Between Worlds: John A. Broadus, the Southern Baptist Seminary, and the Prospects of the New South

by Eric C. Smith

John A. Broadus (1827–95) was a highly influential Southern Baptist leader, preacher, scholar, and educator during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He cofounded the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which today is among the largest seminaries in the world. Broadus’s enduring impact on American preaching stems in part from his 1870 homiletics manual, a widely adopted textbook that ministers continue to use today. A prominent southerner before and after the Civil War, Broadus actively shaped his region during the shift from the Old South to the New. Eric C. Smith’s Between Worlds—the first scholarly biography of Broadus—joins recent historical scholarship in reevaluating Broadus’s legacy.

393 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 2, 2026

About the author

Eric C. Smith is Assistant Professor of Early Christianity and Contemporary Christian Practice at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.

Reviews

[Jonathan Ciecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balanced, inspiring, and insightful

Dr Smith has once again applied a skillful hand to the life and legacy of a great Baptist. Anyone who wants to understand the religious influences of the reconstruction south, Baptist life in the mid-late 19th century, or how a pious evangelical can be a constellation of sin and holiness, will benefit greatly from this work. Equally as impressive is that it remains informative and documented while adhering to the Caro mantra, “tension on every page.”