Reddit reviews The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology

If you are looking for an alternative view of covenant theology found among many reformed baptists, check out [The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Distinctiveness-Baptist-Covenant-Theology/dp/1599253259)

Most noted covenant theologians will end up being Presbyterian or Lutheran, but I find the 1689 LBCF covenant theology view to be the most Biblical. Also, growing up dispensational, I bet you are a baptists. Great alternative to dispensational baptist view of scripture.

EDIT: great website to get you started is [1689 Federalism] (http://www.1689federalism.com/). Feel free to ask me any questions! This is a topic I really enjoy and have been studying regularly for a couple of years now

> So: what is your take on the subject?

Long story short, I too was drawn to Reformed theology and had to ask myself many questions about paedobaptism. In my case my study was both personal and academic (I wrote a 30 page paper on the development of covenantal paedobaptism for my secular schooling). At the end of my study I remained staunchly and firmly credobaptist, now I'm a confessional Reformed Baptist in a Baptist seminary.

> like the dispensationalism vs covenant theology vs new covenant theology debate, I really don't know what to think. It is alkso the position I came to after studying to topic.

Have you heard of 1689 Federalism? 1689 Federalism is the way the early Particular Baptist approached the topic.

> Essentially, as far as I understand it, it is said that baptism is really the sacrament of circumcision for the new covenant.

And that's one of the key places where covenantal paedobaptists go wrong. While circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant and Baptism is the sign of the New Covenant, the fulfillment of physical circumcision is circumcision of the heart, aka regeneration. Here's a good take on circumcision and baptism.

In general I would really recommend this blog, the author is an excellent Reformed Baptist writer and historian. He has a lot on baptism, circumcision, and 1689 Federalism. The blog also interacts with R Scott Clark a lot, I saw someone recommended him earlier.

If you would like are also penalty of historic works from Baptists in which they articulated and defend their views. For example, John Gill's writings and those of James Haldane (Presbyterian churchman turned Baptist) are quite good.

There are also a lot of modern books that I would recommend, two being Baptism of Disciples Alone by Fred Malone and The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology by Pascal Denault. Again these are just a few of many.

I know this was a lot of link dumping (and this was just the tip of the iceberg), but it always sad to see when Baptists come to Reformed theology they skip right over the rich and mighty historic Particular/Reformed Baptist tradition and head right into Paedobaptist works, thinking that's all there is by way of Reformed scholarship.

God bless.

Pascal Denault has a good smaller work, but I know there are people at the Institute for Reformed Baptist Studies who are currently working on more comprehensive systematic treatments :)

There are not too many big name theologians who hold that view (actually, there aren't too many big name Reformed Baptists).

The best book that I have personally read on the topic is this book by Pascal Denault

This book I have not read, but I have heard really good things about. It's a compilation of different authors like Richard Barcellos, Jim Renihan, James White, Tom Hicks, etc.

I'm sure you'll get sarcastic remarks about "just read the Bible" (which, as a Reformed Baptist [charismatic] I'd agree with) but I think you're looking for solid theological interactions on the issue. In some ways, I think these are good starter books for not only the issue at hand (baptism) but also how it fits within the larger theological vision of the Christian life and community. Baptism is one of those issues that, for being seemingly simple, reveals a great deal about how one understands the nature of faith, the entire Christian life, and the nature of the Gospel itself. Just taking a guess, but I assume you're approaching it from the sobriety that the issue deserves given your reading thus far, so I commend you for looking for further resources on the topic and continuing to read!

Here are a few that are good starters, and for more reading, I'd look to their bibliographies and footnotes.

Believer's Baptism - This is a good resource. There are a few points here or there where I'd disagree with various articles. I'd want to emphasize different aspects here or there, but especially at points where the covenants (Covenant Theology v. New Covenant Theology) becomes the issue. So, good starter, and the basic presentation of a thoughtful credo-baptist view.

The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology - Taking up that point of covenant theology, this is a very thorough book on how the covenants play within a Reformed Baptist view of baptism. Very good.

Covenant Theology: A Reformed and Baptistic Perspective on God's Covenants

Covenant Theology: A Reformed Baptist Primer

The Confessing Baptist - This is a website and podcast. A good resource for articles and podcasts on various issues related to Reformed Baptists.

If you're looking for one book, I'd go with Believer's Baptism, and supplement with materials available at The Confessing Baptist website. That'll get your versed in the logic of the credo-baptist position, and hopefully provide some good things to mull over.

Hope that helps!

I recommend The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology by Pascal Denault. It was very helpful for me because I knew I was covenantal, but wasn’t convinced of paedobaptism. He offers the 1689 view of covenant theology which is more nuanced and yet doesn’t fall into New Covenant Theology.

Out of curiosity, why do you want modern?

I've been reading Covenant Theology: From Adam to Christ recently. It might be the best book on CT from a baptistic perspective out there, though its 300+ years old. Alternatively The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology is excellently done, scholarly and modern. It can be a bit tedious, since it was originally written in French as a master's thesis.

From a presbyterian perspective, I read The Christ of the Covenants and found it excellent and winsome. A number of reformed colleges and seminaries use it as a textbook.

You should be able to get any of those from the Christian Book Nook, or I can lend them to you at church on Sunday if you'd rather save some cash.