Thomas Patient: The Father of the Irish Baptist Church

by Micah L. Caswell

The study of Baptist history and theology includes a quest for Baptist identity. For generations Baptists have asked, “what does it mean to be a Baptist?” Exploring the life of Thomas Patient is helpful to find an answer to this question. Patient’s life and ministry provide helpful data on what it means to be a Baptist, even though he is unknown by most Baptist historians. He will be shown to be an English Puritan then an American Baptist then an English Particular Baptist all culminating in his foundational role in establishing the Baptist movement in Ireland.

151 pages, Paperback

Published December 10, 2019

Reviews

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Caswell provides a brief biography of Thomas Patient and an analysis of his beliefs on baptism. Patient was an Englishman, Christian, Colonist, Independent turned Particular Baptist, pastor, chaplain under Cromwell, church planter, and best known as the father of Irish Baptist Churches. While little is known of Patient, Caswell has provided insights into his life based on the scant information available. Because there is so little known about the man, this book likely won’t change your life. But as a historical investigation, it is readable and informative.

[Chance Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ground-breaking book on Thomas Patient

[S.D. (Davy) Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caswell’s book serves as a helpful introduction to the little known figure Thomas Patient. His effort is admirable given the little information available on Patient. Thus, at times, there is some repetition. Nonetheless, any future work on Thomas Patient will certainly need to pay attention to this book.