The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology

A good, well-reasoned exposition of the distinctions between Reformed Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist covenant theology. Denault presents an in-depth and nuanced view of both persuasions.

I just completed a class i Baptist Covenant Theology that was challenging keeping trak of the nuances of covenant theology and who believes what. After the class, I picked up this work by Denault and found it to be very helpful. In the class review, I suggested making this required reading.

This is a masterful treatment of the differences between Presbyterian and Baptist covenant theologies from Pascal Denault. With brevity and a way of touching the most core relevant issues, Denault shows how this sacramental differences between the systems is the fruit of a more fundamental theological rift. Who are the people of God in the New Covenant? Presbyterians see one covenant that is merely administered differently in the old and the new. As such they understand the people of God, or the church, to be mixed between believers and unbelievers, no differently than the nation of Israel was. Baptists, like Denault, see a complete break between the old and the new covenants: where the first allowed for unbelievers, the second makes no such allowance.The book is clearly written and succinct, argued with tact. I find Denault's argument for a 2 Covenant system compelling based on the evidence he provides--recommend entirely.

This is an excellent book on covenant theology, showing the differences between the Presbyterian covenant theology, and the Baptist version of covenant theology. It does a good job in showing how presbyterian covenant theology leads to paedobaptism and the Baptist version leads to credobaptism. It says that it also shows that a proper covenant theology leads to baptistic ecclesiology, but that part escaped me. It’s an excellent book, but probably not the best first book to read to get an idea of what covenant theology is.

A life changing read! That’s what this book was for me. I will never see the Bible the same way again.

An easy to follow volume concerning the marked difference between Presbyterian and Baptist covenant theology. As a Reformed Baptist pastor, I have become greatly concerned about the fact that so many Baptists are willing to allow systems of thought to inform their study of Scripture rather than allowing Scripture to inform their system of thought, and then are subscribing to doctrines that even our Presby brethren have denounced as heresy (Dominionism and its associated doctrines). This book is a help.

Pascal Default has done an excellent and thorough job of explaining the different approaches to the theological structure of the covenant of grace taken by reformed believers who are Paedo-Baptist and Credo-Baptist. Both camps close to one another and share so much, yet are still a bit separated by important concerns. I think Denault's treatment of these concerns is worth consideration which at the least gives clarity and insight to differences.

This book is a landmark in historical studies of Baptist covenant theology. Denault shows that Reformed Baptists and paedobaptists historically agreed on the covenants of works and redemption. The Baptists, however, disagreed with the majority of their paedobaptist brethren on the nature of the covenant of grace. Most paedobaptists held (and still hold) that the covenant of grace has one substance with different, but similar, administrations throughout redemptive history. Each administration of the covenant of grace, on the paedobaptist view, includes unbelievers within it. Thus, the baptism of unbelieving infants makes sense in the new covenant. Baptists disagreed with that view and insisted that the covenant of grace never had an outward administration that included unbelievers under the old covenant, but that it was the promise of the new covenant to save God's elect people, which was progressively revealed under the old covenant, and formally established with the death of Christ in the new covenant. Denault shows how Baptists were able to argue from the Bible that unbelieving children have never been included in an "outward administration" of the covenant of grace, have never received its sign, and therefore are rightly excluded from baptism at the formal establishment of the new covenant. The covenant of grace is God's promise, extended immediately after the fall in Genesis 3:15, to save His elect people because of Christ's work in the covenant of redemption, in which He kept the law Adam failed to keep in the covenant of works.

I recently purchased "The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology" by Pascal on Amazon, and I must say, it is an excellent book. The author provides a thorough overview of Baptist covenant theology and its theological distinctives, drawing on historical and biblical sources to make his case.The writing is clear and concise, making complex theological concepts accessible to the average reader. I appreciate the fact that Pascal does not shy away from difficult questions or controversies, but instead engages with them head-on in a thoughtful and nuanced way.Overall, I would highly recommend "The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology" to anyone who is interested in learning more about Baptist theology and its distinctive view of covenant. It is a well-researched and well-written book that will deepen your understanding of this important theological topic.

Um dos livros que me ajudou enormemente a entender a teologia pactual a partir da confissão de fé batista de 1689. Me ajudou a limpar minha teologia e me tirar do dispensacionalismo sem perder um caráter de descontinuidade entre as alianças. A ideia da Nova aliança prometida no AT e progressivamente revelada na história até sua culminação e efetivação na cruz do Calvário é de abrir os olhos e chorar de alegria. Vc precisa ler. O Estandarte de Cristo agora tem esse livro traduzido para o português e vendido aqui na Amazon.

Escribo en mi propia lengua porqué mi intención es recomendarlo a los lectores cuya lengua madre es el español, un excelente recurso que no debe pasarse por alto para conocer las diferencias entre la teología del pacto paido-bautista, sus graves deficiencias y errores; así como conocer la riqueza de nuestra herencia, los bautistas rechazamos el paido-bautismo desde el pacto eterno como razón principal. Es un recurso muy barato que no debe despreciarse.

Pascal Denault, `The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology:A Comparison Between Seventeenth-Century Particular Baptist andPaedobaptist Federalism', Solid Ground Christian Books (Birmingham:Alabama), 2013.This is a nicely presented book based on the author's masters thesis. Itis up-to-date, and interacts with contemporary literature up to 2012.It has footnotes where they belong (at the bottom of the page they arereferenced on), and a full bibliography of works quoted. It does not havea subject, name or scripture index, but is well structured so that,arguably, only the lack of a name index is significant.The book has the following structure: 1. Introduction.... 1.1 Hypothesis.... 1.2 Methodology and Original Sources.... 1.3 Brief History of Covenant Theology 2. The Covenant of Works.... 2.1 Description and Function of the Covenant of Works.... 2.2 Relationship between the Covenant of Works and the Old Covenant 3. The Covenant of Grace.... 3.1 The Covenent of Grace in the 17th century.... 3.2 The Covenant of Grace as seen by Paedobaptists.... 3.3 The Covenant of Grace as seen by Baptists.... 3.4 Comparison of the Two Models 4. The Old Covenant.... 4.1 What Does the Old Covenant Mean?.... 4.2 The Abrahamic Covenant.... 4.3 The Mosaic Covenant 5. The New Covenant.... 5.1 The Newness of the New Covenant 6. ConclusionThis is a much needed, and extremely welcome book. Denault sets out tocompare Reformed Baptist covenant theology with Reformed Paedobaptistcovenant theology and does an excellent job of it, keeping an irenictone throughout, and helping to clarify many difficult issuesalong the way. This is not a book which deals with generalisationsand simplifications, but nor does it get bogged down with obscureside-issues. Rather Denault clearly analyses the issues, and bringsenviable clarity to the debate.Reformed Baptists (originally known in England as "Particular Baptists")have long had a great need for a book that explains their version ofcovenant theology. Even their primary confession - the 1689 BaptistConfession of Faith, which was based on the Presbyterian WestminsterConfession of Faith (WCF) - has some confusing properties obscuringBaptist covenant theology. For example, first it deviates from theWCF on the section of the Covenant of Works - but, as Denault explains,this due to a perceived ambiguity in the WCF wording rather than adifference of doctrine. Secondly, the 1689 Baptist Confession uses the"covenant of grace" terminology (as does the WCF), obscuring the factto those not aware of the nuances that there are significant differencesbetween the Baptist and Paedobaptist understanding of this covenant.Denault's book makes one aware of the nuances.Fortunatlely, there are now a few books which introduce Reformed Baptistcovenant theology, (see, for example,  COVENANT THEOLOGY HB: From Adam to Christ )but the difficulty with a straight-forward exegeticaldescription of such a position is that it is not always clear why aparticular point is being made, and what the consequences would be ofnot accepting that reading. This is where Denault's book is so helpful.Not only does he explain the Baptist position, but by comparing it withthe Paedobaptist position, one can see the inner logic of both positions,and hence the ramifications of adopting different readings of a particularpassage.The book, of course, is not the last word on this subject. In places onecould wish that it was based on a PhD thesis rather than a masters thesis,for the interaction could even better documented, and more variations ofthe Paedobaptist position could be considered.Nevertheless, this book will help Baptists of all kinds to understand thatCredobaptism is compatible with Reformed theology generally, and with aversion of Reformed covenant theology in particular. It will also helpReformed paedobaptists understand that Reformed theology should not bedefined in such a way as to exclude (all) Baptists.More importantly, it will throw light upon the intra-Reformed debates aboutwhether or not the Mosaic covenant is or contains a republication of thecovenant of works. (see, for example,  The Law Is Not of Faith, Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant )This in turn has implications for how or whether oneunderstands Christ's righteousness to be imputed to one in justification,which in turn impacts the crucial and much debated question of what itmeans to be justified. This in turn impacts how one relates to God, andperhaps on whether or not one has properly responded to the gospel of JesusChrist. In other words, the subject analysed in this book has vitalimplications for one's spirituality and salvation. The issues it addressesgo to the heart of the gospel, and not only how one understands the Bibleto fit together.This book is a must read for all thinking Reformed Christians; for allBaptists; and for all those interested in covenant theology, salvation-history,and how the Bible is structured. COVENANT THEOLOGY HB: From Adam to ChristThe Law Is Not of Faith, Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant

Excellent book.