Baptist Piety: The Last Will and Testimony of Obadiah Homes.

Baptist Piety: The Last Will and Testimony of Obadiah Homes. By Edwin S. Gaustad, Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2005, 171 pp.

Originally published in 1978, Baptist Piety provided a rare and glorious glance into Baptist life in the seventeenth century. Combining biography and primary source material, Edwin Gaustad introduced Obadiah Holmes, a little-known early American Baptist. While much attention rightly has been given to John Clarke and the limited tenure of Roger Williams in the study of early Baptists in America, Gaustad offered a deeper glimpse into nascent Baptist life through an examination into the life of this "simple and uneducated man" (viii).

In the first part of the book, Gaustad expertly portrayed the life of Holmes. From his Puritan roots in seventeenth-century England, to his time of spiritual crisis, to his departure for New England in the 1630s, to his rejection of Puritanism for the "new baptism" and subsequent move to Newport in 1650, Gaustad placed Holmes firmly within his contexts. Using the scant resources available, Gaustad also provided a vivid account of Holmes's public whipping at the hands of Massachusetts authorities and the ways in which Holmes's story was used by both Roger Williams and John Clarke as they argued for religious freedom and against the power of civil magistrates in matters pertaining to religion. Finally, while not nearly enough information is known about the common life of Baptists in the seventeenth century, Gaustad expanded the horizons through his discussion of Holmes's pastoral role in Rhode Island during the final thirty years of his life.

In the second part of the book, Gaustad included a copy of Holmes's Last Will and Testimony as well as helpful introductory comments prior to each of the seven sections. Gaustad noted, correctly, I think, that this writing provides "the most valuable witness to the theology, the preaching style, the family life, and the personal piety and devotion that we have for any seventeenth-century Baptist in America" (68). In his Testimony, Holmes recounted his conversion, discussed Particular Baptist theology, wrote endearing words to his wife, children, and church, and included evangelistic admonitions for those still "in the world." In light of the void of primary sources, Holmes's candor and simplicity are as valuable as they are enjoyable.

Reading Gaustad, I am always reminded that I am in the presence of a master historian. He not only has an encyclopedic grasp on early American religious history, and the history of Baptists in particular, but his story-telling ability is engaging and always readable. The only disappointment with the book is that Gaustad did not provide an updated Preface, sharing further thoughts about the significance of Obadiah Holmes over the twenty-five years since the original writing. Surely a word of connection can be made between Holmes's quest for freedom of religion and conscience in his own day and the threats to freedom in our own day. No doubt, Gaustad could articulate that thought better than I. The minor complaint aside, Gaustad has provided a valuable resource for Baptists interested in a more complete portrait of early Baptist life.--Reviewed by Eddie Stepp, assistant professor in religious studies and philosophy, Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, North Carolina.