrassments arise from many sources. We are far removed from many of the circumstances under survey; the representations of the Baptists were often made by enemies who did not scruple, when such a course suited their purpose, to blacken character; and hence the testimony from such sources must be received with discrimination and much allowance made for many statements; in some instances vigilant and sustained attempts were made to destroy every document relating to these people; the material that remains is scattered through many libraries and archives, in many lands and not always readily accessible; often, on account of persecutions, the Baptists were far more interested in hiding than they were in giving an account of themselves or their whereabouts; they were scattered through many countries, in city and cave, as they could find a place of concealment; and frequently they were called by different names by their enemies, which is confusing. Yet it is a right royal history they have. It is well worth the telling and the preserving.
Annotation A companion volumn to Harry Leon McBeth's texas baptists. A definitive collection of primary sources in Texas Baptist history. A indispensable source of information for anything relating to Baptists in Texas.
