Reformed Baptists (sometimes known as Calvinistic Baptists[1]) are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology.[2] They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s.[1] The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith was written along Reformed Baptist lines.[1]
[edit] In the United Kingdom
Reformed Baptist churches in the UK go back to the 1630s.[1] Notable early pastors include the author John Bunyan (1628-1688),[1] the theologian John Gill (1697-1771),[1] and the missionary William Carey (1761-1834).[1] Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), pastor to the New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London, has been called "by far the most famous and influential preacher the Baptists had."[3]
The 1950s saw a renewed interest in Reformed theology among Baptists in the UK.[4] Groups calling themselves "Reformed Baptist" were also differentiated from Strict Baptists and Particular Baptists, who shared a Calvinist doctrine, but differed on ecclesiastical polity.[4]
Peter Masters, pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, created the London Reformed Baptist Seminary in 1975.[4]
[edit] In the United States
In March 2009, noting the rise of Calvinism in the United States, Time listed several Baptists among current Calvinist leaders.[5] Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is a strong advocate of Calvinism, although his stand has received opposition from inside the Southern Baptist Convention.[6] John Piper, pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, is one of several Baptists who have written in support of Calvinism.[6]
While the Southern Baptist Convention remains split on Calvinism,[7] there are a number of explicitly Reformed Baptist groups in the United States, including the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America,[8] the Continental Baptist Churches,[8] the Sovereign Grace Baptist Association of Churches,[8] and other Sovereign Grace Baptists.[9] Such groups have had some theological influence from other Reformed denominations, such as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.[10] The Orthodox Presbyterian Church was also the source of the Trinity Hymnal, which was adapted for Reformed Baptist use.[11]
By the year 2000, Reformed Baptist groups in the United States totalled about 16,000 people in 400 congregations.[12]
In 1995, the Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition) was published for Reformed Baptist churches in America.[11]
[edit] In Africa
Notable Reformed Baptist figures in Africa include Conrad Mbewe in Zambia, who has been compared to Spurgeon.[13]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Ward, Rowland; Humphreys, Robert (1995). Religious Bodies in Australia: A comprehensive Guide (3rd ed.). New Melbourne Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780646245522.
- ^ Leonard, Bill J. (2009). Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers: Exploring the Christian Faith. p. 5. ISBN 9780664232894. http://books.google.com/books?id=uPL4oJM6q_UC&lpg=PP1&dq=isbn%3A9780664232894&pg=PA5. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
- ^ Parsons, Gerald (1988). Religion in Victorian Britain: Traditions. Manchester University Press. p. 107. ISBN 0719025117. http://books.google.com/books?id=YdpRAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA107.
- ^ a b c Weaver, C. Douglas (2008). In Search of the New Testament Church: The Baptist Story. Mercer University Press. p. 224. ISBN 0881461059. http://books.google.com/books?id=ksu3RA-fqzYC&pg=PA224.
- ^ Van Biema, David (March 12, 2009). "The New Calvinism". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html.
- ^ a b Wills, Gregory (2009). Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009. Oxford University Press. p. 542. ISBN 0199831203. http://books.google.com/books?id=vsE1kXv2OgYC&pg=PA542.
- ^ Lawless, Chuck (2010). The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God's Mandate in Our Time. B&H Publishing Group. p. 73. ISBN 1433669706. http://books.google.com/books?id=w4rj_louFH8C&pg=PA73.
- ^ a b c Jonas, William Glenn, ed (2006). The Baptist river: essays on many tributaries of a diverse tradition. Mercer University Press. p. 273. ISBN 0881460303. http://books.google.com/books?id=9cJjleldIVEC&pg=PA273.
- ^ Weaver, C. Douglas (2008). In Search of the New Testament Church: The Baptist Story. Mercer University Press. p. 220. ISBN 0881461059. http://books.google.com/books?id=ksu3RA-fqzYC&pg=PA220.
- ^ Brackney, William H. (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Baptists. Scarecrow Press. p. 473. ISBN 0810856220. http://books.google.com/books?id=Noz7WtnOV-kC&pg=PA473.
- ^ a b Music, David W; Richardson, Paul Akers (2008). "I will sing the wondrous story": a history of Baptist hymnody in North America. Mercer University Press. p. 491. ISBN 9780865549487. http://books.google.com/books?id=zNaHK9lnR6MC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA491#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
- ^ Johnson, Robert E. (2010). A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches. Cambridge University Press. p. 358. ISBN 0521701708. http://books.google.com/books?id=DnsXxtEiNlAC&pg=PA358.
- ^ Old, Hughes Oliphant (2010). The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 7: Our Own Time. Wm. B. Eerdmans. p. 228. ISBN 0802817718. http://books.google.com/books?id=xdwT0NZo0WUC&pg=PA22.
