Professing evangelicals have struggled to map the contours of the Holy Spirit's work, especially over the past generation or so. Some suggest the Spirit is “shy.” Others claim the Spirit is the “forgotten” member of the Trinity. In Baptists and the Holy Spirit: The Contested History with Holiness-Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements, C. Douglas Weaver claims that the Holy Spirit is neither shy nor forgotten. Given the renewed interest in Trinitarian theology among Baptists, Weaver's book is as timely as it is welcome.
Traditionally, Baptists have a mixed legacy when it comes to affirming the Spirit's work. Apart from the revival-born Separate Baptists who drew the ire of Regular Baptists over excessive emotionalism and a few scattered references in associational minutes, Baptists said little about the Spirit's work prior to the mid-nineteenth century. Thus, received wisdom claims that Baptists are either minimally interested or not involved in discussions about the Holy Spirit's ministration. Weaver, however, finds considerable evidence to the contrary. By the mid-nineteenth century, he notes that many claimed they had found new, deeper connections to God and many others sought it. Baptists could not ignore first-hand claims of spiritual encounters with God that drew them closer to the Almighty.
Over time, certain Baptist leaders, lay people, and self-appointed spokespeople alike interacted with the Holiness, Pentecostal, and charismatic movements. Some embraced Holiness/Spirit-focused teachings and joined Holiness churches. Others embraced certain aspects of Holiness teachings and incorporated them into their understanding of Baptist doctrine. Still others rejected Holiness teachings and reacted to its advocates with outright hostility, especially when the proclamation came from the lips of women like Aimee Semple McPherson. Love it or loathe it, teachings that endorsed visions, divine healings, and glossolalia attracted followers. Moreover, they demanded either accommodation or refutation, and as Weaver sees it, this interaction continues to shape modern Baptist thought and practice.
As anyone familiar with Baptist doings knows, turmoil always seems to lurk just beneath the surface in Baptist ranks. Very subtly, Weaver notes that debates over the Spirit's work usually signal other debates related to broader social and cultural shifts in America. They also reflect varying levels of dissatisfaction among denominational rank and file, some of which is class related. In chapter 4, “Gender and Race in the Baptist Holiness Movement,” Weaver demonstrates that late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century African American Baptists mirrored white Baptists who complained that the “holy rollers” in their midst came from the rabble. Some dissatisfaction was gender related. Weaver's analysis of Aimee Semple McPherson, especially with respect to J. Frank Norris's conflict with John R. Rice, is a study in how certain fundamentalists used gender and select aspects of pneumatology to advance their own agendas, even as they bickered with each other.
Some may complain that Weaver is occasionally repetitious, but in a work this size, a certain amount of signposting can be helpful. His description of Baptists as “restorationists” may raise a few eyebrows, especially among those from Disciples of Christ/Church of Christ backgrounds. However, those who wanted to normalize Spirit-related practices among Baptists tended to ground their arguments in the New Testament. Hence, they were restorationists of a sort. On a more substantive level, Weaver correctly links Baptist engagement with the Holiness, Pentecostal, and charismatic movements with Keswick Holiness. Unfortunately, he never really offers a clear definition of what that entails and readers unfamiliar with Keswick are left without a clear understanding of what it is. On the other hand, careful readers will see that Weaver is abundantly clear on two points. First, Baptists cannot claim a common theology, especially when it comes to pneumatology. Suppose someone claims to have an experience that does not square with the regulative principle? How does one handle that? Second, and arguably far more serious, Baptists do not work from a common hermeneutic or interpretive framework. Perhaps this helps explain why Baptists always seem to be in a snit over something.
Those familiar with Doug Weaver's work know that he is one of the finest Baptist historians in America. But Baptists and the Holy Spirit demonstrates that he is just as comfortable discussing the history of Holiness movements as he is discussing his own heritage. Consequently, this book defies easy categorization. Obviously, it is a work of history, but it is more. It incorporates a fair amount of theology, but it is neither theology proper nor historical theology. It is about Baptists, but by focusing his inquiry on Southern Baptists, National Baptists, and American Baptist Churches USA, not to mention a few rogue Independent Baptists, it is not denominational history per se. At 573 pages, this book is nearly encyclopedic, yet Weaver compares three separate Baptist traditions and three Holiness/Pentecostal traditions over time and manages to craft a cohesive, readable story. All that to say, Doug Weaver offers the best analysis of how Baptists have responded to practical pneumatology available in a single volume. It is nothing short of an amazing feat.
Doug Weaver has written a deeply researched work on an extremely difficult subject. Moreover, Baptists and the Holy Spirit cuts across race, class, and gender lines and makes fair, accurate, and even-handed assessments. Readers should not be frightened by the $69.95 price tag; this book is a pleasure to read and well worth it.
