Elizabeth Newman’s Living the Liturgy: Enlarging the Baptist Vision explores how liturgical practices can deepen Baptist traditional engagement with the broader Christian faith. By weaving theological and philosophical reflection with biblical exegesis, historical analysis, and practical applications, Newman invites readers to consider the transformative potential of living a more fully liturgical life by seeing the world as “eucharistic.” Newman found inspiration in Alexander Schmemann’s vision of reality in For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy (1973), which questioned how the dominant culture equated the natural with the real world and the supernatural with a religious or spiritual sphere. Newman argues that this mechanistic view of the world weakens our understanding of living liturgically as the body of Christ. Rather, she encourages Christians to view “the world naturally, and thus truthfully in light of the grace and blessings of the triune God” (p. 133).
Christians are living with a “liturgical amnesia” and have forgotten the world as God’s good creation, redeemed and reconciled in Jesus Christ. Share on XAccordingly, Newman challenges Baptists––and by extension, other free-church traditions—to reconsider their often-skeptical stance toward liturgy by highlighting how it can deepen theological understanding, and spiritual formation within Christ’s universal body. She investigates how to recognize faithful liturgies that “enlarge the Baptist vision,” to locate this vision more fully within Christ’s universal body because of her conviction that “ecumenism is an exchange of gifts” which builds communion (p. 2). Newman is deeply committed to the formation of a unified ecumenical community, serving as chair of the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity and co-chair of the Baptist World Alliance Delegation for Theological Conversations with the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
The underlying philosophical concerns of Newman’s latest book first emerged in her Divine Abundance: Leisure, the Basis of Academic Culture (2018), examining the stories, practices, and habits of the academy. Newman, while Baptist in denominal persuasion, began her career teaching religious studies, mostly to Catholic students, at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame. She grappled with questions of Christian identity and the conundrum of viewing belief as personal choice. Later teaching theology at Duke University’s Divinity School, she overheard one student guide pointing to the chapel explaining, “Don’t worry. You don’t have to believe anything to come here,” implying that the chapel represented neutral ground where personal values were respected––not imposed.
In Living the Liturgy, she now explores how a secular philosophy, more common in academia, also seeps unwittingly into the church, particularly for many Baptists, who view church liturgy as “merely symbolic” or formulaic. Accordingly, she explains how Christians are living with a “liturgical amnesia” and have forgotten the world as God’s good creation, redeemed and reconciled in Jesus Christ. Thus, Newman focuses on liturgy that has been either forgotten or rejected, impeding Christians from seeing the truth, beauty, and goodness of God in creation that revolves around forgiveness, grace, and redemption that the body of Christ avails. She focuses on the sacraments of the Nicene Creed, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as examples of liturgy that have been relegated to “merely symbolic,” rather than as practices that locate the church in the real world of Divine grace.
Secular philosophy has seeped unwittingly into the church, particularly for many Baptists. Share on XFor example, in Part 1 covering the Nicene Creed, she introduces the concept of “emotivism” where, according to Alasdair MacIntyre, in the dominant culture “all evaluative judgments are nothing but expressions of preference” or “personal values,” “personal theology” and “personal spirituality” (p. 39). Given these assumptions, the Nicene Creed, for example, “might seem like an imposition.” Yet Newman points out that belief in “emotivism” and choosing one’s values is itself already a creed. Traditionally, Baptists have avoided formal creeds. However, Newman explains, “The politics of the body of Christ is not about guaranteeing security while maximizing individual liberty, which is the political good of modern liberal democracies” which “place the church in a private, spiritual realm” (p. 53). Thus, Newman sees the Nicene Creed as a political statement, which allows Christians to participate more fully in God’s triune communion for the sake of the church and the world. For Newman, confessing the Nicene Creed is a way of being–“part of an ecclesial way of life” (p 49). Understanding the implications of liturgy is particularly relevant given three motions at the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention to adopt the Nicene Creed as part of the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M)—two of which were later referred to the SBC’s Executive Committee for further consideration. Liturgy is defined as political action and Newman asks Christians to consider the question, “What liturgy or liturgies ought to form our political way of life as Christ’s body?” (p. 69).
Regarding baptism, Newman acknowledges Baptists’ suspicion of the sacramental. She maintains, however, that a “merely symbolic” view diminishes baptism as a “gift of communion” because of the presence of God’s grace in baptism. Newman questions the rationalism of a “merely symbolic” stance by arguing that Jesus’ baptism was more than merely symbolic, and cannot “be separated from an independent reality.” This is the way God through Christ enters human reality, and in turn how Christians enter reality where a symbol can be real (p. 10).
Considering the debate on whether the Lord’s Supper is real or symbolic, Newman argues that holding to a dichotomy between the real and symbolic is a dualism between faith and knowledge. This dualism encompasses a religion of modernity, prioritizing science and technology while denying an interior dimension to reality and a created being that has a “reality that exceeds them infinitely” (p. 27). Seeing the Lord’s Supper as only symbolic leads to forgetting “the mystery of God in the one body of Christ” … “resulting in a practice that “becomes more determined by modern rationalism than by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and the church as Christ’s body” (p. 28). She asks, “How can we tell the story of the Lord’s Supper in a way that avoids the modern dualism between symbol and real, a dualism that rests on a distorted [and mechanistic] ontology?” (p. 28).
Holding to a dichotomy between the real and symbolic is a dualism between faith and knowledge. Share on XIn Part II: Cultivating Life Together—A Communion that Radiates, Newman reflects on the priesthood of all believers, emphasizing the shared responsibility of every Christian to live out and proclaim the gospel. She critiques individualism and calls for a more robust understanding of communal vocation rooted in biblical principles. By juxtaposing the lives of Baptist missionary Lottie Moon and Catholic mystic Teresa of Ávila, Newman illustrates the richness of the communion of saints. She argues that their lives demonstrate the diversity of gifts and callings within the body of Christ, fostering unity across denominational lines.
In Part III: Bearing Witness—The Church for the World, Newman explores the relationship between worship and creation care, highlighting the story of Samuel Sharpe, a Baptist deacon and slave leader in Jamaica’s abolitionist movement. She uses Sharpe’s life to demonstrate how liturgical practices can inspire and sustain movements for liberation and justice. In her final chapter, Newman calls Baptists to embrace a broader vision of catholicity. Newman stresses “The church is not merely an idea but an actual body, one that begins with the scandal of the incarnation” (p. 181). She’s reminded of the hymn, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord, she is his new creation, through water and the word” (p. 183). However, in the nineteen and twentieth centuries, Baptists have adopted a “subsequentialist ecclesiology,” which views the church as subsequent to individual salvation rather than an embodiment of the reality of life in Christ (p. 185).
Baptists have adopted a “subsequentialist ecclesiology,” which views the church as subsequent to individual salvation rather than an embodiment of the reality of life in Christ. Share on XLiving the Liturgy is a compelling and visionary work challenging Baptists to rethink their approach to worship. It is not merely a call to incorporate new practices but an invitation to rediscover the depth and power of worship. Overall, Newman’s arguments are rooted in robust theological reflection, drawing on a wide range of sources from both Baptist and non-Baptist traditions as well as Scripture, church history, and contemporary theologians. She offers a balanced approach, respectful of Baptist distinctives while advocating for change. Her ecumenical spirit fosters dialogue between Baptist and broader Christian liturgical heritage highlighting shared values and mutual enrichment. Seminary students and theologians will find a valuable resource for those studying ecclesiology, worship theology, and Baptist identity. The book is also accessible for pastors and lay readers who want to deepen their understanding of liturgy as well as ecumenical thinkers seeking to bridge the denominational divide. Living the Liturgy may not convince all skeptics; however, it is a valuable contribution to the ongoing conversation about the role of liturgy in the life of the church.
By way of critique, while Newman’s ecumenical approach is commendable, some readers might perceive an overreliance on Catholic and Orthodox liturgical practices, potentially alienating those who prioritize distinctively Baptist expressions of faith. Although the book desires to foster practical liturgical engagement, its academic tone and dense theological and philosophical discussions may deter lay readers or pastors without advanced training. Her suggestions for practical implementation sometimes lack specificity, and her discussion of liturgical practices in Baptist congregations could benefit from more concrete examples or case studies. While an ecumenical approach and academic tone may pose challenges for some readers, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Newman’s call to “live the liturgy” resonates as a timely and necessary invitation for the church to embody its faith more fully. By integrating worship, community, and public witness, her vision offers a path toward greater unity and faithfulness in a fragmented and divided world.
*This review was first published in Presbyterion and is used with permission.
Image credit: Retro | Yomar Lopez | Flickr.
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