Baptist Piety: The Last Will and Testament of Obadiah Holmes

Baptist Piety examines the life and religious convictions of Obadiah Holmes, a 17th-century Baptist minister in colonial New England. The book centers on Holmes' last will and testament, using it as a lens to understand Baptist theology and practice in early America. The narrative traces Holmes' journey from England to the colonies and his transformation from Puritan to Baptist believer. His experiences with religious persecution and his role in establishing Baptist communities provide context for understanding religious dissent in colonial America. Through analysis of primary documents and historical records, the book reconstructs the religious landscape of Rhode Island and Massachusetts during a period of theological upheaval. The text includes a complete transcription of Holmes' will along with scholarly commentary on its significance. The work speaks to broader themes of religious liberty, individual conscience, and the complex relationship between faith and civil authority in American history. Holmes' testament serves as both a personal statement of faith and a historical document that illuminates the development of Baptist identity in colonial America.

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🔷 Obadiah Holmes was publicly whipped in Boston in 1651 for his Baptist beliefs, receiving 30 lashes that left him unable to lie down for weeks. He refused to let anyone pay his fine, believing it would admit wrongdoing. 🔷 Edwin S. Gaustad was one of America's most respected religious historians, teaching at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside while authoring over a dozen books on American religious history. 🔷 Holmes' last will and testament provides rare first-hand insight into 17th-century Baptist theology and personal piety, as such documents from ordinary colonial Americans seldom survived. 🔷 Before becoming a Baptist, Holmes was initially a Puritan who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1638. His conversion highlights the religious tensions and evolution of faith in colonial New England. 🔷 The book includes Holmes' complete last will and testament, which he wrote as both a legal document and a spiritual testimony to his 8 children - an unusual combination that offers unique historical value.