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Contesting Catholicity: Theology for Other Baptists
Baptists originated as a protest movement within the church but have developed over time into a distinct sect, one committed to preserving its place in the hierarchy of denominations. In today's postmodern, disestablished context, Baptists are in danger of becoming either a religious affinity group, a collection of individuals who share experiences and commitments to a set of principles, or a countercultural sect that retreats to early Enlightenment propositions for consolation and support.
In "Contesting Catholicity," Curtis W. Freeman offers an alternative Baptist identity, an "Other" kind of Baptist, one that stands between the liberal and fundamentalist options. By discerning an elegant analogy among some late modern Baptist preachers, seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Baptist founders, and early patristic theologians, Freeman narrates the Baptist story as a community that grapples with the convictions of the church catholic.
Deep analogical conversation across the centuries enables Freeman to gain new leverage on all of the supposedly distinctive Baptist theological identifiers. From believer's baptism, the sacraments, and soul competency, to the Trinity, the priesthood of every believer, and local church autonomy, Freeman's historical reconstruction demonstrates that Baptists did and should understand themselves as a spiritual movement within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
A "catholic Baptist" is fully participant in the historic church and at the very same time is fully Baptist. This radical Baptist catholicity is more than a quantitative sense of historical and ecumenical communion with the wider church. This Other Baptist identity envisions a qualitative catholicity that is centered on the confession of faith in Jesus Christ and historic Trinitarian orthodoxy enacted in the worship of the church in and through word and sacrament.
In "Contesting Catholicity," Curtis W. Freeman offers an alternative Baptist identity, an "Other" kind of Baptist, one that stands between the liberal and fundamentalist options. By discerning an elegant analogy among some late modern Baptist preachers, seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Baptist founders, and early patristic theologians, Freeman narrates the Baptist story as a community that grapples with the convictions of the church catholic.
Deep analogical conversation across the centuries enables Freeman to gain new leverage on all of the supposedly distinctive Baptist theological identifiers. From believer's baptism, the sacraments, and soul competency, to the Trinity, the priesthood of every believer, and local church autonomy, Freeman's historical reconstruction demonstrates that Baptists did and should understand themselves as a spiritual movement within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
A "catholic Baptist" is fully participant in the historic church and at the very same time is fully Baptist. This radical Baptist catholicity is more than a quantitative sense of historical and ecumenical communion with the wider church. This Other Baptist identity envisions a qualitative catholicity that is centered on the confession of faith in Jesus Christ and historic Trinitarian orthodoxy enacted in the worship of the church in and through word and sacrament.
- GenresTheology
478 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 3, 2015
Freeman offers an argument for how baptist can exist within the greater church. This book is nothing less than a small revolution for the baptist identity. This is because he argues for
1. Forging a new moderate identity between the dead extremes of liberalism and fundamentalism.
2. Recovering a modest creedalism, anchoring baptist thought in the great ecumenical creeds.
3. Recovering the trinity as the overarching structure of baptist theology.
4. An understanding of the priesthood of all believers that repels the individualism that has so badly damaged baptist churches.
5. A free church ecclesiology that seeks the fullness of church ministry.
6. Figurual interpretation of Scripture, reading for "further light," beyond the dead theories of historical-critical interpretation and biblical inerrancy.
7. A type of sacramentalism to enrich baptist worship.
8. A argument for inclusivity within the baptist church with regards to those baptized as infants.
Freeman makes his argument largely by exploring past baptist thinkers that have thought along the lines that he is advocating. In this regard, the historical research this book displays is nothing short of formidable. Freeman demonstrates himself to be without a doubt the most impressive baptist historian alive now.
With regards to his argument for catholicity, McClendon argues (following his mentor McClendon) that baptist are not a recovering of some True Church lost after a supposed "fall" but rather a contested recovery movement within the church Catholic. In doing so, baptists have the choice to work towards being the most affirming, hospitable, and productive for all identifiably believers everywhere. This involves his honest estimates about believer's baptism.
Of course, there is much more that this book could discuss, but it is an excellent advancement in baptist ecumenism.
1. Forging a new moderate identity between the dead extremes of liberalism and fundamentalism.
2. Recovering a modest creedalism, anchoring baptist thought in the great ecumenical creeds.
3. Recovering the trinity as the overarching structure of baptist theology.
4. An understanding of the priesthood of all believers that repels the individualism that has so badly damaged baptist churches.
5. A free church ecclesiology that seeks the fullness of church ministry.
6. Figurual interpretation of Scripture, reading for "further light," beyond the dead theories of historical-critical interpretation and biblical inerrancy.
7. A type of sacramentalism to enrich baptist worship.
8. A argument for inclusivity within the baptist church with regards to those baptized as infants.
Freeman makes his argument largely by exploring past baptist thinkers that have thought along the lines that he is advocating. In this regard, the historical research this book displays is nothing short of formidable. Freeman demonstrates himself to be without a doubt the most impressive baptist historian alive now.
With regards to his argument for catholicity, McClendon argues (following his mentor McClendon) that baptist are not a recovering of some True Church lost after a supposed "fall" but rather a contested recovery movement within the church Catholic. In doing so, baptists have the choice to work towards being the most affirming, hospitable, and productive for all identifiably believers everywhere. This involves his honest estimates about believer's baptism.
Of course, there is much more that this book could discuss, but it is an excellent advancement in baptist ecumenism.
December 28, 2014
'Skunk' Freeman provides an indispensable guide to ferreting out 'Other Baptists' and how to systematically disengage from them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews