From conservative to moderate, there are many divergent beliefs and practices within the Baptist denomination. Dr. Glenn Jonas, chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy and Howard Professor of Religion at Campbell University, explores this unique diversity in the book “The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition.” Jonas was at Campbell’s Barnes & Noble book store recently to sign copies of the book.”Baptist River” is a collection of essays by Baptist historians describing the origins and diversity of Baptist traditions in North America. Jonas edited and contributed the introductory first chapter of the book which he uses as a text in his Baptist history classes.”What I wanted to do with this book is to point out the many traditions that exist among Baptists and how it is a positive rather than a negative characteristic of the denomination,” Jonas said. “Although there are many common threads such as local church autonomy and pastoral authority, Baptists can hold different views on issues such as the role of women in ministry. The Baptist tradition is one of the foremost proponents of individual freedom.”Dr. Glenn Jonas received a Bachelor of Arts from Mars Hill College and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He earned a Ph.D. from Baylor University. He is a member of the American Society of Church History, the American Academy of Religion, the National Association of Baptist Professors and the Baptist History and Heritage Society among other organizations. He is the author of “A Critical Evaluation of Albert Henry Newman, Church Historian” and has coauthored “A Journey of Faith: Introduction to Christianity.”Photo Copy: Dr. Glenn Jonas signs copies of his book, “The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition, at Campbell’s Barnes & Noble book store.
Jonas signs copies of book on Baptist denomination