“What makes a Baptist a Baptist? The ultimate and final answer, of course, is simple: membership in a local Baptist church… But there are all kinds of Baptist groups and Baptist churches! So what are the spiritual and theological marks of a Baptist? What are the distinctive, convictions or ideals that Baptists rally around and that make a Baptist a Baptist?”[1] Winthrop Hudson, one of Baptist’s best historians and keenest twentieth century interpreters, noted correctly that pioneer Baptists of seventeenth century England did not set out to identify “Baptist distinctive.” Their concern was instead to be faithful and obedient Christians.
Dr. Walter Shurden’s book The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms outlines the four basic beliefs that Baptists have. He said that he arrived at these Baptist Freedoms by analyzing the sermons and addresses given from around the world and at the Baptist World Alliance from 1905 to 1980. He outlines the following four freedoms:
Bible Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation that the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, must be central in the life of the individual and church and that Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scripture.
Soul Freedom is the historic affirmation of the inalienable right and responsibility of every person to deal with God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.
Church Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation that local churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whom they perceive as gifted for ministry, male or female, and to participate in the larger body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part.
Religious Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation of freedom OF religion, freedom FOR religion, and freedom FROM religion insisting that Caesar is not Christ and Christ is not Caesar.[2]
Shurden also shared from a document issued by the Baptist Heritage Commission of the Baptist World Alliance in 1989 at Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). Entitled “Towards a Baptist Identity,” the statement was deliberately descriptive rather than creedal. He used the five summary statements from this document in his book. They are as follows:
Baptists are:
i. -members of the whole Christian family who stress the experience of personal salvation
through faith in Jesus, symbolized both in baptism and the Lord’s Supper;
ii. -those who under the Lordship of Jesus Christ have bonded together in free local congregations, together seeking to obey Christ in faith and in life;
iii. -those who follow the authority of Scriptures in all matters of faith and practice;
iv. -those who have claimed religious liberty for themselves and all people;
It is interesting to note that Shurden made a distinction by writing that this was more description than creedal. William Tuck wrote in his book a section on creeds and why Baptists are opposed to them. Tuck wrote, “As Baptists, we have never believed that creeds should be imposed on others.”[4] As Baptists, we sometimes have used affirmations or confessions of faith, but these are not to be viewed as creeds. According to Tuck, creeds have always had limitations and inadequacies. “As Baptists, we affirm that no theological statement is ever final or complete. No one person or group of persons can formulate our theology for us and say that this is what we have to believe. Our forefathers and mothers have fought and died for this free tradition.”[5]
“If Baptists experience a rebirth of commitment to Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Church Freedom, and Religious Freedom, they would not only rediscover their roots and their identity, they would become prophetically relevant to the world today.”[6] Baptists have the freedom to believe and to worship as they wish. Baptists are surrounded by freedoms but with those freedoms come responsibility. The responsibility is to have authentic faith. Speak what you know and let your actions match your words. Shurden closes The Baptist Identity with the following statement: “The historical Baptist identity, therefore, has been chiseled primarily from freedom rather than control, voluntaryism rather than coercion, individualism rather than a ‘pack mentality,’ personal religion rather than proxy religion, and diversity rather than uniformity.”[7]
[1] Shurden, Walter B. The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms. (Georgia: Smyth and Helwys: 1993) 1.
[2] Ibid. 4-5.
[3] Ibid. 5-6.
[4] Tuck, William Powell. Our Baptist Tradition. (Georgia: Smyth & Helwys, 1993)22.
[5] Ibid. 19.
[6] Shurden, Walter B. The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms. (Georgia: Smyth and Helwys: 1993)55.
[7] Ibid. 59.
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