In Wales and England, there has been over 400 years of conversation about what it means to be Baptist. However, in the UK we have less than 40 years of conversation about what Community Organising means for churches. Up to now, Baptists in the UK have not really participated in this latter conversation alongside a Baptist conversation about justice. Richard Weaver argues that this should be their next step.
Despite much theological reflection and research by Baptists and others on social justice as a key area for Christian discipleship and action by churches, there is currently little practice of social justice by UK Baptist churches, and Community Organising has not been well explored by them.
This dissertation aims to redress that gap. Baptists would benefit from a stronger theological ethic for social justice. Community Organising has informed other faith communities’ social justice work, particularly in Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. However, there is little UK Baptist literature on Community Organising. This dissertation brings the growing Community Organising literature into contact with Baptist church theology, ethics, and practice.
More information on the thesis