Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology, 2nd ed.

by John S. Hammett

Publisher:

Kregel

, 2019

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

Key Features

• Seeks to show that the church is God’s creation, Christ’s body, and the special instrument of the Holy Spirit in the world today
• Asks the foundational theological questions that will help God’s people remain faithful to his ideals for the church
• Intends to fill the need for a book on the doctrine of the church from a Baptist perspective

Contents

Part 1: What Is the Church?

• The Nature of the Church: Biblical Foundations
• The Marks of the Church: Historical Perspective
• The Essence of the Church: Theological Conclusions and Practical Applications

Part 2: Who Is the Church?

• Regenerate Church Membership: The Baptist Mark of the Church
• Where We Went Wrong and How We Can Get Right: Returning to Faithfulness

Part 3: How Is the Church Governed?

• Baptist Church Polity: The Case for Congregationalism
• Meaningful Church Membership
• Elders in Baptist Life: Leaders, Not Rulers
• The Office of Deacon: Servants of the Church

Part 4: What Does the Church Do?

• The Ministries of the Church: Five Crucial Concerns
• More Than Simple Symbols: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Part 5: Where Is the Church Going?

• Against the Grain: New Responses to a Changed Landscape
• Into All the World: The Future of the Global Church

Conclusion: A Call for Faithful Churches

Praise for Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches

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, President, Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

It is hard to improve on what had become the standard in the field. However, this revised edition of Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches does exactly that. An excellent book is now even better. It is a joy to commend it to all who want to better understand the important doctrine of the church.

—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

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, Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University

Product Details

• Title: Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology, Second Edition
• Author: John S. Hammett
• Edition: Second Edition
• Publisher: Kregel
• Print Publication Date: 2019
• Logos Release Date: 2023
• Pages: 398
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Church; Baptists › Doctrines
• ISBNs: 9780825445118, 0825445116
• Resource ID: LLS:BBLCLFNDTNSXDTN
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-01T00:41:06Z

About John S. Hammett

Professor of Systematic Theology Associate Dean of Theological Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.