Catholicity and Confessionalism

John Colwell's lecture was the fourth in a series of (at least ten according to Nigel Wright) annual George Beasley-Murray Memorial Lectures.  In the latter half of the twentieth century, the contribution of George Beasley-Murray towers over Baptist theology and this set of lectures is designed to reflect on different aspects of his thought. Colwell's lecture on Sunday was a response to Beasley-Murray's writings on unity. It will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Baptist Quarterly.

Colwell's argument was that Baptist distinctives are in jeopardy and that in Beasley-Murray we find someone who was committed to ecumenism and to the distinctive shape of Baptist ecclesiology.  Beasley-Murray was the chairman of the Baptist Union report 'Baptists and Unity' (1967) which argued for six Baptist distinctives:

1. baptism
2. authority of the local church
3. Lord's supper
4. episcopacy
5. use of creeds and confessions
6. relationship of church and state - baptists are dissenters

Colwell argued that the post-denominational context was muting Baptist identity, where youth work or worship style becomes the most important reason for belong to a church.  In the recent joint Baptist and Anglican report Pushing the Boundaries of Unity there was no mention of of Baptists being dissenters as a problem in unity with the Church of England.  The impact of Restorationism has seen many Baptists flirting with Presbyterian style church government, which alongside has seen a loss of confidence in the church meeting and perhaps council and assembly as ecclesial bodies. So in Assembly we find set-piece presentations, rather than any real discerning of the mind of Christ. 

Colwell argued for a visible unity which celebrated distinctives and not their impoverishment or suppression.

He ended the paper by calling for review of the Declaration of Principle (which denies catholicity) and that instead of needing to write a confession, he asked how can Baptists confess differently? To which he suggested we don't need a distinctive confession, but a distinctive manner or practice of confessing. 

Underlying this paper was Colwell's concern (shared by others) that the Baptist Union is lacking a strong enough theology and that the agenda (?) is being pushed by good people, but practical people, who are arguably more interested in practical responses than theological ones.

This was an excellent paper (and this summary doesn't do it justice) and one in which I hope people engage and respond to.  Along with Paul Fiddes, John Colwell is our most important theological voice in the Baptist Union. I'm concerned that they don't get listened to enough. We sorely need good theologians (and also historians) to help us shape and articulate our life and witness.

Comments

[Simon Woodman]

I was sorry to miss John's lecture - but am looking forward to reading it in the BQ. Good to see you, albeit briefly, over the weekend.