Articles Index

Baptist Christianity: Origins & Development of Baptist, Southern Baptist Beliefs
Baptist Christianity is a paradoxical and conflicted force in American religion, politics, and society. On the one hand, Baptists have historically been staunch supporters of church/state separation and freedom of conscience - and many Baptist churches remain so. Southern Baptists, however, have become the largest, most powerful force opposed to church/state separation, personal liberty, and autonomy in America. They were also a powerful defender of slavery and segregation. How did this happen?

Southern Baptists and the Role of Women
One issue that has been great fodder for critics of the Southern Baptist Convention has been their attitudes toward and treatment of women. In the 1998 convention they revised the Baptist Faith and Message to state that wives must submit to their husbands. In 2000, they passed rules to prevent women from serving as pastor. This has put them out of step with most Protestant denominations.

Southern Baptists
The Southern Baptists Convention may be very vocal and public, but they do not represent the only face of Baptism in America - indeed, the history of Baptism is much more liberal and tolerant than you might imagine. Key to understanding that is understanding how the Southern Baptist Convention first developed.