A couple of Sundays ago I referred to Baptists as, “people of the book,” connecting to the sola scriptura aspect of Protestantism that Baptists have traditionally embraced. If asked what the authoritative source of one’s theology, most Baptists would say, “the Bible” (hopefully). Today I received a well articulated e-mail questioning such a claim in my current context; a question that is not without merit. It is usually easy to tell when someone who was raised Southern Baptist or something equally conservative and charismatic enters the sanctuary because they are carrying their own Bible. Most of my folks do not bring a Bible with them to church.
It is common to assume that Main-Line Protestants do not hold scripture with the same sincerity as those described as Evangelical – an assumption that comes out of the emergence of Modernism, and Liberalism, and the emergence of secularism. The assumption holds a good deal of truth which describe, in some part, me. I am not gifted in memorizing “arrow scriptures” i.e. those short, pithy passages used to shoot down ideas you don’t like. I read the Bible, but I haven’t memorized it. I imagine that this is a description of many others in my congregation and around the Northeast.
So how can I claim Baptists as “People of the Book?” First, it is an historical claim. When I make such a claim, I am subtly challenging those who have adopted an aversion to scripture, or who have simply gotten out of the habit of reading, studying, and embracing scripture to reclaim a major part of their heritage. We need not fear the Bible.
Second, I am personally challenging the myopic hermeneutical approach to scripture that has forced out any ability to read the Bible with depth and freedom for the Holy Spirit. Those who tend to embrace Scripture with a loud voice tend to claim that the only way to read the Bible is to read it as inerrant, infallible, and literal. I would claim that the Bible is without error in pointing to the truth of God, but one need not read the text literally to come to such a conclusion. In fact, one can make room for some of the contradictions found in scripture and still see the overall work as infallible in pointing to the truth of God. Note this difference, the text itself is not without error, the truth it points to is without error. So when I claim that Baptists are “People of the Book,” I am doing a similar thing as when I claim that Baptists are an Evangelical people. I am a Baptist, and I embrace these labels, as do other like-minded Baptists that I know. I will not allow the understandings/interpretations to by co-opted by one faction of people who call themselves Baptists.
Third, I am reminding the people that the story of scripture is our story (good ole’ narrative theology). The story of Exodus, the story of the Disciples, the story of Christ is our story. We find ourselves within those stories; we are a people of the book (granted, all Christians can make this claim and I would not begrudge them such).
Can we do better in embracing the Bible? Yes we certainly can. Over a generation of people seem to have left learning about and reading the Bible to Sunday school. As soon one is finished with Sunday school, the Bible collets dust. This is not good. My friend in the e-mail suggested that everyone be given the change to delve into the scriptures in worship, and I think it is a good idea. It is a good idea to give people to opportunity and the challenge to take scriptures seriously, to grow in the Word, and learn more about the story we embrace as Christians.
Here are some theological books to read dealing with this topic: The Bible Tells Them So by Kathleen Boone, Systematic Theology 1 – Ethics, by James McClendon, any work on Baptist history (see previous posts), Fundamentalism and American Culture by Marsden. That should be enough to keep you off the streets.
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