Baptist Identity and the Ecumenical Future

Steven R. Harmon is Visiting Associate Professor of Historical Theology in the School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University.

Part I: The Baptist Vision and the Ecumenical Moment 1. A Radical Baptist Proposal 2. Seizing the Ecumenical MomentPart II: Baptists, Biblicism, and Catholicity 3. One Sacred Story 4. One Contested Tradition 5. Radically Biblical, Radically CatholicPart III: Baptist Identity and Receptive Ecumenism 6. The End of Baptist Denominationalism 7. Receiving the Gift of MagisteriumPart IV: Baptist Theology and the Ecumenical Future 8. The Ecumenical Task of Theology 9. The Theology of a Pilgrim Church 10. The Baptist Eschatological Vision and the Ecumenical Future

Baptist Identity and the Ecumenical Future should be required reading for Baptist leaders. -- Neville George Callam, General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Baptist World Alliance An important work in Baptist studies -- Choice Provocative, challenging, and forward-looking -- Mitzi J. Budde, Virginia Theological Seminary -- Perspectives in Religious Studies A dense and richly documented book -- Molly T. Marshall, Central Baptist Theological Seminary -- Perspectives in Religious Studies Harmon's book offers the research and wisdom of a Baptist thinker at the forefront of ecumenical work. His methodical analysis of Baptist history and ecumenical documents, coupled with practical constructive proposals for congregations to change, has made this book original, essential, and necessary to the future of Baptist life. -- Spencer Miles Boersma -- Reading Religion A promising way forward for Baptists -- David E. Wilhite -- The Pacific Journal of Baptist Research [Harmon's] work rests on the genuine hope of finding common ground across the body of Christ, ideally even the recovery of a cooperative Christian community that could see itself as part of one body, even as many denominations -- Courtney Pace -- The Pacific Journal of Baptist Research Harmon's Baptist Identity and the Ecumenical Future is a work that engages the current status of Baptist life in the wider context of the current ecclesial and ecumenical situation. It is not only the ambition of this book but its execution that establishes Harmon as the most accomplished Baptist ecumenist working in America today, and perhaps one of the most insightful ecumenists of any stripe, and it is thereby worthy of consideration not only by Baptists but also by all interested in the history and current state of ecumenical discussion. -- Kimlyn J. Bender -- Christian Scholar's Review Harmon has done Baptists a service in offering us an understanding of tradition which frames it as an invitation to conversation and an opportunity to grow. -- Andrew Smith -- The Pacific Journal of Baptist Research