Publications

First Freedom: The Baptist Perspective on Religious Liberty

Edited by Thomas White, Jason G. Duesing, and Malcolm B. Yarnell III

First Freedom is an important gathering of messages from a conference on religious liberty held at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Contributors include:

• Barrett Duke
• Paige Patterson
• Thomas White
• Malcolm B. Yarnell III
• Richard D. Land
• Craig Mitchell
• Daniel R. Heimbach
• Russell D. Moore
• Emir F. Caner
• Paul Pressler

Published by B&H Academic in May 2007. Available for purchase online.

Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches

Edited by Thomas White, Jason G. Duesing, and Malcolm B. Yarnell III

A must read for all pastors and church leaders, Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches features the scholarship and practical guidance of ten leading theologians:

• Daniel Akin
• David Allen
• Emir Caner
• Mark Dever
• John Hammett
• Jason Lee
• R. Stanton Norman
• Thomas White
• Gregory Wills
• Malcolm B. Yarnell III

Published by Kregel Academic & Professional in December 2007. Available for purchase online.

Franchising McChurch: Feeding Our Obsession with Easy Christianity

By Thomas White and John Mark Yeats

We live in a fast-food nation, where the service is efficient, the products are peer-tested, and size is king. And this consumer-driven approach is seeping into the church.

Across the country, churches are creating entertaining, pop culture-savvy services that feel more market-driven than ministry. On the menu? A proven blend of dynamic music, high-tech dazzle, and topical teachings. And just like any successful product, churches are launching campuses that build on their brand.

But is the franchised church of today leading to the disenfranchised believers of tomorrow? Though thousands flock to these services, how many lives are truly being changed? Have we traded real truth for relevancy?

Franchising McChurch takes an honest look at the rise of consumer-minded ministries. Authors Thomas White and John Yeats tackle a spiritual shift that is raising provocative issues such as:

• The blurry line between entertainment and evangelism
• A marketing approach to ministry
• The warped yardstick for measuring church success
• Feel-good messages that avoid tough truths

Candid and compelling, Franchising McChurch calls us back to the heart of Christ's church, and shares the Biblical design for delivering meaningful, life-changing ministry in a fast-food world.

Published by David C. Cook in February 2009. Available for purchase online.

Upon This Rock: A Baptist Understanding of the Church

Edited by Thomas White, Jason G. Duesing, and Malcolm B. Yarnell III

Upon This Rock gathers presentations from a conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and answers such questions as:

• What is the basis for our denominational distinctives?
• Are they merely a collection of “faded traditions” or true doctrinal necessities rooted in the Bible alone?
• Are they theologically rich cornerstones of faith that easily transcend time, culture, and preference?

Contributors include:

• Malcolm B Yarnell III
• Paige Patterson
• Thomas and Joy White
• Bart Barber
• Jason G. Duesing
• David Allen
• Emir F. Caner
• James Leo Garrett, Jr.
• Byron McWilliams

Published by B&H Academic in October 2010. Available for purchase online.

The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists: Restoring New Testament Christianity

According to the scholarly and pastoral authors of this essay collection, sixteenth-century Anabaptists have much to teach Baptists and other Free Church evangelicals.

A study of the lives and theology of evangelical Anabaptists encourages a reader to dig deeper into the Bible, count the cost of discipleship to Jesus Christ, and commit oneself to engaging the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The theological commitment of Anabaptists like Balthasar Hubmaier to the supremacy of the Word of God encourages us to live by the motto that "the truth is unkillable." The example of Leonhard Schiemer, who understood that following Jesus meant taking up the cross of Jesus Christ, prepares one for the joyous difficulty of a life of discipleship. The loving attitude, missionary fervor, and desire for communal integrity of leaders like Hans Denck and Michael Sattler draws us into a stronger commitment to share the gospel from an authentically Christian heart and life.

Finally, such great contemporary leaders as Paige Patterson and Rick Warren have drawn upon the legacy of the evangelical Anabaptists to build great churches and seminaries. Their thoughts and stories are included here to encourage the recovery of the Anabaptist vision among Baptists and other free churches today.

These papers also serve as a Festschrift honoring the lifelong work of Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in the study of the Radical Reformation. Indeed, he has inspired the recovery of the Anabaptist vision as a means of restoring New Testament Christianity.

Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook, Volume 4

Preach great sermons and plan innovative worship services with the newest edition of Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook. This is the same sermon planner you have come to depend on for more than ten years, now with a disc included for your convenience! In this volume, look for sermons, articles, and sermon starters by Dr. Greg Thornbury, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Dr. Thomas White, Dr. Jason Allen, Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor Greg Laurie, Dr. Mac Brunson, Pastor Jim Cymbala, Dr. Robert Sloan, Dr. Albert Mohler, Dr. Russell Moore, Dr. Jason Duesing, Dr. Jamie Rasmussen, and Dr. O.S. Hawkins, general editor. These outstanding pastors provide an entire year’s worth of preaching and worship resources with a new, topical focus. Look for a new volume every fall.

Features include:

• Sermons, creative outlines, illustrations, and quotes
• Worship helps, including hymns, prayers, and Scripture texts
• Inspirational thoughts and preaching techniques
• Sermons for special occasions and holidays
• Disc containing all sermons and sermon starters

Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebooks sold to date: More than 140,000.

First Freedom: The Beginning and End of Religious Freedom

Challenges to religious liberty are increasingly common today as historical Christianity comes into conflict with a new, secular orthodoxy. In this thoroughly revised second edition of First Freedom, leading evangelical scholars present the biblical and historical foundations for religious freedom in America, and address pressing topics such as:

• Religious freedom and the exclusivity of the Gospel
• The Christian doctrine of religious liberty
• Religious liberty and the public square
• Religious freedom and the sexual revolution
• Baptist contributions to religious freedom, and much more

First Freedom to equip churches, pastors, and Christian citizens to uphold this First Amendment freedom. In addition to editing First Freedom, White wrote the chapters titled “Religious Liberty and the Christian University” and “The Defense of Religious Liberty by the Anabaptists and the English Baptists.”

Released October 15, 2016, this book sold out its first printing within a week.