The Four Fragile Freedoms
by W. B. Shurden
A Summary and Reflection
Arnie Palyola
Brief Introduction
Author Walter Shurden first identifies the four freedoms that make up the four chapters of Baptist Identity in the concluding chapter of a book published in 1985 titled The Life of Baptists in the Life of the World.1
While the original discussion included a fifth freedom, Human Freedom, Shurden refines his thought in his 1993 publication by incorporating human freedom into the chapters titled Soul Freedom and Church Freedom. In his introduction for Baptist Identity, he explains that his 1993 book seeks to combine the thought of H. Wheeler Robinson, Edwin Gaustad an American Baptist confessional statement called “convictional genes.”2 The Four Freedoms Shurden defines as crucial to the Baptist Identity are Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Church Freedom, and Religious Freedom, which will be summarized in the following pages.
Summary Chapter 1: Bible Freedom
Shurden begins chapter one by stating that there is not a “Baptists Bible,” but that in fact, like other Christian Protestant denominations, Baptists affirm the authority of the Bible in the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Bible Freedom is based on the historic affirmation by Baptist churches to scriptural obedience and central in the life of an individual and for the church. Shurden states that Baptists distinctives are gifts from the Protestant Reformers and founders of Baptist thought in the seventeenth century and the larger church dating back to the fourth century.3 He argues for the dependence of Baptists to the ecumenical history of the early church and traditions established has scripturally sound.
1. Shurden, 2013, pg. 4
2. Ibid., pg. 1
3. Ibid., pg. 9
Bible Freedom therefore is a freedom under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Shurden writes, stating that the Bible is the Word of God, “spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2, ESV).
17th century Baptists firmly founded their churches on the Sola Scriptura principle of the Bible as the authority of their faith and in which Jesus Christ is central. This centrality of God revealed in Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures was foundational to the Baptist confessional statements of Great Britain and Ireland and is then mirrored in American Baptist statements in twentieth century.1 This confession is manifest in the declarative statement: “Jesus is Lord.” Bible freedom under Christ, for obedience to the word of God and free from compliance to creeds and hierarchal authority are enduring statements of Baptist confessions.
Summary Chapter 2: Soul Freedom
The imperative of Bible freedom stems from the rejection of papal authority and the sixteenth century restrictions to translating the Bible into native tongues from the Greek and Hebrew scriptures. Soul Freedom then is this freedom of the individual to read and interpret the Bible for himself. Furthermore, it is the individual’s choice to accept scripture as authority and the Word of God. Soul Freedom affirms the “sacredness of individual choice,” states Shurden.2 Furthermore, Baptist history reaffirms individualism, the freedom of each soul who created in the image of God, comes to his faith and personal belief in God. Shurden recalls E. Y. Mullins’ emphasis on soul competence,3 that is, the individual’s competence to make moral, spiritual and religious decisions.4 In particular, this freedom of choice as an individual would inform the founding fathers in the Constitution of The United States more than a century after Roger Williams’ arguments to the Bay Colony magistrates about civil authority meddling in church business.1
1. Shurden, 2013, pg. 11
2. Ibid., pg. 23
3. Ibid, pg. 24
Williams would be cast out of the Massachusetts’ Bay Colony in 1635, eventually founding Providence, Rhode Island and arguably planting the first Baptist church there where membership was voluntary. Shurden’s emphasis on four freedoms stems from the freedom of the individual to choose his faith and the tenets of what he believes; the “voluntary nature of faith is crucial to Baptist identity.”2
Summary Chapter 3: Church Freedom
Shurden begins chapter three with a statement that concisely summarizes chapter three; “Church Freedom is the historic affirmation”3 Baptists make to maintain autonomy, that Jesus is Lord, and that the autonomous church governs and orders their worship and business. This is the Free Church Tradition which separates church and state,
and which was first established in America by Williams in founding Providence Rhode Island, a free community long before the Declaration of Independance and the Constitution of The United States. Shurden emphasizes that there has never been nor will there ever be a bishop or pastor, civil leader, president or “king” who is given authority over the free church.4
Shurden suggests maintaining church freedom means churches must be cautious not to allow conventions and associations of Baptist churches to define or gain superiority over practices and governance. Each church then, has the liberty to decide how to interpret Christ’s commands and what is acceptable and what actions are not and require discipline. Discipline is as important to discipleship as is the membership of a church body, therefore understanding the definition or interpretation of that church’s principles as interpreted from scripture. Members must then be ready to conform and repent.
1. Gaustad, 2005, pgs. 52-53
2. Shurden, 2013, pg. 27
3. Ibid., 2013, pg. 33
4. Ibid, 2013, pg. 38
Summary Chapter 4: Religious Freedom
While I have largely agreed with Shurden’s evaluations of Baptist Freedom, he states in his introduction to chapter four that “Paul accents the legitimacy of the state because Christians were not in danger from the state,”1 citing Romans 13:1-7. In my interpretation of the early 1st century church as it was developing, it seemed to me that Christians were under constant threat from Jewish and Roman authorities. I may not understand his point here, but I believe Paul legitimizes the authority of the state reasoning that all things such as the existing powers were God willed. Historically, Romans 13:1-7 encourages Christians to accept the ruling authority in spite of potential persecution, Dietrich Bonhoeffer believed that the German people had never been tested the way they were concerning the persecution of Jews by Hitler in the 1930s.
Shurden does state in the following paragraph that “no one model fits all circumstances,” Baptists often conform to government authority within reason, and at times are in outright conflict of it. Furthermore, the Baptist principle of the separation of church and state was a necessity based on the history of the church since the first century. Early English Baptist churches and preachers were rejecting the state church due to the corruptibility and forced declaration to state and community for participation in the church.
It is most important to conclude my summary of chapter four by expressing an agreement to Shurden’s claims that the freedom of religion and the 1st amendment is an alarming issue today. This issue clearly means that Baptists and Christians in the United States must protect their freedoms by being informed about Baptist history and church history, if God has granted us the freedom of will to choose whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15), and the founding fathers expressed this liberty, then we must not be silent in the face of bias and eradication of freedom.
1. Shurden, 2013, pg. 45
Reflection
Michael Bird stated that congregationalism and the independence of Baptist churches has a potentiality for distorting the gospel, that there is a risk for “danger.”1 Bird, an Anglican scholar, author and professor is actually one of my favorite authors. I argue that, while yes there is this possibility, but this is the freedom that Baptists protect, the right to interpret the Bible freely, and hopefully without distortion.
It is very important to me to express to others of our freedoms, Shurden’s book will become one I revisit often, he makes many points I strongly agree with, reaffirming my choice to define my faith as Baptist. I found chapters two and three the most engaging; on Soul Freedom, and Church Freedom.
It was important to me to mention Roger William’s because he believed that all men are equal and free. He was truly the earliest of the English Puritan immigrants who risked being outcast and driven out because of what he believed. Baptists do not believe they are perfect because only Christ in his humanity was perfect and gave his life for the propitiation of the sinner and by the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Baptists, like any church or church leader can make mistakes, therefore forgiveness and restoration are available. This is why Baptists are self-governing, correction and repentance are always available.
1. Bird, 2013, (I cannot cite the page because I have already placed this and other books in storage.)
Works Cited
Bird, Michael F. Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction. Zondervan Academic, 2013
Gaustad, Edwin S. Roger Williams. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Shurden, Walter B. The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2013.
Commentaires