Anthony R. Cross and Nicholas J. Wood (eds) 
Regent’s Park College, Oxford, 2010
ISBN 978–0–9539746–6–5

Exploring Baptist Origins provides excellent food for thought on some of the key issues relating to Baptist life today. It contains a series of lectures given at Regent’s Park College, Oxford, England in 2009 to mark the 400^th anniversary of the Baptist movement.

The authors, all well-known British scholars, discuss important and interesting topics beginning with the earliest days of the movement around 1609 and extending over a considerable period of time. The themes include the significance of the original decision to adopt believers’ baptism in relation to the formation of the church; whether the early Baptists thought of themselves as a sect or as part of the broader church and society; how they coped with the very difficult periods in English history under King James and then later at the time of Oliver Cromwell and the restoration of the monarchy; how they justified their radical views of the nature of the church from the Bible and theology; the impact of changing attitudes and convictions about eschatology; and church leadership, spirituality and the role of women in ministry.

Some lectures deal with familiar subjects such as the founding of the movement under the leadership of John Smyth and Thomas Helwys but in new depth, while others bring to light some relatively unknown topics such as two petitions submitted to the English parliament in the early 1660s just before non-conformists were to suffer harsh measures restricting their worship.

One of several perennial topics covered is whether it is possible to remain faithful to the calling of Christ by “just reading the Bible” as if it were an unambiguous handbook of spiritual knowledge, or whether other factors are needed to sustain a dynamic Christian witness.

The final paper, which was actually the first in the series, covers an extended period of history and gives a provocative overview of several issues using the narrative of a Lithuanian Baptist family over three generations as a framework.

The 155 page book, which includes several valuable illustrations and some previously unpublished documents, is informative and, for the most part, easily accessible to the thoughtful reader, with some of the less familiar material providing good stimulus for further research.

With its seven compact chapters, it would make a good basis for serious church study groups, especially if a set of questions and outline of contents could be added as a study guide.

Whether used privately, in a classroom or a study group, this book about Baptist origins will inevitably encourage reflection on increasingly important contemporary issues such as the significance of baptism and the nature of the church, eschatology, spirituality and the authority of the Bible, the nature of the ministry and the role of women. Other vital topics include Baptists and their relations with the state, community and other churches, and their convictions about religious freedom.

Exploring Baptist Origins is the first in a new series of volumes in the Centre for Baptist History and Heritage Studies series, available only from Regent’s Park College at www.rpc.ox.ac.uk.

– Rev Dr David Parker, Baptist Heritage Queensland/Baptist Church Archives