Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

en done to explore the nature of that connection. Pilli and Wier- chowski acknowledge the emotional appeal of worship and prayer during certain periods, yet do not investigate further the emotional experiences of Baptists or the role of emotion in creating a shared Baptist identity. Sources, of course, are one difficulty, yet the emerging collections of memoirs (now often published), correspondence, and oral histories provide a beginning for such work. Finally, an approach conspicuously lacking in this volume is the compar- ative. While the variety of nations and time periods represented, from the 1840s to the present, Siberia to Yugoslavia, allow readers to make compari- sons themselves over time and place, scholars as yet seem to have avoided such analysis. This is perhaps no surprise, as successful comparison assumes detailed knowledge of histories and languages of multiple time periods or nations, and often requires extensive travel, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Nonetheless, comparative research is an essential compo- nent in the delineation of national and international Baptist identities, especially given the international influences in the Baptist faith throughout Europe acknowledged by so many scholars in this volume. Hopefully insti- tutions such as IBTS, with its international student body, can help facilitate such research. French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs, in his seminal work, The Collec- tive Memory, noted that with the emergence of a written history, social or collective memory tends to disappear.’ Written accounts by professionals replace the pasted together memories, oft-repeated myths, and colourful tales repeated orally among families and friends. Well-researched lectures by seminary-trained historians and theologians, rather than anecdotal accounts, now tell the Baptist story to the next generation, and books, jour- nals and denominational archives serve as repositories in which the past is preserved. While such developments are laudable for their role in creating a ' See Maurice Halbwachs, The Collective Memory (New York: Harper & Row, 1980), pp. 78-87. 12 history that is scholarly and accessible, as well as systematically preserving critical oral and written sources, with them comes a heavy responsibility. Those writing history and developing archives have become the stewards of the past. It is our responsibility to our historical subjects to avoid demon- ising or heroising them - treating protagonists and antagonists alike with respect - and to seek to understand them, portraying their stories with sensitivity and as much accuracy as sources allow. Likewise, it is our respon- sibility to future generations to report the results of our research honestly, acknowledging weaknesses as well as strengths, sin alongside saintliness, such that our audience can relate to, identify with, and learn from past generations. While the complete picture will never be truly k