Thursday, February 11, 2016

2016 "What is a Reformed Baptist?" Poll Update

Last month we began a poll on the blog. If you haven't already taken part in the poll, please check out the "What is a Reformed Baptist?" Poll on the right sidebar on this page (the red box with white type). The intention is to run the poll for one year with an interest in how the Reformed Baptist community might answer this question. I have given four options for answers that I think basically sum up the various groups or individuals that I have found to be using the term. Here are the four possible answers:
To regard oneself as a Reformed Baptist, one must ...

1) adhere at a minimum to a Calvinistic soteriology.

2) adhere at a minimum to a Calvinistic soteriology and to Covenant Theology.

3) adhere substantially to the Baptist Confession of 1689 (e.g. modify regarding Impassibility).

4) adhere strictly to the Baptist Confession of 1689.
Thus far surprisingly few of the blog's readers have taken part in the poll. I am not sure why there have not yet been more who have answered, but I have communicated with some who have held off due to a desire to think about it more carefully before answering. I think this is a good thing. Here are the results thus far:
11% say that one must adhere at a minimum to a Calvinistic soteriology in order to be regarded a Reformed Baptist.

34% say that one must adhere at a minimum to a Calvinistic soteriology and to Covenant Theology in order to be regarded a Reformed Baptist.

31% say that one must adhere substantially to the Baptist Confession of 1689 (e.g. modify regarding Impassibility) in order to be regarded a Reformed Baptist.

25% say that one must adhere strictly to the Baptist Confession of 1689 in order to be regarded a Reformed Baptist.
Again, if you haven't yet taken part in the poll, please do so. You may read more about the poll here in order to understand better why it is phrased as it is.

2 comments:

  1. The interesting thing about these various naming conventions is that one is rarely given an option for other names. If someone is reformed in their soteriorology, but fails to follow covenant theology (and is baptistic, which I noted with amusement was not in the first couple of questions) then, if one is not 'reformed baptist', what is one?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whether or not one is "baptistic" is not mentioned in the answers because it is assumed in the very title Reformed Baptist. It is assumed that the poll is only for those are a Baptistic to begin with.

      Delete