H. Leon McBeth
Respected Baptist Historian H. Leon McBeth passed away on Monday, April 29th. McBeth was a giant in Baptist History, teaching for many years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and publishing many books. His obituary gives an indication of his impact on the larger world, but beyond those broader fields, his contributions to Seventh Day Baptist life are not insignificant. In his magisterial book The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, and the companion Sourcebook which later accompanied it, McBeth made a concerted effort to accurately report Seventh Day Baptist contributions to larger Baptist history. In the Sourcebook, portions of the 1843 “Letter to the Baptists” are reprinted, and is approvingly quoted by McBeth as a good defense of the doctrine of the Sabbath. McBeth notes that the address is, “calmly stated, biblical in emphasis and fraternal in tone.”
Such inclusion is important to SDBs because it brings attention and further light on our movement, both in the United States and abroad. We are glad for Dr. McBeth’s scholarship, his rigor, and his life. He will be missed, but his work will live on.
Amazon.com does not have all of Dr. McBeth’s books, but does have both The Baptist Heritage and Sourcebook available here. If you have more questions about Seventh Day Baptist History, our history books, including the newly revised version of A Choosing People, can be found here.