Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology

by John S. Hammett

Overview

An updated examination of ecclesiology from a Baptist perspective

In this useful book, professor and former pastor John Hammett helps church leaders think through foundational questions about the nature of the church. Blending biblical teaching and practical ministry experience, Hammett presents a comprehensive ecclesiology from a historic Baptist perspective, examining crucial contemporary issues such as church discipline, the role of elders, and church ministry in a post-Christian culture.

This second edition contains updates throughout, including:

• Substantive changes to chapters on the nature of the church, Baptist church polity, and deacons
• An expanded chapter on baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• A thoroughly revised chapter on church models like multisite churches and missional churches
• A brand-new chapter on meaningful church membership

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780825445118
Publisher:	Kregel Publications
Publication date:	03/01/2019
Edition description:	Updated & Expanded
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

John S. Hammett (Ph.D. in philosophy, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; D.Min., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of systematic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has written several articles for journals and magazines and was a pastor and missionary before becoming a professor.

Table of Contents

Figures 6

Preface to 2^nd Edition 7

Preface 9

Introduction: Why This Book? 11

Part 1 What is the Church?

1 The Nature of the Church: Biblical Foundations 25

2 The Marks of the Church: Historical Perspective 57

3 The Essence of the Church: Theological Conclusions and Practical Applications 75

Part 2 Who is the Church?

4 Regenerate Church Membership: The Baptist Mark of the Church 91

5 Where We Went Wrong and How We Can Get Right: Returning to Faithfulness 117

Part 3 How is the Church Governed?

6 Baptist Church Polity: The Case for Congregationalism 145

7 Meaningful Church Membership 173

8 Elders in Baptist Life: Leaders, Not Rulers 187

9 The Office of Deacon: Servants of the Church 221

Part 4 What Does the Church Do?

10 The Ministries of the Church: Five Crucial Concerns 251

11 More Than Simple Symbols: Baptism and the Lord's Supper 293

Part 5 Where is the Church Going?

12 Against the Grain: New Responses to a Changed Landscape 343

13 Into All the World: The Future of the Global Church 367

Conclusion: A Call for Faithful Churches 385

Scripture Index 388

Subject Index 392

Editorial Reviews

How grateful I am to John Hammett and to Kregel Publications for providing this revised, updated, and improved edition of Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches. While there was much to commend in the initial version, this substantive work will become the primary source for thinking about a Baptist theology of the church for the next generation of students and pastors. Faithful to Scripture and informed by the best aspects of Baptist thought through the years, Hammett has given us a fresh, engaging, and thoughtful look at membership, leadership, polity, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and all aspects of ecclesiology. I am delighted to recommend this outstanding volume.

David S. Dockery

John Hammett has been laboring in the field of ecclesiology for years, and this book is the abundant harvest of those labors. Faithful to Scripture, conversant with church history and cultural context, rigorously systematic in its structure, and lucid in its prose, this book deserves to be read by students, pastors, and professors alike. Highly recommended.

Bruce Riley Ashford

My favorite thing about John Hammett's Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches is that he combines both deep theological reflection on the nature of the church with the practical nitty gritty questions of pastoral ministry. There's material for the academic to engage—but even more—he's writing for the pastor and for healthy churches. You might not agree with every conclusion, but John Hammett's ecclesiology is biblical, thoughtful, historically-conversant, and respectful of other traditions, even while he makes the case for a congregational, baptistic church.

Jonathan Leeman

I am delighted to welcome this revised edition of John Hammett’s superb study of Baptist ecclesiology. Already a classic in the field, this book will continue to introduce the principles of Baptist church life to a new generation. Highly recommended.

Timothy George

When John Hammett’s Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches appeared in 2005, it was widely recognized as the most substantive contemporary free church ecclesiology. In the last dozen years, the culture of the churches changed while Hammett continued deepening his biblical studies. This second edition demonstrates again that Hammett continues to offer the most substantive ecclesiology by bridging the “Biblical” with the “Contemporary.

Malcom B. Yarnell III

Dr. Hammett is master of his subject and presents the material attractively. The book will be especially enjoyed by Baptists. Readers who are not Baptists will find it extremely enlightening.

Christian Observer