Not very often do you come across a national Baptist church led by a Metropolitan Archbishop and sponsoring the creation of Christian art which draws heavily on the tradition of icon writing. The Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia (EBC) is in many respects unique. Its adaptation to Orthodox culture is one thing, but what of its theology, how Orthodox is the Church in its doctrine, catechesis, and liturgical expression? In Evangelical Christian Baptists of Georgia: The History and Transformation of a Free Church Tradition the former Archbishop of the EBC, Malkhaz Songulashvili, explores these challenging and controversial questions.
In his review of the book Dr. Joshua Searle, of Spurgeon’s College, UK, writes, “This is by far the finest book on the evangelical movement in the former Soviet Union that I have ever read.” He goes on to say, ” Songulashvili, has produced a compelling book that draws on an impressive array of historical and theological archival material in order to narrate the intricate and remarkable – and at times quite moving – history of the Georgian Baptist movement.”
With permission of the journal, ‘Studies in World Christianity’ (where the review will shortly be published) we are able to give access here for you to download the full review.