Nigel G. Wright,

New Baptists, New Agenda (Paternoster, 2002)

Reviewed by Rod Benson

This book, by the Principal of Spurgeon’s College, London, and President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, assesses the recent experience of British Baptists, and offers a thoughtful agenda for Baptist ministry in a pluralist and increasingly postdenominational culture.

While he speaks for and to British Baptists, virtually everything Wright says can be related to the Australian situation. The book is based on the 2001 Burleigh Lectures in Adelaide, South Australia and draws on his earlier work.

There are ten chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the idea of a Baptist church in a culture of changing moods, styles, practices and structures. Looking to tradition for guidance is dangerous: “When we are backward looking concerning the church we end up arguing. When we look toward the future we pull together to work for the coming of the true church.” We have not arrived; we travel hopefully. As we travel, we discover through Scripture the mind of Christ, and interpret it for today.

Chapter 2 sets Baptists firmly in the evangelical tradition, noting that in Britain the denomination has become more evangelical and yet more theologically and politically radical. There is greater consensus on essential beliefs, but also greater diversity of practice and emphasis. I think this applies to Australian Baptist life too.

Yet the author laments anti-intellectual tendencies among Baptists: “If Baptists could be known for both their evangelical zeal and their theological competence they would justly gain the respect of both the believing and unbelieving world.”

In chapter 3, Wright talks about the need for modesty in our approach to evangelism and mission. Sincere conviction and modest advocacy are preferable to strident dogmatism and triumphalist crusading.

Chapter 4 raises the embarrassing subject of postdenominationalism. For Wright, the old denominational fenceposts have rotted and the spiritual landscape is now increasingly defined by charismatic, evangelical and traditional coalitions lacking clear structural identity.

However, many denominations are likely to adapt and survive, and postdenominational churches will also eventually develop strong institutional forms.

Associationalism is alive and well, and distinctives are still important. In fact, many non-Baptist churches have in recent years adopted Baptist principles (e.g. religious liberty, voluntarism, evangelism, congregational decision-making).

In chapter 5, “The open church,” Wright uses insights from family systems theory to assess problems that arise in congregations, and offers a new way of conceiving church membership.

Chapter 6 talks about “sustainable evangelism,” by which the author means that evangelism must be sustained as a constant in the life of every congregation, and the kind of evangelism in which we engage must be within the grasp of every congregation.

Chapter 7 discusses social change and its implications for mission. Wright argues that we need to “reposition the church” to impact a post-Christian liberal democracy.

Leadership in the church is the focus of chapter 8. Wright notes historical dualities in Baptist ministry (between denominational/local, high/low, ontological/functional, classical/communal notions of the ministry).

To make sense of these dualities in the professional life of a minister, or in the local church’s ministry, he examines the issues through the lens of authority. Baptist ministers exercise three forms of authority: they are called by and represent Christ; they represent the wider church within its local context; and they represent local churches to themselves.

In chapter 9, as an example of how Baptist identity informs ethical issues, Wright discusses Baptist attitudes to homosexuality. His own position (and mine) is to reject homosexual practice but to recognise homosexual orientation as a reality for some in our world. In working through this issue Wright affirms the place of individual conscience, local church autonomy and separation of church and state.

The last chapter returns to the theme of chapter 1, examining worship and liturgy in the light of a future orientation.

It seems to me that Wright seeks to define the somewhat smudged shape of Baptist identity at the beginning of the twenty-first century. I commend him for this. In doing so he certainly does not throw out the baby with the bathwater. In fact, he presents a strong case for established Baptist principles and for the ‘baptistification’ of other denominations.

But it remains to be seen whether younger Baptists (in UK or Australia) stay in the bath when it’s so easy and common to plunge into seemingly warmer baths. Even so, I recommend this book as a summary of where many Baptists locate themselves in the present cultural and theological milieu, and as an agenda for a quiet, modest yet passionate revolution, written with courage and optimism. Long live the revolution!