Description: In the second half of the nineteenth century Scottish Baptists like other Evangelical Protestant denominations were focusing more on things they had in common, such as a commitment to home evangelization and church-planting; providing a common fund to assist small and struggling congregations; the provision of theological education for the training of prospective pastors, together with the need to disseminate information between the churches concerning their progress in the work of the gospel. From the start of this Baptist Union in 1869 the numbers of churches and members grew steadily until 1935. It was a remarkable story of dedicated Christian service. Scottish Baptists came through two world wars, the social revolution of the 1960s, and the materialistic emphases of the 1980s with a significant degree of success in adapting their evangelistic activities to relate to their social context. There is little doubt that from the late 1980s the growing secularization in this country ensured that mission strategies adopted by these Scottish Christians were less successful than in previous decades. However, a revitalization of its work in the early years of the twenty-first century has given renewed grounds for hope for its work and witness in the coming years.
Brief description: David Bebbington has served since 1976 at the University of Stirling, where he is Professor of History. His books include Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s (1989), The Mind of Gladstone: Religion, Homer and Politics (2004) and The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody (2005).
Review Quotes: "Those who are in danger of losing their memory struggle to make sense of the present or find direction for the future. Brian Talbot's many-sided and admirably researched history of the 150 years of the Baptist Union of Scotland will be an invaluable resource, enabling Baptists in Scotland to reinforce or recover their collective memory, and hence to discern with more profound wisdom the leading of God for mission in the years that lie ahead."
--Brian Stanley, University of Edinburgh
"Brian Talbot's book is impressive. He tells the story of the Baptist Union against the background of national events and the changing face of Christian Scotland. As always he has mastered the sources, and by carefully selecting details he brings to life the history of our Baptist people."
--Derek Murray, author of The First Hundred Years: The Baptist Union of Scotland
"The best movements tell their story often and tell their story well. The Baptist churches in Scotland are privileged to have Brian Talbot as a leading storyteller, highlighting the work of God's Spirit in our movement through many generations and causing us to reflect on what faithful discipleship and Christ-centered church means for us today."
--Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
"For many, Scottish history is Presbyterian history. But, as Brian Talbot ably shows, in the past century and a half there has been a rich tradition of Baptist life in Scotland, marked by a deep piety, love for the Scriptures, catholicity, and missionary zeal. But Dr. Talbot does not shy away from the challenges of Scottish Baptist life and he has thus given us a denominational history that has rich lessons, both positive and negative, for Baptists, indeed Christians worldwide."
--Michael A. G. Haykin, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary