New book with new questions about Baptist identity  

Voicing New Questions for Baptist Identity covers topics such as the church meeting, the Lord’s Supper, ministry, covenant, and dissent. The ‘new questions’ it raises are to explore these topics from the perspective of race, gender, culture, disability, sexuality and nationality

It is co-edited by Andy Goodliff and Eleasah Louis, with contributions from Ruth Moriarty, Simon Jay, Leigh Greenwood, Tomos Roberts-Young, Martin Hobgen, Pam Davies and Tim Judson. 

‘This book follows others who have written and reflected upon what it is that makes us Baptist,’ said Andy, minister of Belle Vue Baptist Church, Southend-on-Sea, and deputy director of the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent’s Park College, where he also teaches Baptist history and theology.  

‘It is offered as a modest contribution to the ongoing, joyful and challenging task that is seeking a Baptist identity that is faithful to our call to be a gospel people.’ 

Andy added the book is ‘an attempt to bring some new voices into the conversation around being Baptist, paying attention to context.’ 

‘The contributors each come with an important experience or a reflection that poses new questions and challenges to what it means to be Baptist people today,’ he said.  

‘All those involved have met together, shared and discussed our work. It’s been a real joy to edit this book with Eleasah, and we offer it now to a wider audience, not as a definitive word, but a modest offering that might stimulate reflection and conversation in lots of different places.   

‘We hope it might be read by those in ministry and in congregations as something helpful.’   

Eleasah is a researcher and resource developer who supports various Christian organisations, including the Baptist Union of Great Britain. She recently edited a collection of the Sam Sharpe Lectures, published by SCM Press. 

She said, ‘Each era brings new challenges, and this book is a sample of this generation of Baptist minds grappling with today's questions in context.  

‘Working alongside Andy, learning the ropes and digging deeper into 21st-century Baptist thinking alongside other emerging scholars, theologians, and local ministers has been hugely insightful. It's a true melting pot of premise, hermeneutics, and experience.  

‘My hope for this book is that readers will take these conversations further, and that it is a tool for individuals and congregations to have tricky yet necessary conversations about being Baptist in today's society.’ 

One of the contributors is Ruth Moriarty, a Baptist minister at Christ Church New Southgate & Friern Barnet in north London. Ruth researched the practice of discernment and church meetings as part of her doctoral studies.  

She said, 'Voicing New Questions provided an opportunity for emerging Baptist scholars to share theological reflection on lived faith and practice within a supportive and active review group.  

'New questions came from new scholars who are working in ministry while considering matters of racism, worship, motherhood, disability, sexuality and de-colonisation in our context.  

'Beginning a journey in academia is hard but the care and determination of Andy and Eleasah has given each of the contributors an environment to grow and flourish into this published volume. Baptists have always been great activists but limited in our sharing of theological practice.  

'This book gave me the opportunity to contribute doctoral studies to the denomination in the hope of building Kingdom of God.' 

Baptist minister Simon Jay is another contributor. Simon has been part of an Urban Expression team in the Welsh Farm Community in Birmingham for more than two decades.  

'For as long as I can remember, I have always found myself drawn to the margins. This reflects my own lived experience.   

'As a Black child I was adopted by a White family and grew up being one of only three Black children in our town.   

'As a result, my worldview and theology were entirely influenced by White European voices.   

'Being involved in this project, and working with these other incredible marginal voices, I have found a shared belonging.  

'These other stories from the edges, have enriched my own experience of marginality. My hope is that they will build-on, deepen, and challenge our current Baptist theology and identity.' 

Wale Hudson Roberts is the Baptist Union’s Justice Enabler. He said, ‘There are not many books by Baptist theologians that wrestle with questions of identity through the prism of race, gender, sexuality and class.

'This challenging book foregrounds issues that can sometimes remain hidden among Baptists, which it does with rigour and truth telling.  

‘By narrating experiences rooted in reality, theology is contextualised, and the issues wrestled with brought alive.  

‘This is not only a stimulating read, but for Baptists committed to intersectionality, a necessary one.’   
 

Voicing New Questions for Baptist Identity is available via Amazon, and is part of the Centre for Baptist Studies (based at Regent’s Park College, Oxford) Congregational series. 

An online lunchtime seminar to launch this publication takes place on Thursday, 8 February. The respondents are Lisa Kerry and Anthony Clarke.

More details and to book here.