What Makes Baptist Theological Education Baptist?

Abstract

What makes Baptist theological education Baptist? I start the article by asking what makes Baptist theology distinct among other theological approaches. After that I present two types of empirical data: the first was gathered in two conversations, which took place among Baptist theological educators in the summer of 2018 – one at the workshop of the Consortium of European Baptist Theological Schools (CEBTS) and the other at the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Theological Education Committee. The second set of data comes from research into alumni feedback from Tartu Theological Seminary. In conclusion I suggest five possible characteristics of Baptist identity in regard to the method and content of theological education:
• Baptist theological education is rooted in Baptist ecclesiology;
• Personal faith and integrity are crucially important aims of theological studies;
• Biblical hermeneutics and knowing one’s tradition in context are two important areas of study;
• Constant openness and search lead to even better understanding;
• Baptist theological education is always missional.