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I've been at this Mennonite Seminary for about two and a half years now. I've learned a lot about Mennonites, Anabaptism and their ways of thinking and doing things. And I appreciate all of that. However, I'm beginning to realize that for all the effort I've put into the self-study of my own Baptist tradition it isn't the same as being among Baptists learning about Baptists. I don't really know if I'm figuring out what being Baptist is about since I don't have anyone to compare notes with. The blogosphere is only so useful, but it can't replace the face to face interactions of a people of common confession (if only in name). I'm growing tired of having Mennonites as my primary conversation partners. There are just too many issues where we don't have a common language or experience or even interest in an issue that I can't really think through certain things with them. Or at least, I've thought through as far as I can with them, but am not much closer to understanding the significance of the topic as a Baptist for a Baptist context.
I have a simple dream. I'd like to know what my Baptist peers are learning in their seminaries and institutions of higher education. What are they coming to believe are the strengths and weaknesses of the Baptist experience? What are the solutions they are entertaining? What do they find to be the pressing problems of the Church/society/academia/whatever? What trends do they notice among young Baptist peers as far as theological, historical and biblical research goes? Where do they think Baptists are headed in the future?
I think it would be really nice to have a conference of young Baptists from many seminaries all over the world from the many different Baptist traditions. Not to come together to rehash why we're divided but to simply present to each other where we are at and what we are noticing. I'd really like to attend an event where I can get a sense of what Baptist means to my generation in all its colorful, wonderful, annoying, heretical and God-glorifying forms.
4 hours ago
2 comments:
A conference of young Baptists? That would be interesting. But I have a feeling that, given the divisions you spoke of, each group that participates would have very different ideas of where Baptists are and where they are going.
Your conservative Southern Baptists will tell you that the Baptist world is only going to get more conservative, loking for answers they can hold fast to. And in there corner of the world, that well may be. Your moderate Baptists will say that people are looking for a rational Biblicism that they can and do offer, and so the future looks bright. Liberal Baptists will tell you that people are looking for a community that helps people out and they can do that well (never mind that many of the ABC pastors don't actually believe in the existence of God). From our perspective, each of us have a good shot at monopolizing the future.
In truth, the strength of the Baptist tradition is that it is capable of engaging each of these things we have tried to schism apart. The weakness of the Baptist tradition is our propensity for schism. A conference such as you propose would be very interesting. I'd attend.
But I wonder if, at this point, it wouldn't be more of an ecumenical effort in not talking past one another than am inter-tradition dialogue. Having attended both conservative and moderate Baptist schools (and attended churches of both sorts as well), I can tell you that both view what it means to be Baptist very differently. At times, I really wonder if we actually are talking about the same tradition. Of course, the longer we wait the more entrenched the divides become. So many it would be a good time for this after all.
Actually, I'd want to avoid debate, which unfortunately means most kinds of dialogue. What I'm really interested in is finding out what young people who identify as Baptist are seeing in the world and Church around them. I don't think that requires debate. If anything the various sides could help each other clarify what they think they are seeing. It would be nice to get a snapshot of the present and potential future of the Baptist tradition.
I don't expect people to agree on what a Baptist or even a Christian is, but I think everyone would find it helpful to find out just what the world sees them as being a part of since we're all claiming the same titles Baptist and Christian and representing those terms to the world. I'm not asking for or expecting unity. I'm not even expecting tolerance. I would like to expect respectfulness and civility towards each other and an enlarged understanding of our diversity.
You may be right about conservative vs. moderate vs. liberal opinions, but I suspect those that attended might be very surprised what kinds of strange mixes of traditionally conservative, moderate and liberal opinions might manifest from some often overlooked corners of the Baptist world. Can you imagine hearing from British Baptist students from Regents Park College followed by students from seminaries and schools associated with the various National Baptist conventions? What would the Eastern European Baptists bring to our attention from IBTS? What are the views and issues that young Baptists from Asia, Africa and Latin America would point to?
I think we already know we are divided and many of us have also been fed some story (true or otherwise) about why those divisions are there. This kind of conference wouldn't be for proselytizing the correctness of our particular tradition. Everyone coming ought to realize ahead of time the futility of such a prospect. There is enough polar difference in our tradition that I'm not under any illusion that we could agree on a common identity and singlehandedly overthrow the Baptist World Alliance. However, I can't see how anyone could argue that they wouldn't benefit from an opportunity to get a picture of what Baptists are doing and seeing around the world and have the opportunity to connect and hash out similarities and differences even more if we thought it would be beneficial. We might surprise ourselves with how unified we are on somethings with some groups. Those surprises sound like good opportunities for further cooperation, dialogue and ultimately Kingdom building.
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