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It Takes a Church to Baptize: What the Bible Says about Infant Baptism by [Scot McKnight, Todd Hunter]

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Scot McKnight

It Takes a Church to Baptize: What the Bible Says about Infant Baptism Kindle Edition

by Scot McKnight (Author), Todd Hunter (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition

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The issue of baptism has troubled Protestants for centuries. Should infants be baptized before their faith is conscious, or does God command the baptism of babies whose parents have been baptized?

Popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight makes a biblical case for infant baptism, exploring its history, meaning, and practice and showing that infant baptism is the most historic Christian way of forming children into the faith. He explains that the church's practice of infant baptism developed straight from the Bible and argues that it must begin with the family and then extend to the church. Baptism is not just an individual profession of faith: it takes a family and a church community to nurture a child into faith over time. McKnight explains infant baptism for readers coming from a tradition that baptizes adults only, and he counters criticisms that fail to consider the role of families in the formation of faith. The book includes a foreword by Todd Hunter and an afterword by Gerald McDermott.

Print length

146 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Brazos Press
Publication date

Aug. 21 2018
File size

5565 KB
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From the Back Cover

"McKnight has given the church an enduring gift"

"As someone who grew up Baptist and has wrestled deeply with questions about infant baptism, I wish I could have read this book years ago. McKnight has given the church an enduring gift--a book that is theologically rich, serious, and steeped in tradition yet accessible and readable. As a mother of young children and as a priest, I will put this book in the hands of many a friend and parishioner. If you are a parent deciding whether to baptize infant children, this book is essential reading."
--Tish Harrison Warren, priest in the ACNA, co-associate rector (Church of the Ascension Pittsburgh), and author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

"Able, strong, wise, and biblically and theologically rich. There are a great number of confusions and misunderstandings about infant baptism that Scot thoughtfully clarifies. So even if you don't end up being convinced, you will know why people like Scot (and me) think it is a practice essential for proper Christian discipleship."
--Mark Galli, editor in chief, Christianity Today

"A cogent apology for the sacrament of infant baptism. McKnight, a New Testament scholar, writes in a comfortable and non-academic style that his readers will surely appreciate."
--Kathryn Greene-McCreight, Episcopal priest and author of Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness

"McKnight provides a controversial though ultimately compelling case for infant baptism. It is not just the who and how of baptism that he tackles; the genius of this book is that McKnight elegantly explains what baptism is even about, what it means, what it does for the recipient, and why it really does take a church to baptize a child. This book could change your whole view of conversion, faith, family, children's ministry, and the church!"
--Michael F. Bird, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia

"The most compelling case for infant baptism available today. Not content to sprinkle with prooftexts, McKnight immerses his reader in the biblical, historical, and sacramental theology of this ancient Christian practice, and seals it with a testimony of how his mind was changed."
--Joel Scandrett, Robert E. Webber Center, Trinity School for Ministry --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

<![CDATA[Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham), a world-renowned scholar, writer, and speaker, is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. His blog, Jesus Creed, is one of the most popular and influential evangelical blogs. McKnight is the author or editor of more than sixty books, including Adam and the Genome, Kingdom Conspiracy, The Jesus Creed, The Blue Parakeet, The King Jesus Gospel, and The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life. He is also a canon theologian for the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others.]]> --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07932XSQG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brazos Press (Aug. 21 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5565 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 146 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #499,368 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #59 in Book of Common Prayer
- #66 in Anglican Chuch (Kindle Store)
- #179 in Ritual Practices eBooks

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35 ratings

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Scot McKnight

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Born in Southern Illinois, came of age in Freeport, Illinois, attended college in Grand Rapids, MI, seminary at Trinity in Deerfield, IL. Did a PhD at the University of Nottingham in England.

Now a professor at Northern Seminary.

Scot is awaiting the publication of a book this fall called A Church called Tov (Tyndale).

Two children, two grandchildren.

Kris, my wife, is a psychologist and the greatest woman on earth.

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Noah

Terribly dissapointing!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2019

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I love most of Scot's work, but I am afraid that this volume reveals his feet of clay. It is well known that in recent years Scot has become an Anglican and of course he has had to face the traditional practice of infant baptism. This reads like the work of a man who is trying to justify what he sees rather than one who is trying to find the truth - this is out of character for the author.
However, very near the beginning he quotes Bonhoeffer who really confirms the inadequacy of infant baptism because unless in the authors words the whole community of the church supports the child in their growing it has no value. For the vast majority of infant baptisms, where the family so not even bring the child to church at any other time, this by the author's own argument makes it ineffective.
In a sense this will probably just confirm your existing view (whichever way you lean), but it may dissuade a few people who have been thinking about a more meaningful baptism of their own choice (as an increasing number of Anglicans seem to be doing) - in that sense it could be a very dangerous book. Sorry Scot - I can't recommend this one!

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Necessary Reading for a "rookie" Anglican

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2018

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As someone who was exploring Anglicanism, I was all but sold on the denomination. They recite the creeds, they held the sacrament of Eucharist in the perfect balance theologically, they allow for both a catholic and evangelism outlook. However, paedobaptism was the only think stopping be from fully jumping in.
Thanks to Twitter and the wonderful site Anglican Pastor I was discovered Scot's book. From the very beginning something that caught my attention was that Scot came from a very strong credobaptist position to the position he now take of paedobaptism not only being the tradition view, but also the biblical view. Scot even uses the liturgy for the baptism service to teach about the theology of the event, makes the statement Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi (the law of prayer is the law of believing) truly a motto.
I felt Scot did a wonderful job answering the questions asked of those subscribing to infant baptism. Scot argues his case mainly by saying while paedobaptists do believe that something happens during infant baptism, the church and family of the child are meant to be drawn into raising this child with Christ. From this point, Scot points to covenant theology to explain infant baptism as biblical. He makes a great point that religion for most of human history has not been an individual mindset, but a family/nation mindset. While we believe that faith is personal, we are as Christians are also commanded to "train up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6).
Scot does a good job of explaining a sacrament as something that is material ("ordinary" is the word Scot uses) that God uses to show us and bestow his spiritual grace. If we view baptism not as something we do, but something God does it changes not only how we view infant baptism but also how we who have been baptized as Adults view our baptism.

5 people found this helpful

Raul Granillo

Simply enlightening!

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019

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I am a Nazarene elder who struggled with infant baptism. Although I was baptized Catholic as an infant, I was taught that baptism was for believers and so, I was rebaptized as an adult. This book did a wonderful job of tying together the scriptures and traditions of the church to confirm that my infant baptism was the moment I was sealed by the Holy Spirit. This book is a MUST READ for any Nazarene pastor as so many do not understand our doctrine of Baptism and, mistakenly, teach a believers baptism only. Thank you Scot MvKnight for another enlightenong work!

3 people found this helpful

denny

Tough issue

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2018

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The author take on a tough issue. The question of baptism and its modes have alway played and important roll in the Church. It is a neat read.

2 people found this helpful

Deon Strydom

Clearly stated

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2018

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The main thesis is summarised by the author as this: "baptism is not what we do but something that God does to us." And that says it all!
Clearly stated and referenced from scripture
Well worth the read!

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It Takes a Church to Baptize: What the Bible Says about Infant Baptism Kindle Edition

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Scot McKnight

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