Michael A. G. Haykin

Baptists are sacramental

When it comes to baptism and the Lord's Supper, many Baptists reject the language of sacrament. As a people of the book, the logic goes, Baptists must not let tradition supersede the Bible. So Baptists tend to view baptism and Communion as ordinances and symbols, not sacraments.

But the history of Baptists and sacramentalism is complicated. In Amidst Us Our Beloved Stands, Michael A. G. Haykin argues that many Baptists, such as Charles Spurgeon and other Particular Baptists, stood closer to Reformed sacramental thought than most Baptists today. More than mere memorials, baptism and Communion have spiritual implications that were celebrated by Baptists of the past in sermons and hymnody.

Haykin calls for a renewal of sacramental life in churches today--Baptists can and should be sacramental.


Recovering Sacrament in the Baptist Tradition

Amidst Us Our Beloved Stands

Brian Croft

James B. Carroll

The importance of friendship between pastors Historical pastoral friendships Biblical basis for friendship

The Forgotten Piece in a Persevering Ministry

Pastoral Friendship

John Gill

This volume of essays examines various aspects of the thought of John Gill - his trinitarianism, soteriology, ecclesiology, use of Scripture - and in so doing, offers some key insights into the worldview of the transatlantic Baptist community of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

A Tercentennial Appreciation

The Life and Thought of John Gill (1697-1771)

John Clements

Roy M. Paul

As in other histories, the history of Christianity has certain key turning-points after which the flow of historical events is profoundly transformed. Some of these moments of transition-well expressed by the Greek term kairos-are immediately pellucid to the student of church history: the Constantinian Revolution, the rise of the heresy of Islam, the Reformation, the Great Awakening. While not as immediately obvious as these turning-points, the sailing for America in 1620 of those whom historians have called the Pilgrims needs to be reckoned as a key event in the story of both the American nation and American Christianity. To be sure, there are some today who dispute its central role in the founding of America, yet generations of historians have accorded it a key place in that story, and it is in line with this older interpretation that this book of essays has been written. The various essays in this anniversary volume remember the manifold details of this historic voyage in an attempt to inform and even inspire the modern Christian as he or she seeks to be a faithful pilgrim to that heavenly country that was ever in the mind of the men and women whom these essays recall.

Remembering the Mayflower Pilgrims, 1620-2020

Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth

Read the Stories of Eight Remarkable Women and Their Vital Contributions to Church History Throughout history, women have been crucial to the growth and flourishing of the church. Historian Michael A. G. Haykin highlights the lives of eight of these women who changed the course of history, showing how they lived out their unique callings despite challenges and opposition—inspiring modern men and women to imitate their godly examples today. Jane Grey: The courageous Protestant martyr who held fast to her conviction that salvation is by faith alone even to the point of death. Anne Steele: The great hymn writer whose work continues to help the church worship in song today. Margaret Baxter: The faithful wife to pastor Richard Baxter who met persecution with grace and joy. Esther Edwards Burr: The daughter of Jonathan Edwards whose life modeled biblical friendship. Anne Dutton: The innovative author whose theological works left a significant literary legacy. Ann Judson: The wife of Adoniram Judson and pioneer missionary in the American evangelical missions movement. Sarah Edwards: The wife of Jonathan Edwards and model of sincere delight in Christ. Jane Austen: The prolific novelist with a deep and sincere Christian faith that she expressed in her stories.

Eight Women of Faith

Gordon L. Heath

While Baptists through the years have been certain that "war is hell," they have not always been able to agree on how to respond to it. This book traces much of this troubled relationship from the days of Baptist origins with close ties to pacifist Anabaptists to the responses of Baptists in America to the war in Vietnam. Essays also include discussions of the English Baptist Andrew Fuller's response to the threat of Napoleon, how Baptists in America dealt with the War of 1812, the support of Canadian Baptists for Britain's war in Sudan and Abyssinia in the 1880s, the decisive effect of the First World War on Canada's T. T. Shields, the response of Australian Baptists to the Second World War, and how Russian Baptists dealt with the Cold War. These chapters provide important analyses of Baptist reactions to one of society's most intractable problems.

Essays on Baptists and Military Conflict, 1640s-1990s

Baptists and War

While the church today looks quite different than it did two thousand years ago, Christians share the same faith with the church fathers. Although separated by time and culture, we have much to learn from their lives and teaching. This book is an organized and convenient introduction to how to read the church fathers from AD 100 to 500. Michael Haykin surveys the lives and teachings of seven of the Fathers, looking at their role in such issues as baptism, martyrdom, and the relationship between church and state. Ignatius, Cyprian, Basil of Caesarea, and Ambrose and others were foundational in the growth and purity of early Christianity, and their impact continues to shape the church today. Evangelical readers interested in the historical roots of Christianity will find this to be a helpful introductory volume.

Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church

Rediscovering the Church Fathers

While Baptists through the years have been certain that ""war is hell,"" they have not always been able to agree on how to respond to it. This book traces much of this troubled relationship from the days of Baptist origins with close ties to pacifist Anabaptists to the responses of Baptists in America to the war in Vietnam. Essays also include discussions of the English Baptist Andrew Fuller's response to the threat of Napoleon, how Baptists in America dealt with the War of 1812, the support of Canadian Baptists for Britain's war in Sudan and Abyssinia in the 1880s, the decisive effect of the First World War on Canada's T. T. Shields, the response of Australian Baptists to the Second World War, and how Russian Baptists dealt with the Cold War. These chapters provide important analyses of Baptist reactions to one of society's most intractable problems. ""Conflict challenges the Christian conscience, fostering divergent responses. Hence Baptists have commonly sought peace, sometimes to the extent of condemning war outright, but equally they have often believed that justice required the taking up of arms, even with enthusiasm. The detailed and penetrating international studies contained in this book illuminate contrasting attitudes over the centuries, showing how war has put Baptists to the test, spiritually as well as materially."" --David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK ""Baptists have had a varied approach to war from the Pietist/Reformed tensions of four hundred years ago to the reactions to the Vietnam War. This work explores the theme in different time periods and, using a number of individuals as case studies, opens the past so the reader can reflect on the present. The volume is an important contribution to both Baptist studies and the Christian approach to war and peace."" --Robert Wilson, Professor of Church History, Acadia Divinity College, Wolfville, Canada Gordon L. Heath is Associate Professor of Christian History at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario and Centenary Chair in World Christianity. He is the author of A War with a Silver Lining: Canadian Protestant Churches and the South African War, 1899-1902 (2009). Michael A. G. Haykin is Professor of Church History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. He is the author of a number of books dealing with patristic and Baptist studies.

Anthony L. Chute

Nathan A. Finn

The Baptist Story is a narrative history spanning over four centuries of a diverse group of people living among distinct cultures on separate continents while finding their identity in Christ and expressing their faith as Baptists. Baptist historians Anthony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin highlight the Baptist transition from a despised sect to a movement of global influence. Each chapter includes stories of people who made this history so fascinating. Although the emphasis is on the English-speaking world, The Baptist Story integrates stories of non-English-speaking Baptists, ethnic minorities, women, and minority theological traditions, all within the context of historic, orthodox Christianity. This volume provides more than just the essential events and necessary names to convey the grand history. It also addresses questions that students of Baptist history frequently ask, includes prayers and hymns of those who experienced hope and heartbreak, and directs the reader’s attention to the mission of the church as a whole. Written with an irenic tone and illustrated with photographs in every chapter, The Baptist Story is ideally suited for graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as group study in the local church.

From English Sect to Global Movement

The Baptist Story

"An examination of the role of William Carey's circle of friends in carrying out his pioneering missionary efforts in India"--

The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey

Joel R. Beeke

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,” Proverbs 27:17 tells us. God uses Christian friendships to help His children grow in grace and stay true to Christ. But our twenty-first-century Western culture values individualism, busyness, and selfishness—qualities that do not encourage deep, long-lasting, satisfying friendships. The authors guide us through a practical survey of biblical and historical friendships, drawing principles from them that will aid us in forming our own biblical friendships that will sharpen us for our Christian journey in a world that is no friend to grace.

How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship?

Barry H. Howson

In the pages that follow, you will find fifteen essays written by some of Dave Barker's many colleagues and friends. Each explores a theme related to the Bible and theology, church history or pastoral ministry. Together the various chapters combine to highlight Dave's twin passions for the theological academy and the local church.

Essays in Honour of David G. Barker

Reading Scripture, Learning Wisdom

Mark Jones

This is a study on Reformed theological debates during the »Long Eighteenth Century« in Britain and New England. By »Long« a period that goes beyond 1700–1799 is in view. This examination begins just before the eighteenth century by looking at the Neonomian-Antinomian debate in the 1690s. This is followed by the Marrow Controversy in Scotland in the eighteenth century. After that, the authors address the ecclesiological debates between George Whitefield and the Erskines. The doctrine of free choice concerning Edwards and his departure from classical Reformed orthodoxy is highlighted next, followed by reflections on the Edwardseans and the atonement. Returning to Britain again, the volume provides a study on hyper-Calvinism, and on eschatological differences among key figures in the eighteenth century. More specific debates in particular Baptist circles are noted, including the battle over Sandemandianism and the Trinitarian battles fought by Andrew Fuller and others. Returning to ecclesiology, a discussion on the subscription controversy in Philadelphia in the early eighteenth century and an analysis of the debate about the nature of »revival« in New England close this volume.

Transatlantic Reformed Evangelical Debates during the Long Eighteenth Century

A New Divinity

The Baptist Story is a narrative history spanning over four centuries of a diverse group of people living among distinct cultures on separate continents while finding their identity in Christ and expressing their faith as Baptists. Baptist historians Anthony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin highlight the Baptist transition from a despised sect to a movement of global influence. Each chapter includes stories of people who made this history so fascinating. Although the emphasis is on the English-speaking world, The Baptist Story integrates stories of non-English-speaking Baptists, ethnic minorities, women, and minority theological traditions, all within the context of historic, orthodox Christianity. This volume provides more than just the essential events and necessary names to convey the grand history. It also addresses questions that students of Baptist history frequently ask, includes prayers and hymns of those who experienced hope and heartbreak, and directs the reader’s attention to the mission of the church as a whole. Written with an irenic tone and illustrated with photographs in every chapter, The Baptist Story is ideally suited for graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as group study in the local church. (Pictures are not available in the eBook version).

A Sweet Flame introduces readers to the piety of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). Dr. Haykin’s biographical sketch of Edwards captures the importance the New England minister placed on Scripture, family piety, and the church’s reliance upon God. The remainder of the book presents 26 selections from various letters written by Edwards, two written by family members at his death, and an appendix drawing upon Edwards’s last will and the inventor of his estate. Table of Contents: To Mary Edwards To Benjamin Colman To George Whitefield To Deborah Hatheway To Sarah Edwards, Jr. To Joseph Bellamy To James Robe To Thomas Prince To Elnathan Whitman To William McCulloch To Joseph Bellamy To William McCulloch To Sarah Edwards To John Erskine To John Erskine To John Erskine To Mary Edwards To Joseph Bellamy To John Erskine To Lady Mary Pepperell To William McCulloch To Timothy Edwards Letter to Edward Wigglesworth To the Trustees of the College of New Jersey at Princeton To Esther Burr To Lucy Edwards Sarah Edwards to Esther Burr Susannah Edwards to Esther Burr Appendix: Jonathan Edwards’ Last Will, and the Inventory of His Estate Series Description Seeking, then, both to honor the past and yet not idolize it, we are issuing these books in the series Profiles in Reformed Spirituality . The design is to introduce the spirituality and piety of the Reformed Profiles in Reformed Spirituality tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of notable Christians with select passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketches and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the subjects’ contributions to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through their works. It is the hope of the publishers that this series will provide riches for those areas where we are poor and light of day where we are stumbling in the deepening twilight.

Michael A. G. Haykin

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