Church History/Christian History

From the Archives – Using the London Baptist Confession of 1646 in the Local Church

Reformed Baptists are drawn to the London Baptist Confession of 1689 (originally issued in 1677) because it so closely mirrored the popular Presbyterian Westminster Confession of Faith. But the first two London Baptist confessions of 1644/1646 offer a window into history and a resource for Baptists today that is slightly different in its emphases. The London Baptist Confession of 1646 is Reformed and Baptist in its theology while emphasizing the newness of the New Covenant era that began with Christ.

Discussion

What Happened to the Singing?

Body

“No doubt, the more Scripture we directly infuse into our hymn texts, the better. But it is also possible to have excellently crafted, theologically rich songs to sing in church without falling into the Puritan dilemma of text versus art. We can be faithful to the text and pursue artistic beauty.” - Cameron Pollock

Discussion

Responding to Criticisms of Christianity

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“Hardly any comment thread on this blog is without someone blaming Christians and Christianity for war, slavery, oppression, sexism, intolerance…. Bring up the value of Lutheran theology and you can count on accusations that Luther is responsible for Hitler and the Holocaust. So how should Christians respond to such criticisms?” - Gene Veith

Discussion

Christian Persecution and the Origins of Religious Freedom

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Tertullian “asserted that it is a ‘fundamental human right, a privilege of nature, that every man should worship according to his own convictions.’ He was the first to argue for religious toleration as a general principle and, in so doing, coined the phrase ‘freedom of religion’ (libertas religionis).” - IFWE

Discussion

The Evangelical Coalition

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“Olson’s introduction to postfundamentalist evangelicalism (new evangelicalism) is striking in that the history I was taught by fundamentalist professors matches exactly what Olson describes.” - Don Johnson

Discussion

The Puritans Had Two Shots at Building a Godly Society

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“In both arenas—that of England and New England—their political experiments collapsed, but they left behind a legacy of personal piety, pastoral purity, and theological rigor that many Christians today rightly find both challenging and inspiring.” - Christianity Today

Discussion

Do We Really Need to Keep Singing Hymns?

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“Another bestselling author can rise in the time it takes to froth a Latte. And they’re gone before you finish your cup. Rich, thoughtful, timeless truths are so hard to come by. How do we cut through the fog? Give me something ancient. Something that has stood the test of time. I want some of that.” - Church Leaders

Discussion