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In the Name of Our Lord: Four Models of the Relationship Between Baptism, Catechesis, and Communion
Who is a member of the church?
Christians divide on how one enters the church body. Matters are quickly complicated once other factors are considered, such as faith, instruction, baptism, first communion, and formal membership. Who should be baptized? What role does instruction play? And what is the best order of these things?
Jonathan D. Watson's In the Name of Our Lord provides an explanatory typology and incisive analysis for thinking through these interrelated questions. Watson's four--model framework accounts for the major historical varieties of relationship between baptism and catechesis as initiation into the church. With this framework in place, Watson then considers each model in relation to one another.
With a guide to navigating the terrain, readers can comprehend, compare, and contrast these different theological formulations. Readers will have a sophisticated but clear system for thinking through foundational matters that are important to every pastor and congregant.
Christians divide on how one enters the church body. Matters are quickly complicated once other factors are considered, such as faith, instruction, baptism, first communion, and formal membership. Who should be baptized? What role does instruction play? And what is the best order of these things?
Jonathan D. Watson's In the Name of Our Lord provides an explanatory typology and incisive analysis for thinking through these interrelated questions. Watson's four--model framework accounts for the major historical varieties of relationship between baptism and catechesis as initiation into the church. With this framework in place, Watson then considers each model in relation to one another.
With a guide to navigating the terrain, readers can comprehend, compare, and contrast these different theological formulations. Readers will have a sophisticated but clear system for thinking through foundational matters that are important to every pastor and congregant.
- GenresTheology
260 pages, Paperback
Published July 21, 2021
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 13, 2021
This is a helpful and substantive volume for considering the relationship between baptism, catechesis, and communion in the context of local church membership. The model Watson develops here is complex but has considerably explanatory power for recognizing the relationships between a broad spectrum of church traditions (specifically on the issue of how they relate the ordinances and the teaching ministry of the churches). Warmly recommended for pastors and students.
August 9, 2021
In the Nicene Creed, which has been confessed by countless Christians throughout the history of the Christian Church, Christians confess to believe in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” and they acknowledge “one baptism for the remission of sins.” At first blush, this is harrowing fact—the fact that so many individuals have spoken these words with conviction for so many years in so many languages—until one remembers that many of those who confess to believe in “one, holy, catholic church” and “one baptism” are staunchly divided—largely over the issue of baptism. Many of these differences eventuated in the shedding of blood. It is not hard to imagine two armies of warring Christians, from different traditions, confessing the Nicene Creed at the same time on two sides of the same battlefield on a Sunday morning, only to wake up to go kill each other on Monday morning. Can we really say that we “acknowledge one baptism?”
In his recent work, In the Name of Our Lord: Four Models of the Relationship Between Baptism, Catechesis, and Communion, Jonathan D. Watson tackles this topic with intense scrutiny. This is not an ecumenical work in the sense that it attempts to bring various traditions together, rather, it is a work a step removed even from this point. Before different traditions can hope to agree with one another, they have to come to understand themselves in relation to one another. Watson proposes that the best way for us to understand the differences of various baptismal traditions is to understand how these respective traditions conceptualize the relationship between baptism, communion, and the full entrance into the body life of the church (i.e., communion).
Rather than considering this question in an organic way, tracing the historical development of various traditions, Watson instead opts to consider the question in an analytical way. He conceives of a spectrum of options ranging from more of an objective view of the relationship between these ordinances to a more subjective view. He offers four models in total: on the far left is “the Baptism view,” in which baptism and entrance to the Lord’s table precedes catechesis and personal faith. The next model to the right of the “Baptism model” is the “Retrospective” model, in which catechesis precedes entrance (i.e., some sort of confirmation of personal faith is prerequisite to entering into the body life of the church in communion) but comes after—and in most cases is in some sense caused by—baptism. To the right of this model is the “Prospective” model, which, similar to the “retrospective” model, sees a close relationship between catechesis and communion, but unlike the “retrospective” model, the “prospective” model views baptism as the initiation into the entrance to the Lord’s table. In this view, Catechesis precedes both baptism and communion. The final model, on the far right, is the “catechesis” model, which views baptism as fundamentally subjective and therefore incidental to body life. In this model, catechesis precedes communion by default, but baptism is not prerequisite for any.
This work is almost solely descriptive, which is why it was difficult for me to personally connect with it. I can see some benefits to categorizing baptism along the lines of the of spectrum, and by and large, I think Watson is correct in where he places various traditions. I also think Watson is spot on in his insistence that the issue surrounding various baptismal traditions extends far beyond considerations of whether “infant baptism is biblical.” He’s right that the primary consideration is how one conceptualizes the relationship between baptism, communion, and catechesis. However, Watson’s novel terminology and idiosyncratic use of technical language seemed unnecessarily cumbersome. I also wonder if this kind of categorization does full justice to the nuances of individual baptismal traditions from a historical point of view. In any case, readers who care deeply about ecumenical discussions surrounding baptism will benefit from this treatment.
** I received a copy of this book from Lexham press and was asked to give an honest review.
In his recent work, In the Name of Our Lord: Four Models of the Relationship Between Baptism, Catechesis, and Communion, Jonathan D. Watson tackles this topic with intense scrutiny. This is not an ecumenical work in the sense that it attempts to bring various traditions together, rather, it is a work a step removed even from this point. Before different traditions can hope to agree with one another, they have to come to understand themselves in relation to one another. Watson proposes that the best way for us to understand the differences of various baptismal traditions is to understand how these respective traditions conceptualize the relationship between baptism, communion, and the full entrance into the body life of the church (i.e., communion).
Rather than considering this question in an organic way, tracing the historical development of various traditions, Watson instead opts to consider the question in an analytical way. He conceives of a spectrum of options ranging from more of an objective view of the relationship between these ordinances to a more subjective view. He offers four models in total: on the far left is “the Baptism view,” in which baptism and entrance to the Lord’s table precedes catechesis and personal faith. The next model to the right of the “Baptism model” is the “Retrospective” model, in which catechesis precedes entrance (i.e., some sort of confirmation of personal faith is prerequisite to entering into the body life of the church in communion) but comes after—and in most cases is in some sense caused by—baptism. To the right of this model is the “Prospective” model, which, similar to the “retrospective” model, sees a close relationship between catechesis and communion, but unlike the “retrospective” model, the “prospective” model views baptism as the initiation into the entrance to the Lord’s table. In this view, Catechesis precedes both baptism and communion. The final model, on the far right, is the “catechesis” model, which views baptism as fundamentally subjective and therefore incidental to body life. In this model, catechesis precedes communion by default, but baptism is not prerequisite for any.
This work is almost solely descriptive, which is why it was difficult for me to personally connect with it. I can see some benefits to categorizing baptism along the lines of the of spectrum, and by and large, I think Watson is correct in where he places various traditions. I also think Watson is spot on in his insistence that the issue surrounding various baptismal traditions extends far beyond considerations of whether “infant baptism is biblical.” He’s right that the primary consideration is how one conceptualizes the relationship between baptism, communion, and catechesis. However, Watson’s novel terminology and idiosyncratic use of technical language seemed unnecessarily cumbersome. I also wonder if this kind of categorization does full justice to the nuances of individual baptismal traditions from a historical point of view. In any case, readers who care deeply about ecumenical discussions surrounding baptism will benefit from this treatment.
** I received a copy of this book from Lexham press and was asked to give an honest review.
August 4, 2021
In the Name of Our Lord: Four Models of the Relationship between Baptism, Catechesis, and Communion.
The first thing one should know about this book, if you could not tell by the title, it is a kind of dry read. And By Kind of I mean very. This is the kind of book that would be required reading for a college course. This isn’t for everyone.
With that said Watson has put the work in to develop 4 models that explain the relationship between Baptism Catechesis (discipleship/ teaching) and Communion in various faith communities. His 4 proposed models presupposes Discriminate Administration of the sacraments which Watson discusses his reasoning and a case to be made against indiscriminate administration ( chapter 2 and Chapter 6) This presupposition means that if a particular Faith community practices indiscriminate administration then there would not be a fit within Watson’s four Models.
A interesting and valuable component of Watson’s proposed 4 models is that they are flexible (to use his adjective) enough to house faith traditions that may be surprising to some. The example Watson gives in the book is that the Quakers and John Bunyan have very different views on these matters they both fit into the same Model. This is because though they disagree in certain things they would in Watson’s estimation share the same “Liturgical logic”
This book just on the sheer fact it is about the sacraments gets a high rating from me. It was a difficult read for me but I can see it being a book I go back and visit every now and again. It would be of great interest to me if Watson ever developed a book with this information but written on a Lay Person’s level.
This book was provided free of Charge from Lexham Publishers in exchange for a fair review I was not required to give a positive review.
The first thing one should know about this book, if you could not tell by the title, it is a kind of dry read. And By Kind of I mean very. This is the kind of book that would be required reading for a college course. This isn’t for everyone.
With that said Watson has put the work in to develop 4 models that explain the relationship between Baptism Catechesis (discipleship/ teaching) and Communion in various faith communities. His 4 proposed models presupposes Discriminate Administration of the sacraments which Watson discusses his reasoning and a case to be made against indiscriminate administration ( chapter 2 and Chapter 6) This presupposition means that if a particular Faith community practices indiscriminate administration then there would not be a fit within Watson’s four Models.
A interesting and valuable component of Watson’s proposed 4 models is that they are flexible (to use his adjective) enough to house faith traditions that may be surprising to some. The example Watson gives in the book is that the Quakers and John Bunyan have very different views on these matters they both fit into the same Model. This is because though they disagree in certain things they would in Watson’s estimation share the same “Liturgical logic”
This book just on the sheer fact it is about the sacraments gets a high rating from me. It was a difficult read for me but I can see it being a book I go back and visit every now and again. It would be of great interest to me if Watson ever developed a book with this information but written on a Lay Person’s level.
This book was provided free of Charge from Lexham Publishers in exchange for a fair review I was not required to give a positive review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews