Tracks and Traces: Baptist Identity in Church and Theology

by Paul S. Fiddes

This is a comprehensive, yet unusual, book on the faith and life of Baptist Christians. It explores a Baptist understanding of the church, ministry, sacraments, and mission from a thoroughly theological perspective. In a series of interlinked essays, the author relates Baptist identity to a theology of covenant, and to participation in the communion of the triune God. The book thus surveys the "tracks" of heritage, giving a solid historical background to each of the major themes, while at the same time offering "traces" of possible paths for the future, based on a tracing out of a vision of God.

Genres: Theology, Church

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Paul S. Fiddes is an English Baptist theologian and novelist. Fiddes is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford, Principal Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow of Regent's Park College, Oxford and a former Chairman of the Oxford Faculty of Theology. He holds a DPhil in Theology from Oxford (1975) and was awarded a DD from Oxford (2004). He is Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Bucharest, and a Fellow of the British Academy (2020).

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this really high in the category of books on Baptist Identity, but it deserves a middle of the road rating when compared with normal books. Paul Fiddes is a good Trinitarian theologian and there are many beautiful passages. I also like that as a Baptist, he doesn't just present bastardized ordinances but conceives of the Lord's supper and Baptism sacramentally.