Baptist Apocalypticism in the Philippines: Narratives and Theologies (1900-2020s)

Abstract

The paper contends that eschatology, specifically apocalyptic theology, shapes a vital influence in forming the Baptist movement—and most Evangelicals—theology in the Philippines. In the 1500s, Spain offered the Roman Catholic Christian faith to the Filipinos as a means of colonization. Likewise, after more than three centuries, American missionaries came and proclaimed Protestant Christianity—in the form of Evangelicalism, including the Baptist faith. These missionaries arrived with a colonizing mindset; hence, historically and theologically speaking, Filipino Baptists originated within a Western American evangelical context. While the above statement is valid, Indigenous narratives, experiences, and theologies require representations locally and globally. Hence, this paper offers a Filipino perspective of a historical sketch of the early stages of the Baptist movement in the Philippines as a prophetic fulfillment. Moreover, the paper argues that the Baptist movement in the Philippines is rooted in eschatological, apocalyptic theology from the beginning to its recent developments. Initially, the paper introduces how Baptist missionaries—and Evangelicals—entered the Philippines with a colonial mindset. Next, it offers a brief historical religious background of the Philippines and a definition of a Filipino Baptist identity known as ‘Baptist Quadrilateral.’ In addition to this quadrilateral, the paper argues that eschatology is vital to Filipino Baptist identity. This final section presents how apocalyptic theology shaped the Baptist movement from its beginnings through this contemporary period.