Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches - 2nd Edition by John S Hammett (Paperback)

About the Book

Most North American churches take a pragmatic approach to church life. We are concerned with being relevant to the culture and ultimately growing at a steady rate. While these issues are certainly legitimate, they also create a danger that our churches will be shaped more by these extrabiblical goals than by the biblical mandate of God. Utilizing the Scriptures, theology, and Baptist history, this comprehensive work addresses all aspects of the church, both theological and practical. - Publisher.

Book Synopsis

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

Review Quotes

"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 (11/16/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"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. (11/16/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"John Hammett has been laboring in the field of ecclesiology for years, and this book is the abundant harvest of those labors. Faithful to Scripture, conversant with church history and cultural context, rigorously systematic in its structure, and lucid in its prose, this book deserves to be read by students, pastors, and professors alike. Highly recommended."--Bruce Riley Ashford, Provost and Professor of Theology and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological (11/16/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"My favorite thing about John Hammett's Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches is that he combines both deep theological reflection on the nature of the church with the practical nitty gritty questions of pastoral ministry. There's material for the academic to engage--but even more--he's writing for the pastor and for healthy churches. You might not agree with every conclusion, but John Hammett's ecclesiology is biblical, thoughtful, historically-conversant, and respectful of other traditions, even while he makes the case for a congregational, baptistic church."--Jonathan Leeman, 9Marks (11/16/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"When John Hammett's Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches appeared in 2005, it was widely recognized as the most substantive contemporary free church ecclesiology. In the last dozen years, the culture of the churches changed while Hammett continued deepening his biblical studies. This second edition demonstrates again that Hammett continues to offer the most substantive ecclesiology by bridging the "Biblical" with the "Contemporary."--Malcom B. Yarnell III, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Southwestern Seminary (11/16/2018 12:00:00 AM)