Beyond 400: Exploring Baptist Futures

Baptists worldwide recently celebrated 400 years of history and witness. This volume is a collection of papers presented at the "Beyond 400" conference held in Perth, Western Australia, as part of these celebrations. Contributors have written from a broad range of perspectives reflecting biblically and theologically on the thinking and practice of Baptists in the past and present. These reflections form a basis for exploring how Baptists can function more effectively in our contemporary world situation and imagine themselves in the future. Chapters range from providing historical perspectives to biblical and theological reflections on issues that have been critical to Baptist belief and ministry. They examine the core values that, historically, have distinguished Baptists within the broader context of the church and explore how these values might both underpin and play out in Baptist churches today. Contributions reflect a firm belief among both the presenters and attendees at the "Beyond 400" conference that Baptists not only have a future but also offer a necessary voice to our world. This voice is firmly based on the issues that first precipitated the Baptist movement some 400 years ago, and the continuing relevance of these issues as they are reimagined for our contemporary situation.

David J. Cohen is the head of biblical studies and a lecturer in Hebrew Bible at the Baptist Theological College of Western Australia. He has written about the relevance of lament psalms for worship and pastoral care in Text and Task: Scripture and Mission (2005) and is currently examining the relationship between praying lament psalms and coping with stress.

Michael Parsons is Commissioning Editor for Paternoster, Associate Research Fellow of Spurgeon's College, London, and the author of several books on the Reformation.