Laborers in God's Vineyard: William Kiffen and the Formation of Seventeenth-Century Particular Baptist Associations
type: CreativeWork
description: William Kiffen quickly became a leader among Particular Baptists in mid-seventeenth-century England. His role among them brings clarification for why Baptists decided to start associations. This dissertation seeks to demonstrate that Kiffen saw his work as a local church pastor to necessarily include working with other Particular Baptist pastors and churches, leading him to a place of revered ministerial authority among the churches. For Kiffen, his associational role did not contradict his understanding of congregational church government but rather complemented it. Chapter 1 is an introduction which includes a summary of Kiffen research, demonstrating the need to highlight his associational work. Chapter 2 is a discussion on the scholarship surrounding the formation of Particular Baptist associations, assessing the work of W. T. Whitley, Robert Torbet, Hugh Wamble, B. R. White, and Ian Birch. Birch agrees with Wamble and White that the Particular Baptists were influenced not by Cromwell’s New Model Army but rather the ecclesiology of Henry Jacob. The Jacob theory makes more sense of the historical data. In addition, this chapter examines the influence of other traditions on the formation of Particular Baptist associations. Chapter 3 is an investigation of the roles of Henry Jessey and Kiffen as the two key leaders of early Particular Baptist associational life. This chapter also includes a critical analysis of Matthew Bingham’s thesis about early Baptist identity. Chapter 4 is an exposition of article 47 of the First London Confession, which reflects early Particular Baptist thought on associations. Kiffen spearheaded the composition of this Confession, leading Particular Baptists to think of all their churches as one body in Christ, who all needed one another to thrive. Chapter 5 is a survey and analysis of Kiffen as a model of associational work throughout the middle decades of the seventeenth century. This chapter ultimately shows Kiffen living out his London C…
abstract: William Kiffen quickly became a leader among Particular Baptists in mid-seventeenth-century England. His role among them brings clarification for why Baptists decided to start associations. This dissertation seeks to demonstrate that Kiffen saw his work as a local church pastor to necessarily include working with other Particular Baptist pastors and churches, leading him to a place of revered ministerial authority among the churches. For Kiffen, his associational role did not contradict his understanding of congregational church government but rather complemented it. Chapter 1 is an introduction which includes a summary of Kiffen research, demonstrating the need to highlight his associational work. Chapter 2 is a discussion on the scholarship surrounding the formation of Particular Baptist associations, assessing the work of W. T. Whitley, Robert Torbet, Hugh Wamble, B. R. White, and Ian Birch. Birch agrees with Wamble and White that the Particular Baptists were influenced not by Cromwell’s New Model Army but rather the ecclesiology of Henry Jacob. The Jacob theory makes more sense of the historical data. In addition, this chapter examines the influence of other traditions on the formation of Particular Baptist associations. Chapter 3 is an investigation of the roles of Henry Jessey and Kiffen as the two key leaders of early Particular Baptist associational life. This chapter also includes a critical analysis of Matthew Bingham’s thesis about early Baptist identity. Chapter 4 is an exposition of article 47 of the First London Confession, which reflects early Particular Baptist thought on associations. Kiffen spearheaded the composition of this Confession, leading Particular Baptists to think of all their churches as one body in Christ, who all needed one another to thrive. Chapter 5 is a survey and analysis of Kiffen as a model of associational work throughout the middle decades of the seventeenth century. This chapter ultimately shows Kiffen living out his London C…
author: Morikawa, Todd Yoshio
language: en_US
date published: 2025-12
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:05:35Z
provider: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7588