The key to restoring the uniqueness of Baptism for Southern Baptists resides in using the tension between the burgeoning revival of British baptismal sacramentalism and the long-standing suspicion toward "all things sacramental" among American Baptists in order to understand and advance traditional baptismal distinctiveness. The book first develops a baptismal typology by evaluating the various differences between the 5 models of Reformation sacramentalism: Roman Catholic Efficacy, Luther's Inauguration, Calvin's Seal, Zwingli's Symbol-Only, and the Anabaptists' Faith-Baptism. It then examines the unified voice of American Baptists intent on retaining anti-sacramental language and theology. American Baptists tend to follow an Anabaptist view of Baptism-namely "a testimony of faith." In Great Britain, however, Baptists are more open to use sacramental language and many have embraced a refined version of "conversion Baptism" very similar to that proposed by the American Restorationist tradition. The book champions a "sacred theology of Baptism" and interprets it as "an ordained sign with sacred significance."
