The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church [Paperback]

R. Stanton Norman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

The Baptist Way is an introduction to the principles that distinguish Baptists from other Christians. In some cases these ideas were once peculiarly Baptists, though they are now more widely held among other groups. For Stan Norman, healthy Baptist churches intentionally and diligently adhere to their Baptist distinctives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R. Stanton Norman serves as director for the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry. He also occupies the McFarland Chair of Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He resides in Mateland, Louisiana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: B&H Academic (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805431527
• ISBN-13: 978-0805431520
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Baptist

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another way?, August 16, 2011

By 

Doug Watson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (Paperback)

If Stan Norman's book accurately describes the "Baptist way," then many Christians can be happy to find another. This book reflects the attitude of what someone else has called "the crossest of Christians," one who mistakes meanness for moral righteousness and embraces it as a virtue. The author decries rationalism, but hopes to be taken as logical and reasonable. He decries tradition, but elevates hero stories that suit his purpose as moral exemplars of doctrinal rigor. He declares the essential doctrine of Biblical inerrancy and the use of "biblical teachings" as a yardstick for true faith, but pays little or no attention to issues of canonicity or inspiration. He claims the primacy of New Testament scripture but seems to reflect more an Old Testament brand of righteous judgment. His advice to "regenerate churches" provides a "how to" guide for the narrow-minded "spirit-led" congregation to purge its ranks of any non-conforming members. The appeal to "Baptist distinctives" seems conveniently selective, elevating the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message but ignoring its displaced (and more central) 1963 version. Norman claims to be righting the Southern Baptist church from any tilts toward liberalism, modernism, and neo-orthodoxy; perhaps he inadvertently bares the compassionless bias of recent Baptist fundamentalists toward social and spiritual exclusivism (a charge I suspect the author would be happy to embrace). I thought that the gospels told the story of a man of compassion, who taught love and forgiveness, who sought to heal and bring peace and demonstrate the nature of our heavenly father. Apparently I didn't read them "the Baptist way."

10 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent presentation of Baptist Distinctives, October 20, 2005

By 

Michael Allison "Called to Preach" (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (Paperback)

The first 4 Chapters are worth the price of the book. Great presentation on the historical position of Baptists toward the Word of God, the priesthood of all believers, and the ordinances. The author is a little weak on understanding the autonomy of the local church (he comes from a strong SBC background) but overall it is a great book.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book for (Most) Southern Baptists, April 3, 2010

By 

Michael Pope (Clinton, MS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (Paperback)

I've been a Southern Baptist for over ten years now, but I haven't really explored my denomination's history or distinctives until the last few years. I picked up this book a year or two ago because I thought it would deepen my understanding of what it means to be a Baptist. Overall, it did not disappoint. In the book, Norman lists and discusses eight historically Baptist tenants in detail. His statements are well documented and are almost always supported by Scripture. I've read several other books on the subject, and they all have their good points, but for the reader who is interested in a detailed introduction, this is a good place to start. To put it another way, this book is for the Baptist who wants to know more about their denomination than what a brochure at the church welcome center would provide.

Big point: Norman is a very "conservative" Baptist (Is there any other kind, you ask? Well, yes, there is.). I typically don't mind this since I lean to the right anyway. But for some, his language may seem a bit overbearing in certain places. He makes no excuse in his introduction that this book is for Baptists, and he believes that all Baptist churches should openly and visibly manifest these distinctives. You don't have to be a theologian to read this, but you may need to be at least somewhat familiar with some typically Protestant terms like inerrancy of the Bible, regenerate church membership, congregational polity, and believer's baptism. Might be a good resource for deacons, too.