Death by Baptism: Sacramental Liberation in a Culture of Fear

by Frank G Honeycutt

Our days are filled with a variety of known and lurking fears. Christians who name Jesus as Lord on Sundays are inundated with stories (real and imagined) inducing fear and caution throughout the random violence, health concerns, the perceived threat of people different from us, and economic worries, to name a few. News sources and national political leaders manipulate these fears in a fashion that threatens (and sometimes usurps) the church's ultimate trust in Christ. A pastoral at the core of this national anxiety is the looming fear of death, spawning various supplemental protections that have little to do with the promises of Christ. This fear of death (and the false promises claiming to shield us from such) may prompt us to nudge the One we call Lord to the margins of daily life, or even solely to the afterlife--a savior we'll all meet in heaven one day but whose quaint teachings have little to do with problems we're now facing. In this book, gifted storyteller Frank G. Honeycutt calls on his many years of pastoral experience to examine one of the most stunning (and overlooked) theological claims of the New how baptism radically unites followers of Christ in his death and resurrection. In baptism, we have already died (Romans 6). Disciples commence life in the kingdom on this side of the grave. Believing this with theological rigor and trust relieves personal (and corporate) anxiety about any day in the future when a believer stops breathing.

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2021

Reviews

[Dan Shonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Honeycutt's book gives the reader an in-depth look at the history of baptism-- from scripture to the early Church to modern day. As you might expect, there's a lot of theology in this little book. Honeycutt makes his case for just how important baptism is and how we should all refer back to our baptism on a regular basis. The Reverend also offers up some entertaining anecdotes and even a nifty short story to further his point. I believe this work by Honeycutt will help most any Christian grow their faith through the questions it may raise. As his title states, this view of baptism can be freeing in a world where many forces want you to be afraid.