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Religious History Research Site
Jason R.
Smith Please note that I do not necessarily agree with the agendas and/or conclusions represented by the sites to which I provide links. These links are provided for informational purposes only. Please report any broken links to me. Return to the homepage |
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My Biases
As one should when analyzing the research of any scholar, recognizing biases is eminently important. Thus, I am saving you some time by listing the biases I have. =) Since most of my research focuses on religious issues, this list focuses on my particular views on the subject.
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First, I am theist. I have a strong belief in an ultimate Supreme Being. I think there are several reasons for a theistic world-view. More specifically, I am a Christian theist. As a matter of faith, I accept the claims of Jesus Christ as my standard for truth. This does not mean that I do not respect the right or will of persons who practice other religious systems. Yet more specifically, I am a Protestant Christian theist. While I do not agree with many of the actions of the Protestant reformers, I do agree with many of the ideas they represented. Getting even more specific, I am a baptist. As I have already stated about the reformers, there are certainly many actions of baptists which I do not agree with. Nevertheless, the ideals that have been connected to early baptists find a certain resonance with my beliefs. Chiefly, it the baptist concepts of the priesthood of all believers and religious liberty which I cherish the most.
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While these biases may not seem that radical to some, others may use them to dismiss my work as that of a religious bigot. Those that hold such a view are certainly within their right to do so, though that is an extreme measure in my opinion. A more reasonable approach is to take them into consideration, but not to overreact to them.