What is Bapto-Catholicism?

As a graduate of Campbell University and a student at Campbell Divinity School, I have had the privilege of studying with a number of young theologians who are on the leading edge of a theological conversation among Baptist theologians known variously as ‘Bapto-Catholic’ theology or ‘Baptist Catholicity.” The folks associated with this movement with whom I have had the privilege to study are Adam English & Cameron Jorgenson (both of Campbell University) and Steven Harmon (formerly of Campbell and now at Beeson Divinity School). Steven Harmon’s book Towards Baptist Catholicity provides for me the clearest statement about what these “Bapto-Catholics” are up to when it explains that it represents

“an attempt to chart a course towards Baptist ‘catholicity’ – i.e., towards a reclaimed consciousness that Baptists belong to what the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan Creed confesses is the ‘one, holy, catholic…and apostolic church’ and that they must strive after the realization of these marks of the church along with all other denominations. The horizon of the ‘Great Tradition’, the catholic Christian tradition that belongs to Baptists and to all other Christians serves as a primary navigational reference point for this voyage.”

Unless I have missed something, apart from Steve Harmon, there aren’t a whole lot of people in the theological blogosphere who are dealing explicitly with this particular trajectory of Baptist life. This may be due to its seeming obscurity or to the relative unpopularity of such a retrieval of tradition among many Baptist pastors, theologians and laypeople – tradition, for Baptists, often being a dirty word (unless it means the tradition of one, particular local Baptist church). At any rate, I’m not aware of many other bloggers who are interested in this trajectory and I think it is an important one of which more Baptists and other Christians need to be aware.



As I am coming closer and closer to finishing up my time at Campbell Divinity, this Baptist conversation with and retrieval of a broadly ‘catholic’ Christian tradition has become increasingly important to me. So, in an effort to better understand this trajectory, I hope to explore some of my questions and concerns re: 'Bapto-Catholicism' on this blog over the next few weeks and months. I was born into a Baptist family, baptized in the United Methodist church, and rebaptized as a Southern Baptist (so does that make me an Anabaptist?). I’m still a member of First Baptist Church in Shelby, NC but I have served in ministry in Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran and now United Methodist Churches. I do not know yet how many posts this will occupy but, given my eclectic and ‘catholic’ Christian background I do know that this will be an important journey for me. In the next post, I’ll explore Baptism – that Christian practice that represents for many Baptists, Protestants and Catholics the beginning of the journey that is the Christian life.  I'll then move to discuss Eucharist and Ministry in subsequent posts.  I look forward to your comments!