Dictionary of Baptists in America [Paperback]

Bill J. Leonard (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994

First in a series of concise dictionaries on various traditions in American Christianity, this comprehensive resource is an A-Z guide to the ideas, events, people, movements, practices, institutions, and denominations that have made up the Baptist tradition in North America, from its earliest days to the present.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This dictionary is intended as a guide to the largest Protestant religious tradition in America. Ideas, events, people, movements, traditions, institutions, and denominations are presented in 650 signed articles from more than 100 contributors, specialists in historical studies and related to Baptist institutions. Its primary focus is historical, with concentration on movements in the U.S.

The introductory essay, "The Baptists: A People, a History, and an Identity," provides a perspective on widely divergent Baptist beliefs, origins, and the 80 groups that call themselves Baptist. Twentieth-century issues, education, and future developments are considered. Asterisks throughout the essay refer to related articles, providing a subject approach to the alphabetically arranged material that follows.

The articles range from less than a column to several pages. Many have appended bibliographies. Some represent original research and correctives to previously published information. Articles include not only the prominent, but also the obscure. Scope is broad and detail rich: the long article Baptist Hymnody, the shorter one Sacred Harp. Contemporary issues are addressed: recent Southern Baptist controversies, emergent groups and institutions, some biographies of contemporaries. Such topics as Inerrancy Controversy and Racial Attitudes, Baptist are treated in a balanced fashion. Asterisks and see and see also references enable readers to move easily throughout the volume.

William Henry Brackney's The Baptists (Greenwood, 1988) would be a good companion to the dictionary. It consists of six essays on central principles of Baptist thought and a biographical dictionary of Baptist leaders. It is much less comprehensive. The only other encyclopedic reference on Baptists is the Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists (4v., Broadman, 1958-82).

The Dictionary of Baptists in America is a convenient, well-organized, and thorough reference tool. Any interested audience, clerical or lay, Baptist or non-Baptist, will appreciate it. Recommended.

Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830814477
• ISBN-13: 978-0830814473
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,248,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference for a Baptist, August 4, 2005

By 

Corum Seth Smith (Hendersonville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dictionary of Baptists in America (Paperback)

As a disclaimer, let me write that once I was a student of Leonard, a man whose style of lecturing is dynamic and engaging. And though we do not see eye-to-eye on some things, I like the guy. So there may be some bias here.

Anyway, this book is exactly what you would expect, a dictionary that explains most of the important terms, organizations, events, and doctrines that have influenced the history of the Baptist denomination.

As a Baptist minister, I ordered this book to deepen my understanding of Baptist history, and second, to use as a reference when teaching my congregation about Baptist history. It is a useful book because when you want to approach your congregation, it never hurts to know what the Baptists before you did in a tight spot.

I find this book fairly useful, and would recommend it to a fellow Baptist, or someone who has a Baptist friend he or she wants to understand better. In this one denomination there are foot-washers, Calvinists, Arminians, Evangelicals, black, white, native American, increasing Hispanic and Korean congregations, independent, free-will, missionary, Southern, Northern, and yes, Billy Graham. Our faith, thankfully, has appealed to many people in its roughly 393 years of history. Thus understanding us is not as easy as it seems. This resource can help you understand this massive movement.