Since the emergence of the Baptist movement in England, many have accused Baptist ministers of being unlearned, “dunces, and ignorant [of] both tongues and arts.” With the establishment of dissenting academies, such Bristol, Stepney, and Northern, learned ministry was advocated among English Particular Baptists since the beginning of the long eighteenth century. Despite recent scholarly … Read more
The deleterious effects of slavery remain a significant field of study. Exploring why Southern clergy supported African enslavement reveals motivations not unlike today’s luminaries in religious and political life who demonstrate similar objectionable behaviors. This paper argues that two pillars of pastoral support for the South’s doctrine of slavery were, first, that it was providentially … Read more
Families with a child on the autism spectrum are among the least likely to attend church according to research by Andrew Whitehead. This follows earlier research by Melinda Ault that demonstrates the challenges of reaching this people group. If children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are to be discipled, we must reimagine discipleship expectations and … Read more
Luther famously stated that “the best and infallible preparation for grace and the sole disposition toward grace is the eternal … predestination of God” (Disputation against Scholastic Theology, Article 29). This was to combat the Ockhamist doctrine “that God does not deny his grace to the one who does what is in him.” Erasmus updated … Read more
Scholars from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary led the field of Baptist historical studies for the better part of the twentieth century through the combined efforts of A.H. Newman, W.W. Barnes, Robert A. Baker, and H. Leon McBeth. This paper examines two of these historians: W.W. Barnes and Robert A. Baker. Both were respected Baptist historians … Read more