Are modern Bapstists a reformed church?

[Mhiriam]

I don't quite understand the history here - Anabaptists were before the reformation, but the modern Baptist church behaves very much like a reformed church.
Anyone know about this?

 

[mark kennedy]

Baptists tend to be very independent, they do go back to the Anabaptist movement. They are kind of an offshoot from the Reformation even though they tend to embrace the tenants of the Reformation. They are mostly fundamentalist, focusing on the fundamentals of the faith, great soul winners. Some are Calvinist but most would be of the Arminian persuasion, which is a distinction the average Baptist would find meaningless.

 

[Tree of Life]

I don't quite understand the history here - Anabaptists were before the reformation, but the modern Baptist church behaves very much like a reformed church.
Anyone know about this?

Anabaptists came a little later during the Reformation. The first movement was Lutheran, then came the Zwinglians, then Calvinists and Anglicans, and the Anabaptists were peppered in along the way. Baptist separatists came from English Puritans who were partly Presbyterian and partly Anglican. But they made their own way. They are a late Reformation movement.

 

[Rescued One]

Baptists tend to be very independent, they do go back to the Anabaptist movement. They are kind of an offshoot from the Reformation even though they tend to embrace the tenants of the Reformation. They are mostly fundamentalist, focusing on the fundamentals of the faith, great soul winners. Some are Calvinist but most would be of the Arminian persuasion, which is a distinction the average Baptist would find meaningless.

There are many Baptist denominations! I doubt that the Southern Baptists have become Arminians. Why do you consider an average Baptist to be a minority?

 

[mark kennedy]

There are many Baptist denominations! I doubt that the Southern Baptists have become Arminians. Why do you consider an average Baptist to be a minority?

I was just under the impression that most Baptists were more inclined to Arminian theology, while Calvinism was an influence but not a majority. I wasn't trying to brand anyone. My experience is that most Baptists are not all that concerned with systematic theology the vast majority of the time.

 

[Rescued One]

I don't quite understand the history here - Anabaptists were before the reformation, but the modern Baptist church behaves very much like a reformed church.
Anyone know about this?

Which denomination are you calling the modern Baptist church? In America, we have hundreds of variations.

 

[Mhiriam]

Let's not start an argument, eh? I was just wondering about the history.

 

[Mhiriam]

In Melbourne it's just Baptist, so I'm not sure, sorry!

 

[Rescued One]

I was just under the impression that most Baptists were more inclined to Arminian theology, while Calvinism was an influence but not a majority. I wasn't trying to brand anyone. My experience is that most Baptists are not all that concerned with systematic theology the vast majority of the time.

Oh. The ones I've met are usually not the Fundamentalist Reformed Baptists, but General Baptists who are Arminians and Southern Baptists who seem to be Calvinists.

 

[Rescued One]

I definitely don't think I would argue with Mark Kennedy, just exchange information.

 

[Rescued One]

In Melbourne it's just Baptist, so I'm not sure, sorry!

Oh, as you probably know, Americans have new churches being formed right and left.

 

[mark kennedy]

Oh. The ones I've met are usually not the Fundamentalist Reformed Baptists, but General Baptists who are Arminians and Southern Baptists who seem to be Calvinists.

Ok, I see your point, the Baptist cover a wide range of beliefs. It can differ widely based on the groups involved.

 

[mark kennedy]

I definitely don't think I would argue with Mark Kennedy, just exchange information.

That's great, I was just expressing a general impression, that was not intended to be a definitive conclusion.

 

[Rescued One]

That's great, I was just expressing a general impression, that was not intended to be a definitive conclusion.

That's okay. I love to learn especially about denominations.

 

[Rescued One]

I'm not so sure I'll ever figure it out!

Look at this link:
Category:Baptist denominations in North America - Wikipedia

 

[Concord1968]

Oh. The ones I've met are usually not the Fundamentalist Reformed Baptists, but General Baptists who are Arminians and Southern Baptists who seem to be Calvinists.

Actually Southern Baptists are mostly Arminian, with a very strong and growing Calvinist presense. This is due mostly to the seminaries going Calvinist, while the established power base in the Convention is Arminian.

 

[HTacianas]

I don't quite understand the history here - Anabaptists were before the reformation, but the modern Baptist church behaves very much like a reformed church.
Anyone know about this?

The Baptists are several generations descended from the reformation.

 

[SkyWriting]

Baptists tend to be very independent, they do go back to the Anabaptist movement. They are kind of an offshoot from the Reformation even though they tend to embrace the tenants of the Reformation. They are mostly fundamentalist, focusing on the fundamentals of the faith, great soul winners. Some are Calvinist but most would be of the Arminian persuasion, which is a distinction the average Baptist would find meaningless.

Northern are different from Southern.

 

[Radagast]

I don't quite understand the history here - Anabaptists were before the reformation, but the modern Baptist church behaves very much like a reformed church.

Modern Baptist churches are influenced both by the Anabaptist movement and by the Reformation.

They are also divided among liberal/mainline groups, on the one hand, and conservative/fundamentalist groups on the other.

I was just under the impression that most Baptists were more inclined to Arminian theology, while Calvinism was an influence but not a majority.

In the USA, the Southern Baptist Convention has been moving in a Calvinist direction for some time (under the influence of several high-profile Baptist theologians). It's probably majority Calvinist now.

And you would be surprised how intense the debate on systematic theology among US Baptists gets.

In Melbourne it's just Baptist, so I'm not sure, sorry!

In Melbourne, Australia, you have the main "Australian Baptist Ministries" group, but also a few small Reformed Baptist groups, who are Calvinist.

Within the main "Australian Baptist Ministries" group, I would also describe Mentone Baptist Church as Reformed.

 

[Radagast]

Actually Southern Baptists are mostly Arminian, with a very strong and growing Calvinist presense. This is do mostly to the seminaries going Calvinist, while the established power base in the Convention is Arminian.

Well, as the seminaries go, so go the pastors, and so (eventually) goes the flock. The Southern Baptists are probably mostly Calvinist now.

And I would think that the "established power base in the Convention" would be Calvinist. The Convention has certainly strongly supported Calvinists in the seminaries since the early 1990s.