Four books written by – or focusing on – Baptists
Today we look at four books all written by or about Baptists, providing historical and biblical insight into contemporary issues facing the church.
Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches (Kregel, 2008). If you only purchase one of these four volumes, make this your selection. Various authors – Mark Dever, Daniel Akin, and Stan Norman to name a few – provide overlapping chapters on themes like “Regaining Meaningful Church Membership,” “Fencing the Table” and “The Reestablishment of Proper Church Discipline.” This book mentions by name current debates within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) on these issues. There is no doubt that this book will benefit the daily conversation among denominational leaders and pastors regarding the health of Baptist churches. I found the authors to be soaked in Scripture, aware of church history and given to pastoral practicality.
The Formation of Christian Doctrine (B&H, 2007). Malcolm Yarnell served as an editor of Restoring Integrity and First Freedom, so I thought I would also throw out for consideration this solo effort of his. It is an unusual book, and I don’t mean that pejoratively. Yarnell interacts with Catholic, liberal, and Reformed theologians before laying down his own foundation of doctrine, the “Believers’ Church Proposal.” He explains what the Anabaptist tradition has to offer contemporary theological discussion. Don’t try to take in this book too quickly; the reward is in the slow chewing.
First Freedom: The Baptist Perspective on Religious Liberty (B&H, 2007). I picked up this volume last fall and have worked through it slowly, learning many new things. Again, it is a compilation of authors – Richard Land, Paige Patterson, Emir Caner, etc. – each providing an introductory lesson on biblical and historical foundations of religious liberty. Baptists throughout history have been at the forefront of religious liberty issues. Given the recent attention given to the “Evangelical Manifesto,” I appreciate Russell Moore’s chapter, “Conservative Christians in an Era of Christian Conservatives: Reclaiming the Struggle for Religious Liberty from Cultural Captivity.”
Readings in Baptist History: Four Centuries of Selected Documents (B&H, 2008). Here is an anthology of Baptist writings spanning the last four centuries, from 1609 to the 2000 revision of The Baptist Faith & Message. Even in our day of online access for much of this material, having them all in one volume is a convenience that makes for more efficient study. Compiler Joseph Early writes, “Access to the primary sources is the key to a deeper understanding of the events in question. By examining the primary sources, the reader has the opportunity to delve further into an issue and see it in its original context and through the eyes of the writer.” (Scott Lamb is a founding pastor of Providence Baptist Church, St. Louis, and is the ongoing book reviewer for The Pathway. To read about other books, visit www.AChristianManifesto.com.)
