THE BAPTIST STUDIES BULLETIN

Produced by The Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer University

Walter B. Shurden, Executive Director and Editor, BSB

Greg Thompson, Baptist Studies Associate

        I Believe . . .: by Walter B. Shurden

                "One of the Most Important Religious Organizations in this Republic"

        The Baptist Soapbox: by Fisher Humphreys

                "Baptists and Open Theism"

        Baptist History 101: by Don Sanford

                Don Sanford introduces you to Seventh Day Baptists

        Baptists and Books: by Bill J. Leonard

                    Bill Leonard reviews three very important books on American Religion

        The Baptist Library: Baptist Books: by Rosalie Beck

                    Rosalie Beck reviews two major books on Baptist women

        The Baptist Stacks: Perusing Periodicals for Baptistiana: by Pam Durso

                Pam Durso’s reads the journals with Baptist eyes on the Catholic Crisis

        Baptist Bits: by W. Loyd Allen

                Loyd Allen provides fodder for the pulpit

        Q and A: by Greg Thompson

                How should Baptists respond to Open Theism?

        Baptistville: by Greg Thompson

                Happenings in Baptistville

"One of the Most Important Religious Organizations in this Republic"

by Walter B. Shurden

       with all my heart and soul that one of the most important religious organizations in this republic is the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs (BJC). The BJC is no sectarian bureaucracy, playing around in an irrelevant denominational sandbox in Washington, DC. The BJC is enormously significant for every citizen of the United States, whether Baptist or Buddhist, Methodist or Muslim, Assembly of God or atheist, Catholic or Congregationalist, liberal or fundamentalist.

       Why is the BJC so important? Because its passionate mission "is to defend and extend God-given religious liberty for all." ALL! EVERYBODY! The BJC operates from the Baptist conviction that "religion must be freely exercised, neither advanced nor inhibited by government."

       No potatoes are hotter in public discourse today than issues of church and state. Vouchers! Prayer in public schools! Faith-based charities! The Pledge of Allegiance!

       Because the BJC is in the kitchen where those potatoes are being baked, the BJC is almost always on the hot seat, sometimes maligned, often misunderstood, but always, in my judgment, on target with its recommendations, counsel, and advocacy. The people at the BJC feverishly work to keep religion and government separate for the good of both a healthy faith and a sound government. As a result, the BJC is often repudiated by both religious zealots who arrogantly advocate a medieval theocracy and secular zealots who condescendingly dismiss the role of religion altogether.

       The "Joint" part of the name of the BJC’s simply means that some fourteen different Baptist bodies in the United States have joined together to support the crucial work of the BJC. Supported by Baptists, the BJC also happily "joins" with all faith groups and organizations committed to freedom OF religion, freedom FOR religion, and freedom FROM religion.

       The BJC is working for your freedom and the freedom of your children and grandchildren. It is one of the most important religious organizations in this republic.

       No check I write feels any better than the check I write each year to the Baptist Joint Committee.

       No newsletter I read is more helpful than Report from the Capital sent to contributors to the BJC.

       No web site I visit keeps me better informed on issues of faith and public policy than  http://www.bjcpa.org.

       No Baptist leader in this country is more important to more people in this country than is Brent Walker, executive director of the BJC.

       Join me in joining the BJC by reading faithfully its publications, heeding eagerly its counsel, and supporting financially its needs.

       Seventh Day Baptists trace their beginnings from the mid-seventeenth century English Reformation. The availability of the Scriptures led some to believe that the seventh day of the Scriptures was a requirement for biblical Christianity. The first Seventh Day Baptist Church in England began about 1650.

       Churches in America had three separate beginnings. Samuel and Tacy Hubbard's rejection of the state-church concept, and their belief in believers baptism forced them to leave Massachusetts and Connecticut and settle in Rhode Island where they became active members of the First Baptist Church of Newport. In 1664 their Bible study brought them to the Sabbath and its observance in a small cell group. When two of their number gave up their Sabbath observance, the others had difficulty in sharing communion with those they considered apostates. Thus in 1671 they covenanted to form the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America.

       A second beginning, about 1700, stemmed from Quakerism in Pennsylvania. The designation of the days of the week by numerical terms as found in the Bible rather than pagan names may have shown the inconsistency of worship on the day of the Sun rather than the biblical Sabbath. Their Sabbath conviction was shared with German immigrants of the semi-monastic community of Ephrata and a sister-relationship existed for years.

       The third beginning was in Piscataway, New Jersey where Edmund Dunham chastised Hezekiah Bonham for working on Sunday. When challenged to prove from the scriptures why this was a sin, Dunham and his Baptist Sunday School class searched the Bible but could find no proof. Thus they withdrew membership from the Baptist church and formed the third Seventh Day Baptist Church in America.

       From these three beginnings in America, the westward migrations established colonies in territories across the nation. In 1802 a General Conference was organized to send out missionaries to the scattered locations. Its first history was published in 1811.

       In 1820 a missionary magazine was published, followed by continuous publications into the current times. In 1847 a missionary society was organized leading to the establishment of a mission in China with a school, a hospital and churches that lasted until the Communist takeover in 1950.

       Other missions have been established in India, Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean. Most of these have been similar to the call received by Paul, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." When those in other countries came to a Sabbath conviction they called for help in establishing churches with Baptist polity.

       Education has been a high priority leading to establishment of academies and three colleges. The Sabbath School has been an important part of the churches' programs. For over a century they have been contributing participants in various ecumenical organizations. As was expressed in one such group, "Seventh Day Baptists weigh more than they count."

       Statistics for 2001 in the United States and Canada show 70 churches in 30 states plus 19 branch churches with approximately 5000 members. Seventh Day Baptist World Federation reported 17 Conferences with 40,000 estimated members.

       Editor’s note: For more information on Seventh Day Baptists visit the following site: http://www.seventhdaybaptist.org/

Perspectives on American Religion and Culture, edited by Peter W. Williams. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1999.

       I have an essay in this book so I proceed with caution. I write this with references to essays other than my own. According to editor Peter Williams, this collection of some 27 chapters is "to acquaint a variety of readers . . . with the state of the study of America’s religious experience today." Sections include: diversity and pluralism, religious roots of American culture, religious cultures in transition, popular and material culture, race and ethnicity, gender and family, and intellectual and literary culture.

       The book could be helpful as a text for introducing themes and issues in American religion. The initial section on pluralism explores the historiography of the West, pluralism on the "edges," and the ideal of pluralism in American culture. Writers include Laurie Maffly-Kipp, Stephen Stein, William Hutchison, and Charles Lippy, each a well-known analyst of the tensions inherent in American religion and pluralism. Hutchison reminds us that genuine pluralism outside Protestant boundaries was late in coming to the country and has been a test for religious liberty from the beginning. I wish he had referenced the Baptists a bit more precisely.

       Other essays explore specific religious traditions such as Anglicanism in Virginia, early Methodism, Puritanism, and Buddhism. Indeed, Amanda Porterfield’s essay begins with Puritanism and turns to a discussion of the Buddhist presence in contemporary America. Articles on popular culture examine popular, iconic Catholicism, "food and eating," and "Christian dieting." I particularly enjoyed R. Marie Griffith’s article on eating and her references to various texts including Slim for Him!

       Carolyn Hanes essay on "Women and Protestantism in Nineteenth-century America," offers a revisionist response to evangelical feminism and insists that its impact was "more fluid and variegated" than previous studies suggested. She is particularly intriguing in her discussion of the impact of Scottish Common Sense Realism and radical feminism and fundamentalism.

       In short, (excluding my own article), this is a helpful collection of essays offering interpretation and analysis to a broad spectrum of religious and cultural issues. It offers the reader important themes and ideas for investigating the complex relationship between American religion and American culture.

American Spiritualities: A Reader, edited by Catherine L. Albanese. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001.

       Pluralism is the focus in yet another anthology, this one edited by Catherine L. Albanese, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The book provides readings from contemporary and classic sources that reflect on the varied spiritualities evident in American life. Albanese introduces the work with an essay that surveys the growth of interest in spirituality in post World War II society and reflects on the division between spirituality and religion. Chapters are divided into four sections including "knowing" through body, heart, will and mind. Subject matter includes traditional Christian spiritualities and a variety of less well-known spiritual methods and experiences. Given that Albanese had myriads of articles to choose from, she has chosen well. Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim traditions are reflected in the essays.

       Classic writers include the Sioux mystic Black Elk, evangelical Charles Colson, Thomas Merton, Henry David Thoreau, Jerena Lee, and Martin Luther King. I am particularly pleased that Albanese included an article by the early twentieth century socialist Emma Goldman. She knew the "night life" crowd of 1920s New York including John Reed and, of all people, Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. More recent essays include works on American religion by Tamar Frankiel and Charles Hambrick-Stowe. Fascinating articles by Annie Dillard and Shirley MacLaine are also present.

       This is a fine resource for classes and study groups. It gives serious attention to diverse voices in spirituality studies with some classics and other little known works and individuals.

Buddhism in America, Richard Hughes Seager, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

       This book is part of the Columbia contemporary American Religion Series, an effort to survey various religious traditions in the United States. The author, Richard Hughes Seager, is associate professor of religious studies at Hamilton College. The study offers an excellent introduction to Buddhism in general and to American Buddhist communities in particular. Buddhist beliefs are presented concisely and with sensitivity to the nuances of varying groups. Succeeding chapters deal with specific traditions such as the Buddhist Churches of America (Jodo Shinshu), Soka Gakkai, Zen Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism. Seager also discusses gender issues, Buddhist social imperatives, immigration and Americanization issues, as well as the present state of Buddhist life and influence in the U.S. The book concludes with a series of "profiles" on the life and contribution of various Buddhist leaders. Seager provides insightful commentary on the difficulties of dialogue among Buddhist groups and their increasing impact on American culture. He also raises questions about the relationship between converts and immigrants in Buddhist communities.

       This is a helpful study that offers basic information that should be particularly valuable as an introductory text. It could also serve as a survey text for churches and other groups interested in studying Buddhist beliefs. The Buddhist presence in the United States increases daily, not simply in cities, but throughout the society. Buddhist families now live and work in such places as coastal Texas and rural Appalachia. We had best learn something of their stories. They are our neighbors.

       Today within Baptist life in the South, a flashpoint for conflict is the role of women in the work of the church. This is not a new problem, but today the issue of women in ministry has become a litmus test for "true" Southern Baptist identity, much like the word "inerrancy" was twenty years ago. The two books in this month’s "Notes" offer readers the opportunity to decide for themselves how God has and will use women in the church.

       Keith Harper, a professor of church history and Baptist history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, edited the writings of Charlotte Diggs "Lottie" Moon. With the able help of Edie Jeter, the archivist at the International Mission Board, Harper gathered Moon’s letters and articles into a comprehensive collection. Mercer Press printed the book in a readable style, and included a great collection of photographs from the era. Anyone reading this book becomes aware of a spiritually powerful woman at work in China, a woman with human limitations but also with real gifts. From Moon’s rage at the degradation of Chinese women to her hope in the providence of God, these letters present a flesh-and-blood minister of the gospel, evangelist par excellence, and a deeply committed woman.

       Gary Wayne Long, pastor of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri, worked with several people to edit this new edition of Arabella Stuart’s classic retelling of the lives of Adoniram Judson’s three wives: Ann Hasseltine, Sarah Boardman, and Emily Chubbock. This collection of the letters of the three women who worked alongside Judson during different phases of his ministry show that each of them had a calling of her own. Inspirational, tough-minded, realistic and hopeful, Ann, Sarah and Emily all understood the danger of following God’s call; yet, they chose to do just that. As ministers, they went where God led.

       Both volumes remind us that God calls women to the work of the kingdom. The resources in these books need gleaning and analysis by those who wrestle with the call of God and God’s claim on our lives. A thoughtful and serous reading of these letters reveals women called by God, empowered by God, and used by God in effective ministries in the Lord’s kingdom.

Susan Thistlethwaite, "In Such a Time as This: CTS Responds to the Recent Events in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church," Chicago Theological Seminary 3 (Spring 2002): 1-3. See http://www.chgosem.edu/ClergySexualAbuse.pdf

       In response to the disturbing patterns of secrecy on the part of Catholic bishops which allowed priests to continue molesting children, Susan Thistlethwaite, president of Chicago Theological Seminary, called upon a legal specialist, the seminary’s academic dean, and a Roman Catholic theologian, to comment on the legal and moral implications of clergy confidentiality. The three writers of this article address issues such as confession, forgiveness, justice, accountability, and legal mandates, and all three writers conclude that while clergy confidentiality is important, the premises that support confidentiality do not justify placing children in danger or shielding child molesters and child abusers from being held accountable. Baptists must take the problem of sexual abuse seriously, but we also must educate ourselves about our legal and ethical responsibilities so that we might be prepared if such a situation should happen in our church.

Samuel F. Weber, "A Catholic Looks at Baptist Spirituality," Baptist History and Heritage 37:2 (Spring 2002): 61-72.

       If a Benedictine monk were given the opportunity to comment on Baptists and Baptist practices, would he have anything positive to say? If the monk is Samuel Weber, then the answer is most definitely yes. Weber, an Associate Professor of Early Christianity and Spiritual Formation at Wake Forest University Divinity School, offers an outsider’s understanding of what is good about the Baptist faith. He cites as positive the devotion of Baptists to the Bible, the commitment of Baptists to hymn singing, the warm and welcoming hospitality of Baptist churches and Baptist people, and the desire of "the people of the Wednesday night" for spiritual renewal and refreshment in the middle of a busy work week. Samuel Weber reminds us that as Baptists we have much for which to be thankful.

       Curtis Freeman, "A Baptist Looks at ‘Ex Corde’: A Lesson for Catholics?" Commonweal 129:7 (April 5, 2002): 20-23.

       If we as Baptists can learn from Catholics about the worthy aspects of our own faith tradition, can the Catholics learn anything from Baptists? Curtis Freeman, Director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke University Divinity School, maintains that Catholics, who are in the midst of a controversy over theological orthodoxy, have much to learn from the Baptists who have dealt with a similar controversy for thirty years. Just as Baptist professors were asked to teach in accordance with certain confessional statements, the Roman Catholic Church’s Ex corde ecclesia is now requiring Catholic theologians to be faithful to "the magisterium of the church as the authentic interpreter of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition." Freeman states that in their own battle, Baptists scholars took on a variety of roles including the naïve pietists, the wishful thinkers, the pragmatic loyalists, the hardened ideologues, the paranoid prognosticators, and the mediating theologians. Freeman concludes with this advice, "Catholic theologians have a unique opportunity to shape the direction of their intellectual tradition if they can move the church in the direction of a ‘consensus fidelium’ that gets beyond authoritarianism and libertarianism."

Philip Yancey and John Wilson, "A Conversation on Books about Islam and the Middle East," Books & Culture: A Christian Review 8:4 (July/August 2002): 22-27.

       Following September 11^th, books on Islam shot to the top of bestsellers charts as Americans sought to understand the religion that inspired such violence. Given the recent remarks of Jerry Vines and the support those remarks received, it is evident that Southern Baptists were not among the Americans rushing to the bookstore in order to learn more about the Muslim faith and the Middle East. Fortunately for those Southern Baptists and for the rest of us who still have much to learn about Muhammad, the Islamic faith, and the Middle East, John Wilson, editor of Books & Culture, and Philip Yancey, a regular contributor to the journal, have put together a list of eight books that shed light on these subjects. Wilson and Yancey review several of the books that showed up on the bestseller list–books that provide an historical overview of the region and/or offer political and religious analysis of events in the Middle East. Several lesser-known books are also on their suggested reading list. All Baptists would be well served by a little more reading in this area.

G. Wade Rowatt, "Stress and Satisfaction in Ministry Families," Review and Expositor 98:4 (Fall 2001): 523-544.

       Why is it that more and more ministers experience burnout and leave the ministry? Is ministry more stressful in the twenty-first century? Are there any ministers who are truly satisfied with their vocation? Wade Rowatt, Director of St. Matthews Pastoral Counseling Center in Louisville, Kentucky, offers answers to these questions based on a recent survey produced by Priscilla Blanton and Lane Morris. Rowatt offers some good news as he explores areas in which ministers experience satisfaction, but the majority of  the article is focused on the fives areas of stress faced by most ministers: expectations, compensation, social support, mobility, and time. Rowatt discusses these five stress areas and provides helpful suggestions to ministers about reducing stress

Baptists take seriously our fundamental equality and worth. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 20, 1965, said: "If it falls to our luck to be street-sweepers, sweep the streets, like Raphael painted pictures, like Michaelangelo carved marble, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, and like Beethoven composed music. Sweep the streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth would have to pause and say. . . Here lived a great street sweeper."

Former Baptist pastor Tim Shirley once told me he actually heard a Baptist preacher proclaim proudly, "It takes a narrow mind to walk a narrow path." Seems crowded sometimes, doesn’t it?

The Alabama Baptist of August 1963 opined in an editorial: "We hope the SBC will not become so enmeshed with the ideas of the social gospel that our people will begin spontaneous movements among themselves to study God’s word and learn its meaning." Few things are more dangerous to the status quo than that kind of activity!

Fosdick and Freedom:

In times when fear of terrorism and longing for security undermine freedom’s value, we do well to remember Harry Emerson Fosdick’s phrase: "Liberty is always dangerous--but it is the safest thing we have."

Baptists and small prayers:

Pastor Paul Duke wrote of his congregation’s characteristically Baptist heart religion: "We found a bigger God, and it kept us from praying some smaller prayers."

Question for September 2002:  How should Baptists respond to Open Theism?

       "Several things are wrong with Vines' statement. In the first place, the statement is false. Muhammed was not a pedophile. He was simply acting in a way deemed acceptable in the society of his day. In the second place, it was egregious and unnecessary. Why deliberately incite the anger of over a billion of the world's population with a statement that can only be destructive? In the third place, it made the witness of any Baptists in a Muslim environment many times more difficult."

Dr. Hardy Clemons replied,

       "One of the basic needs of fundamentalists is to create a devil whom they can fight. The SBC fundamentalists of Vines' ilk seem to need many devils.

       In the kindest and most diagnostic use of the word, Jerry Vines' comments about Islam are ignorant.  This is precisely the word that the Gospel of Luke would use for such an attitude. He spreads ignorance of Baptist history and identity, of who Muslims are, of what pluralism is, of who Baptists have been in our heritage as well as of the spirit of love and respect for others we see in Jesus the Christ. James Wall recently said, "Hate is a heat seeking missile." I am deeply sad and grossly offended that Baptist leaders such as Vines, Merritt, Graham and Falwell will say and sanction this sort of ignorance and hate."

Bob Mulkey, Pastor First Baptist Church, DeLand, FL, said,

       "Jerry Vines' statement about Muhammad was a violation of the teachings of Jesus. Most notably, he broke the "Golden Rule." Christians do not want a  leader among Muslim fundamentalists to publicly label our founder. We would  be outraged if Jesus were under attack. Vines was not following the example Jesus set for us in the way he dealt with  people whose faith was different from his, namely, Samaritans. Jesus entered  into a debate with the woman at the well concerning the place God should be worshipped. But he did not attack Samaritan beliefs in public. In fact, he went our of his way to speak positively of the character of Samaritans by making "the Good Samaritan" the example of what it means to love your neighbor."

A Preaching Workshop for Baptist Women and (Men) in Ministry, October 18, 2002, 9:00am - 4:30pm.

Sponsored by the Center for Baptist Studies.

Leaders: Dr. Fred Craddock, Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament, Emeritus, Candler School of Theology, Emory University and Mary Wrye, Minister to single adults, First Baptist Church, Greenville, SC.

Location: Religious Life Building, Mercer University , Macon, GA.

Registration fee is $50 and is due by October 4.

Make checks to "Mercer University" and mail to:

The Center for Baptist Studies

Mercer University

1400 Coleman Ave.

Macon GA, 31207

Contact Greg Thompson (478) 301-5467 , email thompson_mg@mercer.edu or see http://www.mercer.edu/baptiststudies for more details.

The Whitsitt Journal is available on-line at <http://www.mercer.edu/baptiststudies> (then click "Resources")