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Foundations*63*(November*2012):*1119116**REVIEW*ARTICLE*Baptism:)Three)Views)Edited*by*David*F.*Wright,*with*contributions*by*Sinclair*B.*Ferguson,*Anthony*N.*S.*Lane,*Bruce*A.*Ware*IVP*Academic,*2009,*200*pp,*£10.99)*There*are*two*opposite*errors*that*evangelical*Christians*easily*stumble*into*on*the*topic*of*baptism:*we*treat*it*with*too*little*or*too*much*importance.**The* former* error,* I* assume,* is* more* common* these* days.* The* thinking*here*is,*the*West*is*secularising;*we*live*in*post9Christendom*now;*let’s*not*divide* over* non9essentials.* Instead* we* must* affirm* the* main* thing* we* all*share*–*the*gospel.*The* latter* error,* more* common* perhaps* in* former* times,* is* still* found*wherever*provincial*mindsets*cannot*see*that*the*work*of*Christ’s*kingdom*is* afoot* in* denominations* beyond* their* own.* My* own* denomination,* the*Southern*Baptist*Convention*(SBC)*in*the*United*States,*often*succumbs*to*this*temptation.*I*remember*one*convention*speech*where*the*speaker*made*some* remark* about* “As* goes* the* SBC,* so* goes* Christianity* in* America.* As*goes* Christianity* in* America,* so* goes* Christianity* in…”* You* can* guess* how*that*horrible*progression*of*thought*ends.**The* solution* to* the* first* error* is* to* recognise* that* baptism* may* not* be*essential,* but* it* is* important.* The* solution* to* the* second* is* to* realise* that*baptism*is*important,*but*not*essential.*In*short,*Christians*need*at*least*three*categories* for* setting* theological* priorities:* essential,* important,* and*unimportant.*We*often*miss*that*middle*category,*and*act*as*if*everything*is*either*essential*or*completely*unimportant.*Baptism*is*not*essential*because*it*does*not*save.*The*word*of*the*gospel*alone* saves.* Yet* baptism* is* important* because* (i)* it* proclaims* the* gospel*visibly;*(ii)*it*helps*to*protect*the*gospel*from*generation*to*generation;*and*(iii)*it*serves*to*publicly*identify*the*people*of*heaven*on*earth,*both*for*their*sake*and*for*the*sake*of*the*nations.**To*help*us*sort*through*several*prominent*views*on*baptism*comes*the*helpful*book*Baptism:)Three)Views,)edited*by*the*late*professor*of*patristics*and*Reformation*Christianity,*David*F.*Wright.*Presbyterian*minister*Sinclair*Ferguson* presents* the* case* for* infant* or* paedobaptism.* Baptist* theologian*Bruce*Ware*agues*for*believers’*baptism*or*credobaptism.*And*professor*of*historical*theology*Anthony*Lane*offers*a*dual9practice*position.****My*younger*sister,*who*was*raised*a*Baptist*like*me*but*now*attends*a*Presbyterian*church*with*her*husband*and*a*newborn,*recently*asked*me*for*a* good* lay9level* book* on* the* topic.* I* happily* commended* this* one.* It* is**