John Brown of Haddington on Frequent Communion

Gregory Soderberg

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN: 9798385228621, 9798385228638
• eBook ISBN: 9798385228645
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

Shallow and quickly outdated Christian worship practices have left many searching for something with deeper roots. Many churches have rediscovered the importance of the sacraments, particularly the Lord's Supper. The number of churches that are observing more frequent communion continues to grow. What's lacking is guidance from the past on this issue. How did infrequent communion become a "tradition" in so many churches? What historical, political, and theological factors were involved? As one of the leading evangelical pastors and scholars of the late eighteenth century, John Brown of Haddington has much to teach. Not satisfied with the practice of his own Scottish Reformed tradition, Brown left a manuscript advocating more frequent communion among his papers after his death. It was published in 1804 but has remained inaccessible to a large audience until now. Dr. Gregory Soderberg used Brown as one of his sources in his doctoral study of communion frequency in the Reformed tradition, which was the first full-length, scholarly treatment of the subject. Although Brown wrote for his own time, his arguments are still relevant. In this slightly modernized version with explanatory notes, readers will find a brilliant mind engaging the issue of communion frequency with wit and erudition.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Historical Introduction
• Preface
• An Apology, &c.
• Bibliography