The Baptist Story, 2nd Edition: From English Sect to Global Movement

by Anthony L. Chute (Editor), Nathan A. Finn (Editor), Michael A. G. Haykin (Editor)

Overview

What does it mean to be a Baptist? How did this now worldwide movement begin and what are the current issues it faces today? The 2nd edition of The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement gives a narrative history of Baptists spanning four centuries and many continents.

In this new edition, Baptist historians Anthony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin provide a fresh update, detailing events up to the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention, relocating their chapter on identity and distinctives to the front of the book, and adding new recommended reading resources.

Written with an irenic tone and illustrated with photographs in every chapter, The Baptist Story is ideally suited for graduate and undergraduate courses.   

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781430087144
Publisher:	B&H Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/01/2025
Edition description:	Second Edition, New Edition
Pages:	560
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.38(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Anthony L. Chute (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of church history and associate dean of the school of Christian ministries at California Baptist University.  

Nathan A. Finn (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is provost and dean of the university faculty at North Greenville University.  

Michael A. G. Haykin (ThD, Wycliffe College and University of Toronto) is professor of church history and biblical spirituality and director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 

SECTION ONE: BAPTIST BELIEFS
Chapter 1: Baptist Identity and Distinctives

SECTION TWO: BAPTISTS IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES
Chapter 2: Baptist Beginnings 
Chapter 3: Living under the Cross 
Chapter 4: The Age of Reason and Revival 
Chapter 5: Renewal and Advance 

SECTION THREE: BAPTISTS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Chapter 6: Baptists and the World before Them 
Chapter 7: Progress and Setbacks 
Chapter 8: Expansion and Adaptation 
Chapter 9: Transitions and Trends 

SECTION FOUR: BAPTISTS IN THE TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURIES
Chapter 10: The Early Twentieth Century 
Chapter 11: Tension and Expansion 
Chapter 12: Controversies in a Changing World 
Chapter 13: Recent Developments in the Baptist Story

Conclusion: A Global Movement 

Acknowledgments 
Abbreviations 
Glossary 
Image Credits 
General Index 
Scripture Index 

Editorial Reviews

Baptists are a people who have taken the principles of the Protestant Reformation further than the original Reformers of the sixteenth century. They have also pursued evangelism more intensively than most of the leading figures of the Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century. Here is a chronological account of their trajectory in the English-speaking world which also brings out how by the twenty-first century their missionary activities had established a presence in nearly every country on earth. Enriched with attractive illustrations and vivid extracts from original sources, this is an up-to-date and accessible retelling of the Baptist story.”
—David Bebbington, emeritus professor of history, University of Stirling
 
“Anthony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin have written a lively overview of Baptist history in The Baptist Story. This updated and well-illustrated second edition gives special attention to English Baptists, Southern Baptists, as well as underrepresented minority and global communities—offering a thoughtful perspective on the breadth of Baptist heritage. With discussion questions, suggestions for further study, and glossary sections, this volume is an ideal textbook for Christian universities and seminaries.”
—Chris Chun, director of Jonathan Edwards Center and professor of church history, Gateway Seminary
 
“I am thrilled to see this newly revised and expanded edition of The Baptist Story, which will serve students of Baptist history and heritage well for years to come. The volume remains a first-rate and accessible overview of the larger Baptist family, including general and particular Baptists, revivalists and Landmarkists, as well as fundamentalists, conservatives, moderates, and liberals. With the greater emphasis on underrepresented Baptists in this updated version, readers will gain a fresh, informed, and enriched appreciation for the breadth of the Baptist movement. I congratulate Tony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin on this wonderful volume. Enthusiastically recommended!”
—David S. Dockery, president and distinguished professor of theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
 
"I am pleased to recommend this excellent new edition of The Baptist Story. This insightful book will introduce readers to the rich stories and besetting controversies that have marked the Baptist tradition, and more importantly, to the remarkable ways that God has worked in Baptist churches."
—Thomas S. Kidd, John and Sharon Yeats Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
 
“Those of us who have used and benefited from the first edition of The Baptist Story are grateful for this new edition. It is a proper second edition, with the text thoroughly updated. For example, more space is given to underrepresented Baptists and the section on Baptist beliefs has seen significant reworking. The authors are both experts in the field and also experienced, gifted teachers who are able to tell a complex, multifaceted story with clarity and verve. This book is highly recommended for professors and students of Baptist history and heritage.”
—Peter Morden, principal, Bristol Baptist College
 
“Since its original publication in 2015, The Baptist Story has introduced many readers to the fascinating but often untold account of one of the world’s most influential Christian traditions. Haykin, Chute, and Finn are three of our most gifted Baptist historians, writing here with characteristic learning, clarity, and concern for contemporary application. I am thrilled to share this updated edition with my students!”
—Eric C. Smith, associate professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
 
“This wonderful book has been made only better in the new edition. Opening the book with explanation of Baptist principles is very helpful, and the updates with more recent history will be very useful for readers. Three of our best Baptist historians, who are also committed churchmen, have served us well once again.”
—Ray Van Neste, dean of the School of Theology and Missions, Union University

"The Baptist Story is the best history of the Baptists available. It is comprehensive and judicious. It is clear and accessible. This is not surprising, since it is written by three of the top Baptist historians in the world."
—Gregory Wills, director of research doctoral studies and professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

From the Publisher