One of the slogans we often use informally at the Center for Baptist Renewal is “you don’t have to leave.” What we mean by this catchphrase is exactly what Timothy George was getting at in his programmatic essay on Baptist catholicity, “Is Jesus a Baptist”:
Being a Baptist is a blessing but also sometimes a burden. From time to time I have considered the possibility of becoming something else. I once prepared a talk called “The Confessions of a Catholic-friendly, Pentecostal-admiring, Reformed Baptist with a Hankering after Lutheranism and a Strong Affinity for the Book of Common Prayer .” Each of these ecclesial traditions, among others, has enriched my life and calling to serve the Body of Christ. Each brings distinctive treasures to our common labors” pro Christo et ecclesia. Being a Baptist gives me all the freedom I need to appropriate as fully as I can the gifts they offer without abandoning the Baptist principles and ways that I cherish.
Appropriate, but do not abandon. That is the posture we have tried to exemplify at CBR. We can learn from all of the rich traditions of the church—both historically and globally—without jettisoning our Baptist commitments. Freedom is a fundamental Baptist disctinctive. We believe that each individual is free and responsible before God to accept the offer of salvation in Christ. We believe that citizens should be free to form and express their religious opinions without hindrance from the government. We believe that local churches are free to order their common life together under the Lordship of Christ and in obedience to the Scriptures. This freedom accounts for the remarkable diversity to be found in the Baptist tradition. We believe this diversity can be an asset and not just a liability.
This freedom also underwrites our efforts to pursue catholicity and a principled ecumenism. If you are interested in historic Christian liturgies, creedal affirmation, a more “traditioned” expression of the Christian faith, and a more robust sacramentalism, being a Baptist gives you all the freedom you need to pursue these things without leaving the Baptist tradition. Indeed, more than freedom, responsibility compels us to pursue these things. Our own Baptist tradition grants to us a heritage of rigorous reflections on Christian worship, creedal commitments in our confessions of faith, a deference to historic Christian orthodoxy, and a sober-minded treatment of the church’s two sacraments.
It is the last of these items that we wish to consider for our 2026 CBR Reading Challenge: contemporary Baptist readings on the sacraments. In our experience, a desire for a more robust sacramentalism is a major factor for many who consider leaving the Baptist tradition (on the term “sacrament,” see the note on our manifesto). Contemporary Baptists are often known for focusing more on what is not happening in the sacraments than what actually is happening. We rightly want to warn against Roman Catholic notions of baptismal regeneration and transubstantiation. But have we risked watering down the sacraments (excuse the pun) to the point that they are viewed as mere signs that accomplish nothing?
When we examine the writings of the earliest Baptists, we won’t find that kind of “bare memorialism.” Our Baptist forebears viewed baptism as the ordinary means of grace that publicly seals our regeneration and union with Christ. And they viewed the Lord’s Supper in noticeably “Calvinian” ways, as a real participation in the body and blood of Christ by means of the Holy Spirit. So, again, this is another “you don’t have to leave” moment: the Baptist tradition itself offers rich resources for a retrieval of sacramental theology.
So, we want to focus on six books in 2026 that will guide our reflections on this theme throughout the year. Without further ado, here is the 2026 CBR Reading Challenge on Baptist sacramentalism:
January-February: Michael Haykin, Amidst Us our Beloved Stands: Recovering Sacrament in the Baptist Tradition
March-April: Richard Barcellos, The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace: More than a Memory
May-June: Stanley Fowler, More than a Symbol: The British Baptist Recovery of Baptismal Sacramentalism
July-August: Thomas Schreiner and Shawn Wright, eds., Believer's Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ
September-October: Thomas Schreiner and Matthew Crawford, eds., The Lord's Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes
November-December: John Colwell, Promise and Presence: An Exploration in Sacramental Theology
We should make clear at the outset that we don’t necessarily agree with every conclusion in all of these books. Nor do the authors and contributors always agree with one another. But these are some of the most important recent works on this topic, and they should provide good fodder for readers as they come to their own conclusions.
As usual, we will feature podcast episodes on the readings throughout the year. Drop us a line on social media and let us know if you will be joining us!
