In his day, practicing English pastor Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) was also the most prominent Baptist theologian on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. He remained influential via his thoughtful writings up until the American Civil War. Since then, however, the emphasis on theological and doctrinal depth in Baptist preaching (and preaching generally) has been in decline.

Now scholars are looking back at Fuller to provide an example of how pastors can relate doctrine to practice. He was not content to contribute to theological debate in print only; he also showed how the theological conclusions he had arrived at could be applied to local church ministry.