Andrew Fuller maintained that Christian orthodoxy--as articulated in Evangelical Calvinism--furnished the foundation, framework, and motivation for moral excellence. On the basis of this axiom, he challenged Enlightenment moral foundations and defended the truth of Christianity against Joseph Priestley and Thomas Paine, arguing that Christianity had a superior tendency to promote virtue in men and women. Chapter 1 introduces Fuller's role in the formation of Evangelicalism. Many argue that Evangelicalism rests on Enlightenment foundations, but I make the case that Fuller's moral thought directly undermined Enlightenment foundations. Chapter 2 contrasts how Fuller based his moral thinking in Christian belief while his Enlightenment opponents rested it in human nature and reason. Chapter 3 introduces Fuller's moral polemic against Socinianism and Deism, and it explains how Fuller's emphasis on the aretegenic value of Christian doctrine represents a continuation of an apologetic method found in many classic theologians like Augustine and Calvin. Like them, Fuller maintained that men and women realized their moral telos by rightly knowing and loving God. Chapter 4 outlines Fuller's theology of virtue, demonstrating how he grounds morality in his Evangelical Calvinist system. Chapter 5 examines Fuller's understanding of how Christian belief motivates virtue in believers' lives. Lastly, Chapter 6 discusses the relevance of Fuller's moral thought for today and its parallels with modern virtue theory.

ABSTRACT INTERGENERATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY Scott Michael Douglas, Ed.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2013 Chair: Dr. Brian C. Richardson The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership development of Millennial associate pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention by exploring the discipling relationship the associate has with the lead pastor. A sequential, mixed-methods line of inquiry was used in this study. The quantitative part utilized an online survey for the lead pastor and associate pastor. The online survey contained demographic questions, a thirty-item questionnaire about the associate pastor's leadership development along the Five Exemplary Practices of Kouzes and Posner, and a fifty-item questionnaire on necessary pastoral competencies. Following the quantitative analysis, five interviews were conducted with churches that displayed a high level of perceived leadership development. A significant sample size was not reached in this study, with n = 99 participating church ministry teams in the study. Despite this, several conclusions were reached. Most notably, Millennial associate pastors and Generation-X lead pastors had a significant relationship with regard to the associate pastor's perceived leadership development, but that Millennial associate pastors and Baby Boomer lead pastors shared more in common in terms of necessary pastoral competencies. The follow-up interviews explored four lines of inquiry: the competency development of the associate pastor, the dynamics of the discipling relationship, the balance between personal and professional aspects, and the generational differences on the church staff. One interview that was conducted was an anomaly, but the other four interviews shared many similar qualities. The lead pastor and associate pastors shared a strong friendship, they were committed to not only ministry success but also to the pursuit of Christlikeness, there was an intentionality on the part of the lead pastor to allow the associate opportunities to serve outside their specific ministry area, and the informality of the relationship did not diminish the intentionality the lead pastor had for the growth of his associate pastor.

The aim of this thesis is to bring to light the actual situation as it relates to the doing of Christian education in the churches of the Baptist Convention of South Africa; to evaluate such with a view to prescribing remedial measures where they would be warranted; depending on the fmdings of the investigation. The exercise was prompted by among others, the condition of the teaching ministry of the Baptist Convention churches as I have come to know it over the years. The method used in this investigative and evaluative exercise was that of personal interviews with church leaders, Christian education committee members, and congregants, and the reading of Christian education literature. A special questionnaire was designed for this purpose. What came out of this investigation was that indeed, the Baptist Convention is involved in Christian education, but that such involvement is of such a nature that it should be improved at all costs. By implication, the findings are that the standard of Christian education in the Convention churches is below what can be called, a Biblically and conventionally accepted level of doing Christian education. By way of unpacking the findings, it should be said that on individual church level, the teaching ministry leaves much to be desired, for reasons spelt out in the thesis. The only components that seem to be doing anything at all are the Sunday school) and the youth ministries on a local church level, and the regional and national structures of the Baptist Convention, though not as up to standard as one would expect of an authentic Christian education. Over the years, missionaries who were in charge of Convention churches were very helpful in ensuring that Christian education was took place. They were involved in Sunday school, membership classes, and the training of Christian workers. Of course the quality of their teaching and training was questionable to some extent, arguing from the performance of Christian workers they trained. With the fading of missionaries from the scene, the standard of Christian education declined largely because of the poor theological training of pastors, the misconception about the role of Sunday school in the church as intended for children only, and the high regard given to preaching by pastors - at the expense of teaching - as the focal point of their call to ministry. A consoling feature is that Christian literature used so far, confirms the existence of a problem in Christian education in general, so that the Convention is not alone in its need for a solution. With the implementation of strategies laid down in the eighth chapter of this dissertation, the situation in the Baptist Convention of South Africa and the Church of Jesus Christ the world over, can be remedied, and effective Christian education embraced. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

No description available.

Baptists, who have traditionally emphasised the authority of Scripture, agree strongly that New Testament teaching and practice allows them to baptize only believers upon profession of ~aith. There are, however, many remaining questions concerning the relation of children to God and the place of children in the church which are not as straightforwardly answered in Scripture; here Baptists often display little consensus. Although the principles of corporate solidarity and of individual responsibility operate in both Testaments, the development of individual responsibility, already apparent within later Old Testament history, is carried further in the New Testament where there is evidence of some breakdown in family solidarity and of division on the basis of individual allegiance to Jesus. Discussion of the place of the child in the early church to the fourth century centres around questions of original sin, the 'innocence' of children, the rise of infant baptism and the catachumenate. The historical survey also investigates the development of Anabaptist, early Baptist and modern Baptist views of childhood from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Baptist perspectives in relation to four current issues in the theology of the child are considered: original sin and the 'age of accountability', infant salvation, 'faith development' and child evangelism. The South African situation is analysed by identifying amd interpreting areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty indicated by the results of a detailed questionnaire distributed amongst Baptists during 1990-1991. Baptists need to recognize that children of believers, although not necessarily saved, are in a creative relationship with the church, somewhat similar to that of the catechumenate in the early church. Two particularly problematic areas are the question of the appropriate age for baptism, church membership and communion of children. This is partly because although linked with faith rather than with ~ pastoral wisdom is needed to assess the evidence for true faith in particular cases. In spite of the difficulties to be faced, Baptist congregations and all Christians and churches have much to gain from a careful consideration of the theological issues related to the place of the child in the church. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

This study examines the relations of white Baptists with racial and ethnic minorities in Texas from the beginning of organized Baptist work in Texas in the mid-nineteenth century, through the United States Supreme Court decision in the Brown v. Topeka case in 1954, Emphasizing the role of attitudes in forming actions, it examines the ideas of various leaders of the chief Baptist bodies in Texas: the artist General Convention of Texas, the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas and the American Baptist Convention. The minorities included in the work are the Negroes, the Mexican-Americans, non-Anglo-Saxon Europeans, American Indians, Orientals, and Jews. Several factors tend to justify a study of this subject. First, there is the prominence of race relations in the nation which has aroused interest in the effect which race relations have had upon affairs in Texas, Second, the widespread changes which have taken place in Texas during, the last two decades suggest the feasibility of a study of that phenomenon, and the fact that many consider the race problem to be a moral and religious issue indicates the relevance of the churches' relationships to these changes. As the largest religious denomination in the state, the Baptists offer a viable subject for study. Finally, since to date no study specifically relating to the Baptists of Texas and their role in race relations in the state has been made, it is felt that such a study will contribute to an understanding of the situation. The scope of this study, in point of time, extends from about 1850 to the early 1960's, in order to consider the reactions of Texas Baptists to the Brown decision of the United States Supreme Court. From the standpoint of subject, the study has been limited to leaders of the Baptist denomination. Their statements on the race issue as well as actions which may or may not have supported their statements have been studied,

CONFLICT, CHANGE, AND CONVERSION: FOUR DECADES OF CONVERSION AMONG BAPTISTS IN CROATIA 1970-2010 Eric Kane Maroney, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Chair: Dr. M. David Sills Evangelicals represent a tiny minority in Croatia. During the period of conflict and change that accompanied the emergence of the Republic of Croatia during the 1990s, evangelical groups experienced significant growth. This movement has not been formally studied. Understanding this movement has significant benefit to those seeking to further the Kingdom of God in Croatia, but also beyond, as the issues of ethnic identity, nationalism, and civil strife are not unique to Croatia. The focus of research is the from 1970 to 2010, the two decades prior to the emergence of the Republic of Croatia and the two decades that followed, and is limited to Croatian Baptists. Chapter 1 introduces the subject of the study and makes a case for the research. The Chapter 2 seeks to answer the question of the Croatian religious identity from an historical perspective. The chapter begins with an overview of demographics from the four decades with which this research project is concerned, including ethnicity, language, and religion. Next, the geography of Croatia is reviewed. Subsequently, the religious history of the Croatian people is detailed, providing insight into their conversion resistance. Finally, a brief overview of the Croatian Baptist history is provided. Chapter 3 seeks to provide an understanding of conversion as related to conversion experience. The first part of the chapter details differing perspectives on conversion. The second part of the chapter examines two typologies of conversion experience, before examining two central aspects of conversion experience: context and means. The chapter concludes with an examination of the three primary conversion contexts included in the research: Traditionalist, Materialist, and Baptist. Chapter 4 presents the research data beginning with a description of the survey instrument, followed by a description of the methodology of application. Following this introduction to the instrument and method, the results of the research are presented. First, the results of the entire survey for the whole of Croatia are provided. Second, the results are examined for the impact of conflict and change on conversion. Chapter 5 concludes the dissertation with seven conversion resistance factors and five recommended evangelical responses to this resistance.

ABSTRACT A DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST MISSIONS AMONG HISPANICS IN KENTUCKY Jonathan Paul Young, D.Miss. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2013 Chair: Dr. M. David Sills Chapter 1 examines the Hispanic community in the United States then in Kentucky. It provides an overview of the history of Southern Baptist missions among Hispanics in Kentucky as seen through the framework of the six regional Hispanic ministries. An overview of the importance of the Hispanic Statewide Council and the Hispanic Baptist Bible Institute are sketched. Finally, the chapter concludes with the background of the study, and the research methodology. Chapter 2 provides an in-depth sketch of the histories of the Central Hispanic Region and South Central Hispanic Region. I begin with a historical picture of the Central Hispanic Region. The beginnings, growth, and present standing are then examined. This chapter includes a brief look at other ministries geared towards Hispanics who are found within this geographical region. The Hispanic racetrack ministry of Churchill Downs in Louisville and of Turfway Park in Florence along with Northern Kentucky Baptist Association's Hispanic Ministry history serve as examples. Following this is an examination of South Central Hispanic Region. The beginnings, growth and present status will are provided chronologically. The chapter concludes with a few insights garnered from these two regions. Chapter 3 presents historical sketches of both the Bluegrass Hispanic Region and the Southwestern Hispanic Region. First, the beginnings, growth and present status of Hispanic Southern Baptists are examined. Second, Elkhorn Baptist Association's Hispanic ministry history is surveyed. Third, the Southwestern Hispanic Region is presented in the same manner. The chapter concludes with several insights learned from these two Kentucky Hispanic Baptist Regions. Chapter 4 chronicles the histories of the Southern Kentucky Hispanic Region and the Western Hispanic Region. Both of these regions are presented much like the other previous regional Hispanic regions in this dissertation while including the idiosyncrasies of the regions at hand. Chapter 5 begins by summarizing the findings of this diachronic analysis of Southern Baptist missions among Hispanics in Kentucky. Drawing upon previous chapters, I suggest several potential applications for Kentucky Baptists, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic alike. The dissertation concludes with recommendations for further research.

Scanned copy of Taulman's dissertation as part of our digitization on demand service.

Project report (D. Min.)--George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, 2002. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-140).