Includes bibliographical references and index

Introduction -- Roots in the Reformation -- Anabaptists and Baptists -- Particular and General Baptists in the seventeenth century -- Baptists and revival in the eighteenth century -- Divisions among Baptists in the nineteenth century -- Theological polarization among Baptists -- Baptists and the social gospel -- Gospel and race among Baptists -- Women in Baptist life -- Church, ministry, and sacraments among Baptists -- Baptists and religious liberty -- Baptists and foreign mission -- The global spread of the Baptists -- Baptists in Latin America -- Baptists in Nigeria -- Baptists in the Naga Hills -- Baptist identity -- Conclusion

Baptists through the Centuries provides a clear introduction to the history and theology of this influential and international people. David Bebbington, a leading Baptist historian, surveys the main developments in Baptist life and thought from the seventeenth century to the present. The Baptist movement took root and grew well beyond its British and American origins. Bebbington persuasively demonstrates how Baptists continually adapted to the cultures and societies in which they lived, generating ever more diversity within an already multifaceted group. Bebbington's survey also examines the challenging social, political, and intellectual issues in Baptist history--attitudes on race, women's roles in the church, religious liberty, missions, and theological commitments. The second edition of this proven textbook extends the scope with chapters on three parts of the world where Baptists have become particularly numerous: Latin America (where Brazilian Baptists number over 2 million), Nigeria (where Baptists are at their strongest outside North America, numbering roughly 5 million), and the Naga Hills in India (where Baptists form over 80 percent of the population). Each chapter also highlights regional issues that have presented new challenges and opportunities to Baptists: holistic mission in Latin America, the experience of charismatic renewal and the encounter with Islam in Nigeria, and the demands of peacemaking in the Naga Hills.-- Publisher's description