Waters of Promise: Finding Meaning in Believer Baptism

Synopsis: Many Christians who practice believer baptism struggle to answer basic questions about it such as: What does it mean to be baptized? How does baptism relate to faith? What does God do through baptism? In Waters of Promise Brandon Jones seeks to answer these questions by drawing from Scripture theology history and church practice. The resulting recovery of the link between covenant theology and believer baptism may change not only how you think about baptism but also how your church practices it. Endorsements: Historically Baptists have been quite adroit in their defense of why only believers should be baptized and exactly how this ordinance should be carried out. What they have often forgotten is to explain what baptism means. This new study by Jones addresses this forgotten question. A careful reading of his work promises to broaden our understanding of baptisms biblical meaning. --Michael A. G. Haykin The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary When I was writing my doctoral thesis on British Baptist baptismal theology I found almost no engagement with the British material on this side of the ocean. Over the last decade that has begun to change and Waters of Promise both narrates and advances that process. Joness suggestion of a Baptist sacramental theology rooted in covenant theology adds a new (or perhaps old!) idea worth considering. --Stanley K. Fowler Heritage Theological Seminary Waters of Promise is a significant contribution that advocates the rediscovery of covenant theology seeing in believers baptism the Spirits gracious work as a confirming sign and seal of initiation into the new covenant with God and his people. Joness study is thought-provoking and a challenging contribution to an important subject. --Anthony R. Cross University of Oxford Author Biography: Historically Baptists have been quite adroit in their defense of why only believers should be baptized and exactly how this ordinance should be carried out. What they have often forgotten is to explain what baptism means. This new study by Jones addresses this forgotten question. A careful reading of his work promises to broaden our understanding of baptisms biblical meaning. --Michael A. G. Haykin The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary When I was writing my doctoral thesis on British Baptist baptismal theology I found almost no engagement with the British material on this side of the ocean. Over the last decade that has begun to change and Waters of Promise both narrates and advances that process. Joness suggestion of a Baptist sacramental theology rooted in covenant theology adds a new (or perhaps old!) idea worth considering. --Stanley K. Fowler Heritage Theological Seminary Waters of Promise is a significant contribution that advocates the rediscovery of covenant theology seeing in believers baptism the Spirits gracious work as a confirming sign and seal of initiation into the new covenant with God and his people. Joness study is thought-provoking and a challenging contribution to an important subject. --Anthony R. Cross University of Oxford Author Biography: Brandon C. Jones (PhD Calvin Theological Seminary) is pastor of Herreid Baptist Church in Herreid South Dakota.