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Calvinism: what's ahead for the Southern Baptist Convention

Below is an experiment I completed on a nifty new cloud-based presentation software I'm testing. For those who've stayed safe with Powerpoint, there are some really cool services out there which offer a lot more bang for the buck than Microsoft gives you in the box. Know the content in the presentation represents part of a conference session I did for a south Georgia Baptist association. Believe it or not, the Calvinist debate in the SBC is only now trickling down into grassroots churches. They are concerned. They want to... Read more →

From Mark Driscoll to Heath Mooneyham

When I first wrote about former young, restless, and reformed icon, Mark Driscoll, in 2009, I received no small kickback from prominent Southern Baptists informing others I was spreading gossip (I wrote several pieces on Driscoll since the first one; note my pieces on Driscoll speaking at Liberty Universtiy as well; an exhaustive list on Driscoll at SBC Tomorrow may be helpful). The kickback in the comment threads on the posts represent much of what I'm referring to in the private realm. Now that Driscoll is no longer being touted... Read more →

Oliver Crisp stands as a vindication of David Allen's work on limited atonement

Just finished scanning my copy of Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology by Fuller Theological Seminary Professor of Systematic Theology, Oliver Crisp. The short work (192 pages) promises to be an excellent resource for what's theologically happening in Reformed circles today. In passing, Crisp vindicates the tireless research on Christ's atonement by Dr. David Allen at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allen's resourceful work has effectively challenged Southern Baptist Calvinists who insist on embracing Limited Atonement arguing in many respects Limited Atonement is detrimental to Calvinism per se, consequently insisting on Limited... Read more →

Can scholars reach the general readership or is the general readership too dumb-downed to grasp it?

Jonathan Wilson, a PhD candidate in American intellectual history at Syracuse University, writes an interesting piece on The Junto, a group blog on early American history the contributors of which are all graduate students or "green" faculty1 whose speciality is or will be within the sphere of pre/post-Colonial America. "One-Star Amazon Reviews of Pulitzer Winners" is an intriguing post the consequent of which is Wilson's personal examination of all the one-star reviews published at Amazon books for all Pulitzer prizes winners in historical monographs from 1995-2014 (115 total reviews on... Read more →

Alcohol Today, Alcohol Tomorrow: Are Southern Baptists any closer to agreement?

Six weeks ago, Nicole Kalil wrote an article for the Florida Baptist Witness entitled "Tallahassee pastor tolerant when it comes to alcohol." Kalil profiled Tallahassee's City Church lead pastor, Dean Inserra, concerning his views on alcohol consumption. Kalil framed Inserra's view as him deciding to not make "moderate consumption of alcohol a big deal" leading him to reportedly affirm the Convention's position as unnecessary. "We lose credibility when we force culture issues as absolutes," Inserra reportedly concluded. Since moderately imbibing intoxicating beverages constitutes a "gray area of Scripture," Inserra desires... Read more →

Brewton-Parker College: What's keeping you?

Braxton's List: a Georgia Baptist leader speaks out about cyber-bullying

While social media bullies continue their endless crusades in recklessly making life as miserable as possible for those whom they vow to harass, one Georgia pastor steps to the plate and knocks it out of the park. The following short piece by Vadalia First Baptist Church pastor and former Georgia Baptist Convention president, Bucky Kennedy, was recently published in The Christian Index 1 As the Index notes, Pastor Kennedy reflects on the death of Braxton Caner on July 29. The 15-year-old Texas high school football star was the son of... Read more →