'Learning from our Baptist past to walk more faithfully in the future' 

Baptist Stories 1612-2012 is a new online course from the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent's Park College in partnership with the Oxford Department for Continuing Education. Course tutor Dr Andy Goodliff explains more 

Could you give us an overview of the course?

This is a new online short course (12 weeks) from the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent's Park College. It's an intensive — postgraduate level — dive into Baptist history from 1609 to 2009 covering 12 units, some historical, some theological. Its aim is to give those on the course a real engagement with some of our Baptist stories, key moments and ideas, recognising that Baptists didn't appear in 2023, but have a long history which has shaped what we think matters in church and life. 

Students will engage with videos, podcasts, reading, and take part in a weekly online classroom. Some of the resources that will be used come from the unique collection held by the Angus Library, based at Regent's. There are are two assignments to complete, one half way through and one at the end. 
 

Why is it important to take a deeper dive into our Baptist history? 

We have an amazing history, full of fascinating people and astonishing stories. From Thomas Helwys to Sam Sharpe, from William Carey to Violet Hedger, from Charles Spurgeon to Hannah Marshmann. Our history is local and global. From small beginnings, Baptist churches are planted around the world, sharing much in common, but also with local accents.  

I grew up in a Baptist church, but I'm not sure I really understood what the Baptist meant. One day in my early 20s I came across the book Tracks and Traces by Paul Fiddes. Suddenly I began to see what the word Baptist meant — it was something important, radical, and exciting — that has helped people follow Jesus.

Later in my life, having been involved in wider Baptist life, I wanted to understand how we got to where were in 2012 as a Baptist Union. I spent six years researching some recent Baptist history of the 1980s and 1990s and the story of a passion for mission and theology sought to renew our Baptist life for a new millennium. 

As Baptists today we are stewards of our story, it's our job to pass it on. We are also those who need to engage honestly with that story, its highs and lows, learning from the past so as to walk more faithfully in the future.

We are also those tasked to go on making Baptist history, with the kind of imagination and boldness that those who came before us did. It is to our loss to ignore our history. So with this course, we want to provide an opportunity to make this history better known, and equip Baptist historians and theologians for the future.


How does that inform our theology and practice today? 

Our convictions around baptism, the church meeting, associating, freedom from the state, the place of the Bible, and more all come from moments in our history, where people were convicted by God to be church in this way. These convictions are ones we still hold today: understanding the past will help us understand why these convictions are ones we should go on holding.

Theology I think always involves three things, with the Holy Spirit's help: listening to scripture, listening to each other, and listening to the past. As we do the first two, this course wants to make a case for the importance of the third. 


The course gives a global perspective on Baptist history. What was the thinking behind this?

We want to give the course a global perspective because one we hope people from around the world will take the course.

Also, you cannot tell the Baptist story without telling a global story. The Baptist way of following of Christ was one that went beyond these isles, carried by missionaries, pilgrims and immigration. One of the real joys in my recent life has been to get to know Baptists from other parts of the world, and get a feel for what being Baptist looks like for them in their location.

We also hope a better understanding of the history and theology of our Baptists brothers and sisters around the world will widen the horizons of us in the UK and see our stories in all their diversity. 


So who should think about taking this course? 

We hope there might be some Baptist ministers, who want to grow their understanding of what it means to be part of the Baptist story. We hope there might be some interested people in general who are curious about what the word 'Baptist' in the name of their church has meant and still means today. It is a course for those who have a university degree, although it doesn't have to be in history or theology. 

The longer plan is to add some other short courses, picking up other aspects of Baptist history and theology that will sit alongside this one, that could be done on their own, or done together.

 

For more details of Baptist Stories 1612-2012 see here, and for inquiries, contact Andy here. 

Andy is the minister of Belle Vue Baptist Church, Southend and a lecturer in Baptist History at Regent's Park College, Oxford