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My blog posts revolve around my interests and vocation as a historian: the intersection of history and contemporary church life, the intersection of history and contemporary politics, serendipitous discoveries in archives or on research trips, publications and research projects, upcoming conferences, and speaking engagements.
The views expressed in these blogs represent the views of the authors, and not necessarily those of any organizations with which they are associated. |
 I was surprised the other day to find an editorial in the 1953 Canadian Baptist calling for more “militant preaching” in central Canadian Baptist churches. The editorial was a reprint from an American paper, but the Canadian editor thought it relevant enough to post for his central-Canadian readers. (The denomination was the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, better known as the BCOQ.) On the one hand, it is not that surprising to see such an exhortation in a Baptist paper. Historically Baptists have emphasized the importance of preaching, and Baptist history is filled with powerful and prophetic pastors pounding the pulpit to make a point. Even in the average Baptist church those in the pews expected a good sermon every week. With that in mind, the following words are not that exceptional: "Thrones have toppled in years gone by under militant preaching Kings and rulers have fled to the hills as God's prophets have thundered out at the iniquity about them....But God calls His preachers to belligerency. He wants them at war with sin in high places and low. He wants them to expose the rot without fear of disfavor...America needs militant preaching. The destiny of our nation, of the world, hangs in the balance. The pulpit, on fire for God, can sway the future. Sure, some heads may roll, figuratively. But the world will be rocked to its senses. This isn't any time for safety first preaching, nor for safety first Christians. "I like to see militant preachers," said the President. So do we. So does your church. God demands it.” click on image to enlarge
On the other hand, only a few decades earlier BCOQ Baptists had a disastrous split marked by militant preaching. The most (in)famous Baptist preacher was T.T. Shields, a masterful orator but one whose militant rhetoric could be belligerent and mean-spirited. And his preaching played a key role in splitting the denomination.
Most people reading this editorial in 1953 would be reminded of T.T. Shields and the dark days surrounding the split of 1927. So why would the editor advocate for militant preaching when it may have had negative connotations? Perhaps this editorial indicates a zealous evangelical wing had remained within the BCOQ… Perhaps this editorial suggests a desperate desire to achieve the growth seen in other denominations (unlike the CBOQ, other denominations were growing leaps and bounds)… Perhaps this editorial points to a fear of rapid social changes and reflects the conviction that what Canada needs is a thundering prophet in the pulpit to set the nation back on its course… Whatever the reason(s) for posting this call for militant preaching, it is an intriguing piece of evidence of a desire to fix what was deemed to be a “weak spot” in Baptist life – a practice that at one time was considered a Baptist strength.
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 In my recent research in the Canadian Baptist I was surprised to come across a fairly detailed article on movie reviews. This was one of those times where my interest was piqued and I strayed away from my research focus. Take note, the article was written in 1991, so what you are getting is a view of a past generation's take on what was considered edifying to watch (and some commentary on what to avoid). What follows below are images of the article (sorry for the poor reproduction). The list of ten movies is a summary of what the author thought were entertaining, healthy, and insightful movies. Some of the movies are well know, such as The Mission, whereas others are long forgotten, such as Babette's Feast (in fact, this is a movie I had never heard of before). Here are the ten movies:
What is noteworthy is the section on page 14 that urges Baptists to be less reactive, more discerning, and somewhat circumspect about critiquing movies that are deemed to be hostile to the faith. After all, it is argued, shallow, shrill, and mean-spirited criticisms do nothing except make Baptists look stupid - and end up inadvertently promoting the movie. Another noteworthy item is the section on page 11 that urges Baptists to watch some of the movies that do not make such polished lists, but rather are very popular movies watched by millions. The reason for going to the big screen and watch Blockbuster movies is that it provides a window into culture that will allow Baptists to have a better sense of what their neighbours are watching (and thinking). Truth be told, I have only seen four of the above ten. I have some work to do to catch up to a 1991 list. Click on images to enlarge.
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