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Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism As God's Transforming Work
Beginning with the baptism of Jesus, baptism has been an identifying practice of the Christian faith. It has also been deeply controversial and divisive. Combining careful Bible study with enlightening historical survey and practical suggestions, this book provides a rich and even-handed resource for deepening and renewing this central practice of the Christian faith.
282 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2025
“Baptism is more important than you think, but not for the reasons you suppose” (11, 19). By this, Hicks and Taylor mean to set the significance of baptism within the larger context of God’s goal to transform human beings into persons fit for a relationship with the triune God (23, 25, 28). The authors hope to steer readers towards a third way of understanding baptism, between a strictly ex opere operato sacramental view that locates the power of baptism in the act itself and a merely symbolic view that locates the power of baptism in its testimony to prior faith in the individual. Hicks and Taylor largely succeed and this book is a valuable addition to the discussion surrounding baptism. Though directed toward insiders in the COC, this book has something to say to Christians of all backgrounds. It is one of the few works of theology from within the Churches of Christ that might appeal to a broader audience.
This book balances well the conventions of a practical class book and a deeper theological / academic study. The authors are able to cover a wide variety of topics well within the thirteen-chapter conventions typical of quarterly church class books, including OT typology and Jewish precedents of baptism (ch 2), baptism passages in the NT (chs 3-4), historical baptismal practices (chs 5-7), and theological and practical implications of baptism today (chs 8-13). Throughout, the authors display an unusual curiosity and respect for the insights and conclusions of other streams of baptismal thought throughout history while at the same time making a persuasive case for believer’s baptism as an “effectual sign” that is a means of grace (237-38). Occasionally more technical discussion is warranted than is presented (such as fuller discussions of NT baptismal texts). Also, the two chapters in the “Practical Streams” section are mostly forgettable and feel added on to achieve the thirteen-chapter convention.
The climax of the book is chapter 10, which addresses the crux of the matter regarding baptism and salvation for members of Churches of Christ: “are there saved unimmersed Christians?” Ultimately, for those readers within the Churches of Christ, one’s assessment of the book will hinge on their agreement with their argument in chapter 10. Hicks and Taylor recognize the difficulties of reading the NT evidence on this question and the ambivalence of their tradition towards this question (140-45). They seek to avoid extremes on either side; they want to affirm the importance of baptism while rejecting the “line in the sand” approach towards the salvation question; they want to nuance and contextualize; they want to assert that the correct response to this question is more about interpretation than faithfulness (182). This leads them to reassert their view that baptism is a “mode of transformation” (184) rather than a ritual and assert their view that the correctness of the ritual is less important to God than the genuineness of the heart. Hicks and Taylor believe this “trajectory hermeneutic” to be demonstrated in the biblical narrative (184) and point to examples from both testaments to demonstrate their view (185-89). They then unpack these implications in the remainder of the chapter by responding to common objections posed by imagined interlocutors. Hicks and Taylor would affirm that ritual and heart should normally go together, but the exceptional cases they point to seem to suggest that the heart takes priority. One question left unanswered is, how far is one allowed to take this principle of heart over ritual? As the authors affirm, God gets to decide who is saved (182), yet the practical matters of church fellowship demand more specificity than perhaps is available.
A broader problem with their take on baptism is that Hicks and Taylor are ultimately still working within parameters of the debate established by the Protestant reformers. For example, they labor to map baptism onto the Protestant model of individuals’ ordo salutis—called, justified, sanctified—rather than questioning the paradigm itself (chs 8-9). This requires them to attempt to locate salvation in a specific event in time. Hicks and Taylor come closest to rejecting this paradigm on page 183 when they describe salvation as “formation into the image of God” (183) and refuse to pin themselves down with regards to its absolute timing with statements like “God continually bathes us” (174) and “Only God knows exactly” when someone is saved (249). They seem to suggest that salvation (and conversion) is a process, “a journey of faith” (249). More clarity and discussion on this would be helpful.
This book balances well the conventions of a practical class book and a deeper theological / academic study. The authors are able to cover a wide variety of topics well within the thirteen-chapter conventions typical of quarterly church class books, including OT typology and Jewish precedents of baptism (ch 2), baptism passages in the NT (chs 3-4), historical baptismal practices (chs 5-7), and theological and practical implications of baptism today (chs 8-13). Throughout, the authors display an unusual curiosity and respect for the insights and conclusions of other streams of baptismal thought throughout history while at the same time making a persuasive case for believer’s baptism as an “effectual sign” that is a means of grace (237-38). Occasionally more technical discussion is warranted than is presented (such as fuller discussions of NT baptismal texts). Also, the two chapters in the “Practical Streams” section are mostly forgettable and feel added on to achieve the thirteen-chapter convention.
The climax of the book is chapter 10, which addresses the crux of the matter regarding baptism and salvation for members of Churches of Christ: “are there saved unimmersed Christians?” Ultimately, for those readers within the Churches of Christ, one’s assessment of the book will hinge on their agreement with their argument in chapter 10. Hicks and Taylor recognize the difficulties of reading the NT evidence on this question and the ambivalence of their tradition towards this question (140-45). They seek to avoid extremes on either side; they want to affirm the importance of baptism while rejecting the “line in the sand” approach towards the salvation question; they want to nuance and contextualize; they want to assert that the correct response to this question is more about interpretation than faithfulness (182). This leads them to reassert their view that baptism is a “mode of transformation” (184) rather than a ritual and assert their view that the correctness of the ritual is less important to God than the genuineness of the heart. Hicks and Taylor believe this “trajectory hermeneutic” to be demonstrated in the biblical narrative (184) and point to examples from both testaments to demonstrate their view (185-89). They then unpack these implications in the remainder of the chapter by responding to common objections posed by imagined interlocutors. Hicks and Taylor would affirm that ritual and heart should normally go together, but the exceptional cases they point to seem to suggest that the heart takes priority. One question left unanswered is, how far is one allowed to take this principle of heart over ritual? As the authors affirm, God gets to decide who is saved (182), yet the practical matters of church fellowship demand more specificity than perhaps is available.
A broader problem with their take on baptism is that Hicks and Taylor are ultimately still working within parameters of the debate established by the Protestant reformers. For example, they labor to map baptism onto the Protestant model of individuals’ ordo salutis—called, justified, sanctified—rather than questioning the paradigm itself (chs 8-9). This requires them to attempt to locate salvation in a specific event in time. Hicks and Taylor come closest to rejecting this paradigm on page 183 when they describe salvation as “formation into the image of God” (183) and refuse to pin themselves down with regards to its absolute timing with statements like “God continually bathes us” (174) and “Only God knows exactly” when someone is saved (249). They seem to suggest that salvation (and conversion) is a process, “a journey of faith” (249). More clarity and discussion on this would be helpful.
February 6, 2020
'Baptism is more important than you think but not for the reasons you suppose', the opening statement in the preface, sums up the central thesis of the book. I think this book sets a high water mark for a clear substantive treatment of the subject of water baptism from the believers' baptism perspective. Treated as 'a line in the sand' that defines who is in and who is out, this holy sacrament has often been turned into a point of fierce, even violent contentions throughout some of the scandalous streams of church history. Written from within the Restoration movement that has often been charged for majoring in the form and minoring in the substance, this book steers us clear from all the hang-ups over the mechanics and legal technicalities, and advances instead our understanding of the transforming power of the initiation rite. It helps us revision baptism as 'a means of grace' where God's work is primary, even as it takes place through human cooperation. It helps us see baptism as not simply a one-off event that gets you saved but the distinguishing mark that sets the recurring pattern of our daily dying and rising with Christ.
John Mark Hicks and Greg Taylor take us through the historical, biblical and theological considerations of the subject and have produced a fine piece of writing that attempts to clear up much of the confusions that have muddied the water. I don't remember reading anything on baptism that is as clear, thorough, and solid on baptism as this. Reading it is like having your mind washed in the river once again and rediscovering the original intent for which the command was given. Written from a firm credo-baptist position (only believers should be baptized; babies need not apply - if I can put it that way) it may not be convincing to those from a pedobaptist persuasion but its treatment of the alternative understanding and practices in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions is even handed and respectful. As a credo baptist myself, I closed the book with a deeper appreciation of the biblical and theological basis for taking the conscious plunge of faith without delay. I also went away appreciating why other Christian traditions do it differently.
John Mark Hicks and Greg Taylor take us through the historical, biblical and theological considerations of the subject and have produced a fine piece of writing that attempts to clear up much of the confusions that have muddied the water. I don't remember reading anything on baptism that is as clear, thorough, and solid on baptism as this. Reading it is like having your mind washed in the river once again and rediscovering the original intent for which the command was given. Written from a firm credo-baptist position (only believers should be baptized; babies need not apply - if I can put it that way) it may not be convincing to those from a pedobaptist persuasion but its treatment of the alternative understanding and practices in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions is even handed and respectful. As a credo baptist myself, I closed the book with a deeper appreciation of the biblical and theological basis for taking the conscious plunge of faith without delay. I also went away appreciating why other Christian traditions do it differently.
October 3, 2023
Solid, and lots of great historical perspective. Chapter 3 on John's baptism and the restoration of Israel was very refreshing and insightful, and it connected with me more that I expected. I also loved the phrase in Chapter 1 about "plunging into the Kingdom." In baptism, we're touching God's glorious work, welcoming his Holy Spirit, and we arise dripping in grace, as Bobby Valentine has put it before. I also loved the Frederick Buechner quote at the beginning of Chapter 9: "Going under symbolizes the end of everything about your life that is less than human. Coming up again symbolizes the beginning in you of something strange and new and hopeful. You can breathe again."
February 10, 2020
This book represents something of a twist on the traditional Church of Christ understanding on baptism. While holding to much of the NT emphasis on baptism, it also takes a decidedly theological and historical tone about its meaning while also seeking to answer some of the questions about its necessity and importance. At times it is a bit dull in its presentation, but if you're willing to take the time and the effort to consider the perspectives of the author it can be very helpful.
September 2, 2024
No matter what you think about baptism, the authors do a wonderful job of explaining different points of view among various Christian disciplines and then making a case for their own. Whether you ultimately agree with the authors or not, my guess is that whatever you thought you believed about it will be altered in some way by the time the last page is turned.
January 24, 2024
Sheila’s book club pick
July 25, 2011
Read JUL 2003
Excellent review and discussion of baptism in the NT. Adult class resources including student handout, teacher notes, PowerPoint and video clips available at http://209.35.173.55/miva/merchant.mv
Excellent review and discussion of baptism in the NT. Adult class resources including student handout, teacher notes, PowerPoint and video clips available at http://209.35.173.55/miva/merchant.mv
August 31, 2012
Good value in perspective both with historical analysis and theological expertise with the goal of unity and peace.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews