Baptismal Covenant Book
Shameless plug. My ex-wife, Dr. Nancy McLaughlin, has just had her doctoral thesis published as a book. When I first read her thesis I was totally impressed by her work.
Below is the information printed on the back cover of the book.
Book Description
The baptismal covenant, empowering all the baptized to minister in the name of Christ, is at the heart of our lives as Christians. But how well do parishes articulate the importance of this call for all their members? What kind of job do parishes do of integrating the covenant into the life and work of the congregation?
In Do You Believe?, author Nancy Ann McLaughlin takes a look at some forty Episcopal parishes around the country to see just what an active, intentional, energized awareness of baptismal ministry looks like. Examining each of the elements of the covenant — from believing in God to continuing the preaching of the apostles — the book offers practical advice for turning words into concrete actions.
This is an excellent book for parish study and reflection, offering ways that individuals and congregations can envision the church — and their own lives — as a dynamic relationship with God.
About the Author
Nancy Ann McLaughlin is a Christian in the Episcopal Denomination and has two sons. She has performed various (but not necessarily church-related) ministries in her fifty years, most recently adjunct professor of New Testament Theology and History and consultant to a young church plant. She has earned both Master of Arts in Theology and Master of Divinity degrees from St. John's Provincial Seminary, as well as Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
ISBN: 0-8192-2192-9
The Amazon entry for the book is at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0819221929/gwservice
List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $9.72
posted by jw @ 4/25/2006 11:10:00 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Congratulations to her and of course you should plug it.
Wow -- that makes you famous by association!
My church (if I'm getting this right) considers infant baptism as a covenant between the parents, the congregation, and God.
There seem to be as many forms as there are denominations.
Oh, true. I forgot about infant baptism. Is that what the book is about, or baptism more generally, including adult baptism as well?
Mary, the term Baptismal Covenant. If you have the book, Chapter 2 covers it really well.
The concept of "covenant" exists from the earliest parts of the bible. The Hebrews believed that God made a covenant between God and themselves. God promised things and they had responsibilities.
Christians believe that God established a new covenant through Jesus. Here is text quoted in the book from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer..., 1979, pages 850-851:
Q. What is the New Covenant?
A. The New Covenant is the new relationship with God given by Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to the apostles and, through them, to all who believe in him.
Q. What did the Messiah promise in the New Covenant?
A. Christ promised to bring us into the kingdom of God and give us life in all its fullness.
Q. What response did Christ require?
A. Christ commanded us to believe in him and to keep his commandments
Though the New Covenant through Jesus is part of the theology of all Christian churches, the Episcopal church incorporates specific wording into the baptismal ceremony to remember the God's covenant and provides that in the baptismal ceremony all of the people present renew their commitments.
This looks like a great book! My mom would like it. My family is Episcopalian and there is a lot of emphasis towards ministry in the church they go to now. Though it does depend, from church to church, how much they emphasize ministry or not.
I'm in the process of setting up my son's baptism now. In fact, I need to go buy a copy of the Book of Common Prayer (I can't keep mooching off my parents' books forever!).
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