Born of Water and Spirit

This is a very good book, but it is also a frustrating one. Richard C. Traylor, a historian at Hardin-Simmons University, takes us on a journey inside the “Baptist impulse.” He possesses an exceptional understanding of what Baptist churches were like, the role of the preacher, the complexities of the conversion experience, the nature of Baptist ordinances, the numerous controversies that plagued the churches, and how the denomination changed in Kentucky during the period from the late eighteenth century to the eve of the Civil War. Despite references to external events and the citation of much of the relevant historiography, however, the book seems abstracted from the broader social and cultural setting. Two themes run through the book: localism and democracy. Baptist churches sought to embody these ideals by rejecting any form of institutional control or hierarchy and ensuring collective decision making within each congregation (albeit with distinctly subordinate roles for women and African Americans). What Traylor calls “the core of the Baptist impulse” was its “fluid structure and democratic spirit” (p. 7). But he also shows that there was a tendency toward refinement—an educated ministry, more elegant church buildings, and less emotionalism—and denominationalism, with the establishment of educational institutions, missionary societies, Sunday schools, and support for temperance crusades. The tension between the core impulse and these latter developments, as well as conflicts over creedalism, conversion, baptism, and other matters, contributed to fissures and conflicts among Baptists, leading, notably, to the Disciples of Christ (Campbellite) separation, the withdrawal of the Primitive (antimission) Baptists, and the controversy over baptismal succession

Baptism · Democracy · Historiography · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Theology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · History · Law · Mormonism, Religion, and History · Philosophy · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment · Religious studies

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