2007 - Baptists and the Common Good
July 17-21, 2007
Regents Park College, Oxford, UK
The influence of Baptist organizations and individuals on American and global society in advancing the common good is evident through the widespread sponsorship of healthcare, orphanages, colleges and universities, participation in politics, business and research, as well as the church, missions, and evangelism. The tension inherent in understanding the common good as a motivating force in an ecclesial body is evident in Baptist history and in our present experience. “The common good” raises rich theological, philosophical and social/political questions for the Baptist academy. We invite essays that explore the meaning and challenge of Baptists and the common good.
Young Scholars in the Baptist Academy will convene a select
group of participants across academic disciplines to explore
topics related to the common good. Seminar participants might
explore such questions as: What contributions have Baptists have
made to the common good, and what questions about “the common
good” do Baptists properly raise? Is there a Baptist theology of
“the common good”? How have Baptists influenced political change
based on a desire for common good? Should Baptist efforts in
education be oriented toward common good, or some other good?