Baptist Sacramentalism: Studies in Baptist History and Thought

by Philip E. Thompson (Editor), Anthony R. Cross (Editor), J.I. Packer (Foreword)

Baptists are not known for their sacramental theology. Baptist Sacramentalism, a collection of essays by Baptist theologians and historians from Great Britain and North America, shows that sacramental theology is not an innovation in Baptist thought and offers a viable way of understanding God's action the church and the world. Drawing on theology, history, and biblical studies, the contributors explore the physical and spiritual, dimensions of Christian theology and experience, the church, baptism, the Lord's supper, religious liberty, the politics of disestablishment, ordination and ministry, and preaching.

Includes:

The physical side of being spiritual: God's sacramental presence by Clark H. Pinnock
The sacramentality of the church: an evangelical Baptist perspective by Timothy George
Sacraments and religious liberty: from critical practice to rejected infringement by Philip E. Thompson
C.H. Spurgeon on the sacraments by Tim Grass and Ian Randall
Baptism and the Lord's Supper as community acts: toward a sacramental understanding of the ordinances by Stanley J. Grenz
Re-membering the Body: baptism, Eucharist and the politics of disestablishment by Barry Harvey
Baptism in Acts: the sacramental dimension by Stanley E. Porter
Is 'Baptist sacramentalism' an oxymoron?: reactions in Britain to Christian Baptism (1959) by Stanley K. Fowler
The pneumatological key to H. Wheeler Robinson's baptismal sacramentalism by Anthony R. Cross
'His soul-refreshing presence': the Lord's Supper in Calvinistic Baptist thought and experience in the 'long' eighteenth century by Michael A.G. Haykin
'To feed upon by faith': nourishment from the Lord's table by Curtis W. Freeman
The Lord's Supper: might Baptists accept a theory of real presence? by Elizabeth Newman
The sacramental nature of ordination: an attempt to re-engage a Catholic understanding and practice by John E. Colwell
Towards a Baptist theology of ordained ministry by Stephen R. Holmes
Towards a sacramental understanding of preaching by Brian Haymes

Genres: Theology

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Victor Gamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacramental theology has traditionally not been emphasized among Baptists. In fact, most Baptist run in horror from the term "sacrament." This does not mean, however, that Baptists have not pondered long and hard over the ceremonies instituted by Jesus Christ. This book, then, is a much-needed to fills a gap in literature on the Baptists. Anthony Cross includes a series of essays by theologians and historians from both Britain and North America which explore Baptist understanding of God's work in the church and the world. Topics such as baptism, the Lord's Supper, disestablishment and are examined.

[Timothy Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, this should probably be a four-star review; as with any collection of essays, there are some chapters which are stronger than others.

However, I'm going to give this 5 stars simply because books like this are so rare. There is a great need for high-level scholarship challenging and calling free-church and Baptist churches to a higher, more Biblical, and theologically rich view of God's gracious revelation to us mediated through his creation.

This book is one of the few I am aware of which seeks to accomplish this and many of these essays do so in an exemplary fashion.

Highly recommended.