Reviews

'Frank Rinaldi's careful study of the New Connexion General Baptists fills a gap in our knowledge of British Baptist history. This small communion produced two noteworthy individuals--Thomas Cook, an itinerant missionary who founded the travel agency bearing his name, and John Clifford, the truly great Baptist preacher and social activist. The Generals insisted that Christ died for all, not just the elect, and as their views found more acceptance among Particular Baptists, the two groups grew closer and finally united in 1891. Rinaldi's analysis of this almost forgotten body's social composition, ministry, and theology clarifies its contribution to Baptist life.' -- Richard V. Pierard, Professor Emeritus, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana, and Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts. 'This first systematic treatment of the General Baptist ""New Connexion"" skillfully traces its history from a dynamic Evangelical Revival protest movement through to late nineteenth century amalgamation with a mainline denomination. In addition to providing significant contextual and regional perspectives, Dr. Rinaldi's informative study focuses on the theological, sociological and missiological factors that combined to effect this gradual transition.' -- Raymond Brown, former Principal of Spurgeon's College, London, UK 'In the mid-eighteenth century English Baptists found themselves in a parlous situation. Amongst the Particular Baptists high-Calvinism could all too easily become antinomian, whilst General Baptists faced considerable difficulties in their Christology. Both groups, confronted with these internal difficulties, had their evangelistic outreach blunted. For the General Baptists this occurred just when the Methodist Revival was offering the people of England a warm evangelical faith based upon a theology of Christ dying for all, not just the elect. The story of Andrew Fuller's recovery or an urgent missionary-minded evangelical Calvinism has often been told; less familiar is the story of how Dan Taylor brought into being a New Connexion of General Baptists, both orthodox and mission-oriented. This made its appeal to some influenced by the Methodist Revival but who had developed consciences which began to argue that the soteriology of the new movement demanded believers' rather than infant baptism, and to those General Baptists in the midland England who remained orthodox, untrammelled by Arian or Socinian doctrines. It is the story of these New Connexion General Baptists that Frank Rinaldi helpfully analyses and portrays in this important volume. Their influence was greater than their number because it was they who pioneered many of the institutional structures which were to give shape to the united denomination after 1891.' -- John H.Y. Briggs, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for Baptist History and Heritage, Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK