Briggs, John H Y. “Baptists and the Ecumenical Movement.” Journal of European Baptist Studies 6, no. 1 (September 2005): 11–17.

Summary

The following review of Briggs’ work, “Baptists and the Ecumenical Movement,” will include a summary of the article’s contents along with a survey of its major strengths and weaknesses. The author’s intent is to prove that, although often unrecognized, the Baptist contributions in the area the ecumenical movement have “been sacrificial and substantial” (16). Specifically, the article accomplishes the author’s task by providing a summary of the ecumenical involvement within the context of European Baptists.

The author provides three broad arguments to support his initiative. First, Briggs provides a brief enumerated summary of the formative years of Baptist ecumenical involvement by referencing the seventeenth-century Particular and General Baptist confessions, the influence of John Owen’s book, True Nature of a Gospel Church, and the contributions of Paul Bunyan and Thomas Grantham (11-12). Second, the author references certain historical developments that contributed to wider ecumenical cooperation, which include the persecution of Christians, especially in Eastern Europe, as well as the results of the Evangelical Revival (13). A few of the outcomes of the revival period included the development of itinerant preaching, overseas missionary involvement, Bible and Tract Societies, cooperative philanthropy, and even the YMCA (14). Third, Briggs moves into the twentieth-century by focusing on the origin and development of certain ecumenical organizations. Beginning with the catalyst of the World Missionary Conference (WMC) in 1910, Briggs highlights the WMC’s later outcomes, which include the Life and Work Movement, Faith and Order, and the International Missionary Council. Eventually, these three initiatives combined with the World Council of Christian Education and amalgamated into the World Council of Churches (WCC) (14-15).

The author then furthers his argument by identifying numerous Baptists who played significant roles in shaping the ecumenical movement through various ecumenical organizations, such as the WCC, during the twentieth-century (15-16). Finally, the author highlights the importance of ecumenical initiatives by reminding the reader that “unity is both gift and goal,” and Christians need to celebrate the current level of unity, but continue “striving for richer and deeper relationships” (17).

Critical Evaluation

The strengths of Briggs’ article are threefold. First, the author provides strong evidence to support the assertion that Baptists have contributed significantly to the ecumenical movement by using historical facts. Furthermore, by summarizing four centuries of relevant ecumenical Baptist history, Briggs leaves little doubt in the reader’s mind that Baptists deserve credit for their involvement in shaping the ecumenical movement. Second, the author provides evidence of specific individuals to further his claim. Specifically, the involvement of Earnest Payne, a Baptist President of the WCC, as well as Gwynneth Hubble and Victor Hayward, Baptists serving on the staff of Mission and Evangelism, provide unquestionable evidence of Baptist support in ecumenical organizations (15-16). Third, the author insightfully provides relevant spiritual support for Baptist ecumenical involvement by rhetorically asking how unbelievers can believe a gospel of reconciliation, if believers cannot reconcile to each other (17). Finally, Briggs highlights the irrationality of division by asserting that if Christians perceive the Holy Spirit “in other Christian bodies you are bound to relate to them,” (13).

Two weaknesses of Briggs’ article are evident. The most glaring weakness is the structure of the article. The article utilizes an enumerated list as the structure for the polemic, which is effective, but not optimal. An extended analysis of the context of the evidence, including background information and the relationship of the individual arguments to each other, would enhance the reader’s comprehension and further prove the author’s points. In fact, Briggs later provides such an article in 2013 entitled, “Baptists and Ecumenical Engagement.”[1] The other element that may enhance the article’s effectiveness would be the further exploration of the topics introduced. For example, Briggs omits the formation of the British Council of Churches formed in the Council of Chamber of Baptist Church House that influenced the development of the WCC.[2] Another example of potentially illuminative content may be a juxtaposition with anti-ecumenical Baptist thought in the early twentieth-century, such as when, according to Earnest Payne, the Southern Baptist Convention completely reverses “sentiment regarding co-operation with other denominations.”[3]

Conclusion

The author provides sufficient evidence to prove that Baptist contributions in the area the ecumenical movement have been substantial. The article’s value in its larger academic context not only supports further study regarding the Baptists’ role in the development the ecumenical movement, but also provides a counter-argument to those attempting to prove that Baptists are predominately isolationists. Although the structure of the article detracts, and additional contextual support may enhance its readability, Briggs provides an important contribution to the history of Baptist ecumenical involvement.

Bibliography

Briggs, John. “Baptists and Ecumenical Engagement.” Baptistic Theologies 5, no. 1 (2013): 84–102.

Cross, Anthony R. “Service to the Ecumenical Movement: The Contribution of British Baptists.” The Baptist Quarterly 38, no. 3 (July 1999): 107–22.

Ernest Alexander Payne. “Baptists and the Ecumenical Movement.” The Baptist Quarterly 18, no. 6 (April 1960): 258–67.

[1] See John Briggs, “Baptists and Ecumenical Engagement,” Baptistic Theologies 5, no. 1 (2013).

[2] Anthony R. Cross, “Service to the Ecumenical Movement: The Contribution of British Baptists,” The Baptist Quarterly 38, no. 3 (July 1999): 111.

[3] Ernest Alexander Payne, “Baptists and the Ecumenical Movement,” The Baptist Quarterly 18, no. 6 (April 1960): 261.