In Search of the New Testament Church: The Baptist Story

by C. Douglas Weaver

When John Smyth organized the first Baptist church, he wanted to establish the New Testament church; believer's baptism was the missing link. Baptists of subsequent eras often continued the search to embody New Testament Christianity. Alongside the quest for the New Testament church (and congregational community), Weaver especially highlights the Baptist commitment to religious liberty and the individual conscience. Both chronological and thematic, this book addresses such themes as the role of women, the social gospel, ecumenism, charismatic influences, and theological emphases in Baptist life.

Genres: Church History

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry at times, but I think this book achieved exactly what it set out to do. It’s a history of Baptists, with very little additional fluff or commentary. If that’s what it wants, that’s it got. I think there could be a bit more on international Baptist life, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and perhaps other contentious issues (ie, same-sex marriage), but then again no book can do it all.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brisk, accessible history. Unfortunately, it sacrifices depth for breadth; over and over, an important doctrinal principle or distinction is flicked over with a breezy single sentence -- not necessarily incorrect, but almost always incomprehensive. There are strong points: the book is totally disinterested; the analyses of each branches' social ramifications are consistently logical and relevant, and the progressive formation of these social doctrines forms a panoramic and useful overview of American social history, as well as an interesting commentary on modern evangelical Protestantism. However, too much is left unsaid for this to be more than a secondary work on the topic.