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With these words, H. Leon McBeth begins his definitive introduction to Baptist history. Writing as a Baptist and a scholar, McBeth offers complete and fair presentations of each group within the Baptist tradition. By giving close attention to both data and interpretation, McBeth has written a vis mere volume that will stand the tests of scholarly scrutiny, relevance, and readability. McBeth's research, frank and balanced interpretations, and engaging prose make the book invaluable to all those who must come to grips with The Baptist Heritage. vis mindre

Omfatter også følgende navne: Leon H. McBeth, H. Leon McBeth, Harry Leon McBeth

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Many better books I have read, but fewer better stories. What the author lacks in style is more than made up for by the subject matter covered. The great working of Jesus Christ through the lives and ministry of His humble servants like George W. Truett, W. A. Criswell and lesser-known men before them in Dallas and state-wide is portrayed in this work. Such accounts, often teetering on the unbelievable or miraculous to a modern-day Christian, will thrill the soul of any Baptist, every preacher and all saints who love to be encouraged in the mysterious Providence of the God we serve.

Every chapter details events that make me want to shout "Glory," or get on my knees calling down the same blessings on my own ministry, or jump head first into new endeavors of service with renewed vigor and confidence in Christ. From the struggling starts of early Baptist works in Dallas, through doctrinal controversy involving the entire Southern Baptist Convention, through church strife or personal disaster as well as blessed times, what shines through in this amazing story is the working of the God of all grace, Who uses flawed men and women to accomplish His will.

I give this book four stars out of a possible five, detracting none for the story and only one for the author's mildly annoying habit of circling around the bush and back again before diving into the main vein of every chapter. The biographical material on the men and women of First Baptist is excellent. The extensive and exhaustive research into local church and Convention records aids in understanding the character and times of this story. The author occasionally places too much focus on numbers and extravagance and denominational machinery, but this may be a true reflection of the focus of the church at times. The only other complaint, a mild one at best, is that the book sometimes seems slightly targeted at readers who were current First Baptist members or at least those familar with the Southern Baptist works of central Texas. For a reader who only has a passing acquaintance with names like B. H. Carroll, J. B. Cranfill and other men of the day, or the colleges and factions of the time, I would have appreciated more background information on them to better understand the roles they played in the history of this leading church in their movement. But perhaps this work would have been double its size and not worth reading if it included all I think it should have. I rejoice instead for the amazing glory of God shown in the accounts given and I pray God will keep using people today the way He worked in the past, as portrayed in this work.

Victor E. Mowery, June 6, 2015
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Markeret
vicmowery | Jun 6, 2015 |
As someone who grew up Catholic and is today a member of a union congregation (PCUSA and United Church of Christ), I found this book of great interest in a subject that I know next to nothing about: the differences between General Baptists and Particular Baptists in their 17th-century English origins, the relationship of Baptists in America to the Great Awakening, the importance of Baptist leadership in adopting the First Amendment's church-state separation (though here I do at least know Roger Williams). Some of the 20th century material (especially on the Southern Baptists) does get tediously long, but even here there's interesting material on the smaller contemporary Baptist groups.

McBeth's book was written for Baptist seminaries, so it tends to defend mainstream Baptist denominations — and refers to that dour Scotsman John Knox with disapproval, so Presbyterians beware! (Also, McBeth does have a bit of a bee in his bonnet as to the subject of Pentecostalism and glossolalia, almost as much as some Presbyterians of my acquaintance have a bee in their bonnets about Baptists!)

One concern and serious criticism that I have, though, is that McBeth doesn't seem to give as much attention (according to the page numbering in my Kindle edition, only about sixteen pages) to African-American Baptists as the subject deserves.

Anyway, the book's given me a better appreciation of issues dividing Baptist from Reformed churches — in particular as to the issue of Eucharistic open table, which came up recently at a meeting of my own Presbytery. It's also interesting to learn the distinction (though I'm still not quite sure I understand the significance) between Baptists originating in the English tradition and Anabaptists of the continental persuasion such as Mennonites (although it seems like Mennonites may use sprinkling rather than full immersion?).

This is a book that I wouldn't have bought in treeware, but somehow I stumbled across it on Kindle and it was a very worthwhile buy. One note, however, and that is that the book was published in the mid-1980s and therefore places the "current" state of eastern European Baptists in the late years of the Soviet empire without updating for the post-Cold War era.
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CurrerBell | 1 anden anmeldelse | Jul 10, 2014 |
Very thorough look at the history of the Baptist belief. There is no sense to believe something without knowing where it came from. McBeth does an excellent job tracing the exact origin of Baptists which is found in the very Word of God, the Bible.
 
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mgeorge2755 | 1 anden anmeldelse | Mar 8, 2014 |

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