Baptist Ecclesiology: Why Bother?
Today, I was re-reading a paper I wrote back in 2002, called Baptist Ecclesiology, Why Bother? There is no doubt the paper reflected my mood and disillusionment with the present day reality of the Baptist church. Although I still consider myself a Baptist and perhaps more importantly, still feel formed by the Baptist heritage, the […]
Today, I was re-reading a paper I wrote back in 2002, called Baptist Ecclesiology, Why Bother? There is no doubt the paper reflected my mood and disillusionment with the present day reality of the Baptist church. Although I still consider myself a Baptist and perhaps more importantly, still feel formed by the Baptist heritage, the fact is that five years have now passed since I last worshipped regularly in a Baptist Church.
The London years allowed me audit my theological frameworks and identify the non-Baptist influences, especially from Modernist and Catholic voices. Moreover, my ecclesiology evolved strongly in the direction of what is now called the emerging church.
So the question remains, why bother calling myself a Baptist anymore. I suspect this is a question that a lot of younger Baptists are asking themselves as well. It is a very good question.
Over the next few weeks, I will re-write that paper from 2002 and publish it in installments on this blog. I’m guessing it will take 4-5 blogposts to get through it and it would great if any of you readers with an interest in the subject could find the time to comment.
[tags] Baptist, Ecclesiology [/tags]
