Baptist Political Theology

Thomas S. Kidd, Paul D. Miller, Andrew T. Walker, Thomas S. Kidd, Paul D. Miller, Andrew T. Walker

• Publisher: B&H Academic
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9781087736136
• eBook ISBN:
  9781087736143
• Topic: Théologie et religion
• Subtopic: Dénominations chrétiennes

Baptist ideals like the separation of church and state have indelibly shaped Western democracies, and Baptist thinkers continue to influence public policy and political engagement today. Yet the historical contours, enduring commitments, and current contributions of Baptist political thought are little understood.  

Baptist Political Theology, edited by scholars Thomas Kidd, Paul Miller, and Andrew Walker, introduces readers to the full sweep of Baptist engagement with politics. Part 1 reviews the life, writings, and political activity of important figures in Baptist history, as well as Baptist involvement in key historical eras and episodes. Part 2 presents a collective effort at applied political theology, with essays relating Baptist principles to a range of contemporary issues. This monumental volume sheds light on the history and contemporary practice of Baptists in the public square, offering context and clarity for Baptist political thought in the years to come.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Part One
• 1 The Reformation and Early Development of Baptist Political Theology | Dustin Bruce
• 2 British Baptist Origins: From Thomas Helwys to Andrew Fuller | Michael A. G. Haykin
• 3 Roger Williams | James Calvin Davis
• 4 The Baptists and John Locke | Malcolm Yarnell
• 5 Baptists and the American Revolution | Kristina Benham and Thomas S. Kidd
• 6 John Leland | Casey Hough
• 7 Isaac Backus | Brandon J. O’Brien
• 8 Baptist Theology and Politics in the Early Nineteenth Century | Tom J. Nettles
• 9 “They That Wait”: Baptists, Slavery, and Segregation | Eric M. Washington
• 10 Baptists and the Civil War | Gregory A. Wills
• 11 Progressive Baptists: The Activist Faith of Walter Rauschenbusch, Henlee Barnette, and James Dunn | Aaron Douglas Weaver
• 12 The African American Baptist Tradition | Kenneth Reid
• 13 The Political Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. | Daniel Lee Hill
• 14 Carl F. H. Henry | Jason G. Duesing and Jesse M. Payne
• 15 Contemporary Baptist Political Theology: Billy Graham, Charles Colson, Richard Land, Albert Mohler, Russell Moore, and Jonathan Leeman | Cory D. Higdon
• 16 The Christian Right: From Reagan to Trump | Nathan A. Finn
• 17 Baptist Witness in a Post-Christian Culture | Karen Swallow Prior
• Part Two
• 18 Baptists in Babylon: On the Role of Politics in Modern Baptist Life | Jonathan Leeman
• 19 The Natural Law Tradition and Baptist Public Ethics | Andrew T. Walker
• 20 Baptists and the Contemporary Challenge to Religious Liberty | R. Albert Mohler Jr.
• 21 Baptist Perspectives on Bioethics and Human Dignity | C. Ben Mitchell
• 22 Sexuality and Gender in Baptist Perspective | J. Alan Branch
• 23 Stewardship and Environmentalism | Andrew Spencer
• 24 The Necessity of Humility in Determining the Connection between Political Economy and Neighbor Love: Reflections on Baptist Political Economy | Hunter Baker
• 25 Just War and Baptist Political Theology | Paul D. Miller
• 26 Baptists and American Evangelical Identity | Barry Hankins
• Conclusion: The Weaknesses and Future of Baptist Political Theology | Andrew T. Walker and Paul D. Miller
• Subject Index
• Scripture Index