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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Baptist Churches
The Baptist tradition stands in great peril of losing the cherished
principles of the free exercise of religion, the freedom from
political interference with faith, and the right of
self-determination in all matters related to religion. It is God to
whom we are ultimately responsible. Soul freedom, all freedom, and
responsibility is Gods supreme gift to humanity. The dignity and
respect afforded to persons comes from God as revealed in
Scripture. Soul Freedom is composed of a series of essays that
examine considerably controversial issues. This book comes at a
time when the Baptist commitment to soul freedom feeds the deeper
hunger of the hearts of millions of persons seeking authenticity in
religion.
Nations as well as individuals are fashioned by their ideals. When
the ideal of Sparta was grace and symmetry of body, then she
produced the most splendid physique that has ever graced the earth.
When her ideal fell to that of mere brute force, then her
civilization was "red with the fierce fires' of animal passion."
When the ideal of Athens was philosophy, there was produced her
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. When the ideal of France was glory,
then "glory sat with the eagles on her victorious banners." But
when her ideal was agnosticism, then anarchy took the place of
government; patriots were exiled and murdered; scholars were
proscribed and banished; licentiousness held high carnival in her
first homes, and lovely womanhood was degraded and despised.
Think mid-twentieth-century Baptist evangelism, and the figure that
comes immediately to mind is likely Billy Graham. But far removed
from the glitz and glamor of televised crusades, what did typical
Baptist mission field evangelism and worship really look like? In
this latest volume in the Church at Worship series, Lester Ruth and
Eric L. Mathis draw from a rich selection of primary sources to
immerse readers in the worship life of Conservative Baptists in
northwest Argentina from 1948 to 1964. Combining historical,
theological, and practical perspectives, this book offers a vital
educational resource for Christian ministers engaged in or
preparing for cross-cultural ministry, introduces readers to a
worshiping community that may be unfamiliar to them, and represents
a significant contribution to liturgical history.
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