Baptists through the Centuries: A History of a Global People - Softcover

"David Bebbington has placed us all in his debt by producing this volume." -- Journal of European Baptist Studies (2012, 12:2) "In Baptists through the Centuries , the distinguished University of Stirling (UK) professor further solidifies his already established reputation for careful scholarship, astute interpretation, and compelling storylines.... Bebbington offers the necessary resources for understanding the tradition's comlex historical roots, as well as the meandering pathways that have characterized denomination life for 400 years." -- Renewing Minds (2012, 1:1) "... a welcomed addition to the field of Baptist studies." --Baptist History & Heritage Society (Fall 2012) "David Bebbington's well-earned reputation as a brilliant historian is certainly confirmed with this fine overview of Baptist history and practices. Bebbington's work will provide students with a timely, balanced, and insightful guide for generations to come." --David S. Dockery, President, Union University "Bebbington, one of the leading historians of worldwide evangelicalism, presents a sweeping overview of Baptist history in Europe and the US from its beginnings in the Reformation to the present. A synthesis of the original research of others, Bebbington's interpretive scheme is nuanced and quite readable." --J. F. Findlay, University of Rhode Island, Choice (2011, 48:8) "Conversations about Baptist identity too often generate more heat than light. This book is a happy exception, telling the Baptist story with great insight and clarity." --Curtis W. Freeman, Research Professor of Theology and Baptist Studies, Duke University Divinity School Bebbington's careful work and attempt to categorize and define the diverse family called Baptists is laudable and worthy of commendation. -- Jason. G. Duesing, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary -- Journal of Ecclesiastical History ... the scope of [Bebbington's] coverage in just 300 pages is breathtaking. If you read only one book on the Baptists, this is the one for you. -- Richard V. Pierard -- International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 2011 Bebbington is a wise guide... This judicious and insightful account of Baptist history is to be commended. -- John Briggs, President of the Baptist Hictorical Society -- Baptist Quarterly

A clearly written introduction to the history and theology of this international people, Baptists through the Centuries provides a chronological survey of the main developments in Baptist life and thought from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. As Baptists spread globally beyond their British and American origins, Bebbington persuasively demonstrates how they constantly adapted to the cultures and societies in which they lived, generating even more diversity within an already multifaceted identity. In the course of telling the story of Baptists, Bebbington also examines the challenging social, political, and intellectual issues in Baptist historyaattitudes on race, women's roles in the church, religious liberty, foreign missions, and denominational identityaand situates each one within a broader context.