Trends and Directions in Baptist Theology

In the latest Expository Times is an article on trends and directions in contemprary Anglican theology. It got me thinking if a similar such article could be written about Baptist theology. Ian Markham recognises 5 camps among Anglicans: liberal (e.g. Richard Holloway and John Shelby Spong), conservative (James Packer, Ephraim Radner), 'mystical' (Sarah Coakley) and 'radical orthodoxy' (John Milbank, Graham Ward, Catherine Pickstock) , ecclesiology and culture (Kathryn Tanner, Daniel Hardy, David Ford, Martyn Percy, Esther Reed, Keith Ward), and Rowan Williams.

In terms of number of academics engaged in theological research, British Baptists are not at the same level. There is an increasing number of Baptists engaged in doctoral work on a variety of topics (the annual Whitley lecture testifies to a variety of interests), but many, if not most, remain in local church ministry subsequently. Even those who are tutors in our colleges find little time to devote to ongoing research. So are we able to distinguish any trends or directions or camps among Baptists?

In terms of trends I guess we might acknowledge the number of works in the latest decade that both affirm and want to explore a sacramental theology (see John Colwell, Paul Fiddes, Anthony R. Cross and others) and in a related way also those who might be labelled 'catholic' baptists, whose work engages the contemporary ecumenical scene and has a renewed interested in the historical traditions of the church (in the US see Steve Harmon, Curtis Freeman, Beth Newman, Philip Thompson and Barry Harvey). In addition to this is an interest in a theology of covenant (see particularly Paul Fiddes). In terms of future directions there seems to be a new interest in hermenuetics and what baptists might offer and how they might practice reading the bible together (see the new book on this subject edited by Simon Woodman and Helen Dare, and also Sean Winter's Whitley Lecture) - the impact and whether it continues remains to be seen.

Apart from this, Baptists generally seem to plough their own furrows.

Comments

[mshedden]

Radner doesn't quite seem like a conservative (certainly not in the same ship as Packer), although in the Anglican communion it doesn't take much to look conservative sometimes. He handles himself much like postliberal but that isn't really category. He actually would fit closer to Williams then people might think, but they do differ on the most classifiable issue. Is Oliver O'Donovan Anglican? He seems like him, Radner, and Kathryn Greene-McCreight might make there own group.

Baptists are much harder to classify. I would be interested in where anabaptist leaning Baptist's fall, and other than historic lineage what is the difference between a pacifist baptist and an anabaptist. I am sure there is one, and I don't mean to downplay historical lineage, but I'd be interested in hearing that played out.

[Brandon Jones]

Andy I think you have nailed it. For what it's worth, my dissertation last year was involved in all three of the streams you mention. To be sure, the impact, if any, remains to be seen. I think one thing that ties the three streams together is a desire to identify a historically-rooted Baptist voice that harmonizes with other voices in Christianity. All too often, at least in North America, we have been a people known for picking fights and clashing with our brothers and sisters. Part of my reasons for researching these areas was to help discern a positive Baptist identity rather than a negative one in which we define who we are by what we oppose.

[Keith G Jones]

Andy, as you have referred to a group of scholars in the USA, perhaps a European comment ? Here at IBTS we certainly have a significant group of people engaged in doctoral and post-doctoral research within a baptistic theological perspective, building on our Anabaptist research and using Yoder and McClendon as conversant partners. Parush Parushev and myself are identifying this trend as research and theological reflection on gathering, intentional, convictional communities. There are now several publications in that genre and regular articles in the journals "Baptistic Theologies" and "The Journal of European Baptist Studies".

[Lee Stewart]

It is interesting to see kathryn Greene-McCreight quited here,as I know her & I conducted her Dad's funeral(He was a Baptist minister & very much in the Spong camp).I am not keen on labels,as a Baptist,I am mix of old & new,but my structure is more towards the traidtional, yet coming froman Anglican background,I have a high regard to "High church" & the role it can play in people's lives,yet as baptists,the closest to this, is setting ourselves in an ecumenical setting,a situation that military chaplains find themselves all the time & the result is,they either all become Anglicans or everyone become militant Liberals within their own tradition.