Abstract
The Baptist Story is a textbook written by Baptist historians, primarily for Baptist students. It offers a concise, wide-ranging survey that provides an accessible and interesting introduction to the history of the various groups identifiable as Baptists. The book traces the Baptists’ history from seventeenth-century England to the twenty-first century taking account of the theological differences that emerged between Baptists at various stages of the movement’s evolution.
The book is divided into four sections. The first three sections focus on the history of the Baptists: Michael Haykin provides an account of the Baptists in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; Anthony Chute considers the progress made in the nineteenth century; and Nathan Finn examines the changes that occurred during the twentieth century, guiding the story to (almost) the present day. In the final section, the authors offer a summary, and defence, of distinctive Baptist beliefs, such as congregational polity and believer’s baptism. Every chapter includes discussion questions, which will no doubt be beneficial to those using this as a textbook, though they are of little relevance to other interested readers. In keeping with the book’s raison d’être, citations are also absent, though suggested further reading lists are included at the end of each chapter.
As the book’s subtitle suggests, the account is global in its scope—consideration is given to Baptists in countries across the world. However, the book’s centre of gravity is clearly America, with much of the later discussion focusing on the Southern Baptists. When attention is given to Baptists outside of the English-speaking world, it is comparatively brief. This is not surprising given the book’s target audience, but it is noticeable that countries such as Nigeria, which is noted for being home to the second largest number of Baptists worldwide (p. 299), receives little more than a passing mention.
Nevertheless, Chute, Finn, and Haykin have produced a highly readable history of the Baptists, which will undoubtedly serve as a useful introduction for students and others interested in the history of this global movement.