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An Exchange on "A Critique of Limited Atonement" by David Allen in Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique

Several weeks ago, I posted a mini-review of Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique on my Facebook feed. I gave it favorable remarks specifically highlighting a few of its chapters one of which was David Allen's chapter critiquing the Reformed understanding of limited atonement. No recent scholar in Baptist life has researched and written more on the biblical, theological, and historical understanding of the extent, intent, and application of the atonement. His mammoth work on the extent of the atonement remains a remarkable display of his accomplished scholarship. There were... Read more →

The Prayer and The Preaching by W.M. Lea as Published in The Baptist, Feb 20, 1875

Elect Infants by J. B. Searcy as Published in The Baptist--Memphis, May 3, 1878

Dr. Thomas O. Summers, in his paper of March 29th, crowds his Presbyterian friends very closely on the subject of "Elect Infants" and infant damnation; and copies the following to show that they are guilty: "Every theologian knows that not only Calvin, but also the divines who constructed the original doctrinal standards of the Calvinistic churches, held and taught that only a part of those dying in infancy are saved. Some, like Paraeis and Zanchius, held that only a portion, even of the children of believing parents, so dying, are... Read more →

A. H. Newman on Calvinism and religious liberty

pic source The year 2017 marks the 500th year since the Protestant Reformation was launched by Martin Luther's legendary nailing of his 95 theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. And while John Calvin was only 8 years old when Luther began the protestant religious revolution, Calvin's theology became the standard expression of Reformed theology. Some attribute to Calvin and Calvinism the development of our broad American liberties including "anti-statism, the belief in transcendent principles of law as the foundation of an ethical legal system, free... Read more →

Kehukee Baptist Association formed from stolen churches?

In 1765, the Kehukee Baptist Association met for the first time and was organized as an association. The Philadelphia Baptist Association had commissioned Peter Van Horn and Benjamin Miller as missionaries to go south into North Carolina to "visit the churches and preach the Gospel." Their mission was to churches, not to the masses moving into the southern Colonies. Specifically, the two missionaries visited General Baptist churches planted by Paul Palmer and other "Free-will" Baptists. According to Kehukee's historian, Through their instrumentality [Van Horn and Miller], many people were awakened;... Read more →

Esteemed Southern Baptist Historian, Thomas J. Nettles on the formation, decline, and comeback of the Southern Baptist Convention

source In 2014, Thomas J. Nettles retired as professor of historical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he had taught since 1997. Dr. Nettles' theological instruction spanned a full 38 years in the classroom of various theological institutions including Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Nettles is considered by many to be one of the foremost Baptist historians alive today. Beginning early in the 1980s, two of his books, one of which was co-authored by the late L. Russ Bush, ranked... Read more →

Another Calvinist icon apparently falls--Tom Chantry

source In the short span of three years, at least four icons among Calvinist super-stars seems to have fallen: C. J. Mahaney. Mark Driscoll. Tullian Tchividjian. And now, Tom Chantry. Of the four, it appears Driscoll is the moral cream of the crop. While he abused pastoral authority and was careless and sloppy with his writings, Driscoll's faithfulness to his family appears in tact. And what he may have done wrong at the now defunct Mars Hill Church, there seems to be no child abuse scandal looming in the dark... Read more →

J. B. Jeter on the intensity of discussions between Calvinists and Non-Calvinists

Jeremiah Bell Jeter (1802-1880) was a Southern Baptist pastor, statesman, and denominational leader in the 19th century. By all historians' accounts, Jeter was a leading light of influence in Southern Baptist life and remains a key figure in establishing the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. He served several historic churches including the First Baptist Church Richmond, Virginia (1836-1849). At that time, Richmond's church had a total membership in excess of 1,700 members, two thirds of which were African-American ("1384 Negro and 333 white"). He was instrumental in organizing the First... Read more →

John Gano--an alternate description of an early American Calvinist missionary

John Gano (1727-1804) remains a hero among Baptist Calvinists for his role in evangelizing the heathen in mid-18th century. picture source For example, Baptist pastor and historian, Tom Ascol, highlights Gano's role as a gospel preacher commissioned by the Charleston Association to show how Regular (Particular) Baptists were "thoroughly evangelistic:" ...the [Charleston] association commissioned John Gano to preach the gospel at the Jersey Settlement on the banks of the Yadkin River—not far from Sandy Creek—in what is now North Carolina. Far from being a dividing point, Sandy Creek actually became... Read more →

Al Mohler on Heresy: Let’s show humility…sometimes

Al Mohler's anticipated response to the latest theological square-off concerning technical points of Trinitarian doctrine among evangelical academics is finally here. One theologian promoted with pleasure Mohler's latest piece: Mohler's statesmanship is specifically mentioned. Yes, Mohler indicates more than once—not including his title—humility remains a key factor in these sorts of theological exchanges. While it's true there's a danger in ignoring real heresy on the one hand (Liberals do this), there exists a second danger like with the boy who cried wolf. Some genuine doctrinal disagreements have nothing at all... Read more →

Zwingli on the fate of Baptists--"Drown the dippers!"

source Melancthon smiled when Servetus was put to death by Calvin. When the magistrates of Zurich consulted Zuinglius on the fate of some poor Baptists, " Drown the dippers" —said the Reformer. --"Historical Sketch of the Baptist Denomination" Midland Association, England, 1832 Save Save Read more →

Calvinism: Essential or Non-essential?

Aaron Menikoff is presently senior pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia (metropolitan Atlanta). Menikoff holds a PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is author of Politics and Piety (Pickwick. 2014). He also served as an aide to United States Senator, Mark O. Hatfield, and occasionally blogs at The Gospel Coalition. Menikoff's latest piece entitled "When Grace Hurts the Church" addresses churches that find themselves possessing different theologies among the members and how they might navigate successfully through the often treacherous waters. Menikoff profiles his own... Read more →

Nineteenth Century Mississippi Baptists not strictly Calvinistic

According to Mississippi Baptist historians, Z. T. Leavell and T. J. Bailey, the first attempt by Mississippi Baptists to form a statewide convention failed.1 In 1823, three Baptist associations—Pearl River, Union, and Mississippi—proposed a meeting for all Mississippi Baptists for "preserving and continuing the ties of brotherly love"; for "union between sister associations; for "the propagation of the pure doctrines of the gospel"; and finally to prevent "innovations in practice and heresies in doctrine'" (p. 1321). After five to six years of ups and downs, the initial convention appeared to... Read more →

Georgia Baptists' Bethel Association Articles of Faith display no strict Calvinism

Recently, retired church history professor, Thomas Nettles, purported on the Founders Ministries blog that Baptists of the south were virtually all strict Calvinists, an historical proposition I contend can only be demonstrated by looking through the lens of historical reductionism. Nettles cited several confessions held by Baptists in the south to illustrate his point. For over ten years, I've logged relevant sources to prove mine; namely, that while 19th century Baptists in the south were largely influenced by strict Calvinism, it's hardly demonstrable that 19th century Baptists in the south... Read more →

Gregory A. Wills: "Arminianism did not prosper in the Netherlands"

Gregory A. Wills summarily writes about the Synod of Dort's response to the Remonstrants, followers of Jacob Arminius. 'The Arminian Remonstrants summed up their doubts [i.e. concerning the purported teachings of John Calvin by Theodore Beza, et al] in five points. The Dutch church hosted the Synod of Dort, a gathering of the leaders of Europe's Reformed churches, which answered each point…These became known as the "five points of Calvinism."'1 Wills then writes, "Arminianism did not prosper in the Netherlands but attracted many followers in England and America." So far... Read more →

Mark Dever is (or was) a slobbering five point Calvinist

Though acknowledging about his church that he doesn't "for a moment care if they call themselves Calvinists" but instead cares whether they are Christ's disciples, Capital Hill Baptist Church pastor and founder of 9Marks, Mark Dever, reportedly said in a two-decade old Baptist Press article (7/30/96) he was a "slobbering five-point Calvinist." I describe myself to my congregation, though not on Sunday mornings, as a slobbering five-point Calvinist... Interesting indeed. I wonder if Dr. Dever is as publicly embolden concerning being a self-described slobbering five point Calvinist today as he... Read more →

Alabama Baptist association circular letter--"Christ Jesus made an atonement, general in its nature"

Below is a snippet from a circular letter published in 1843 for the North River United Baptist Association in 1843. Beginning in 1832, David Andrews an "Arminian" pastor was ousted from Bethel Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa and eventually led in the formation of the North River association. In the 1843 minutes, the circular letter is printed in full: But Brethren, pause and think back, and take a view of the situation of the churches in this section of country, some ten or twelve years ago, and contrast the condition of... Read more →

Heretic began Louisiana Baptist state paper

Louisiana Baptists' first denominational paper began in 1855 at Mount Lebanon, LA. Named Louisiana Baptist with Hanson Lee as its first editor, the paper was reportedly "ranked with the ablest religious journals of the south." Nonetheless, the paper suffered fatal ups and downs over the next two decades, changing owners several times, until it was sold to J.R. Graves in 1869 and subsequently discontinued. Almost ten years passed when Louisiana pastor, S.C. Lee heeded the call of Louisiana Baptists the state over of the need for a weekly newspaper to... Read more →

"A soteriology without Calvinism is a path to bad religion and compromised churches." --Tom Nettles

"A soteriology without Calvinism is a path to bad religion and compromised churches." --Tom Nettles Claims like the above from aggressive Calvinists among Southern Baptists is precisely why I began this blog in 2006 posting non-Calvinist sources throughout the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, sources that High Calvinists like Nettles routinely ignore. For Nettles, the chief causal reason for the theological compromise on Scripture addressed by the Conservative Resurgence beginning in 1979 appears to be the loss of High Calvinism (i.e. T.U.L.I.P.) in the convention. And, too, according to... Read more →

Majority of Baptist churches in United States in 1894 held to "evangelical anti-Augustinianism"

"Calvinistic and Arminian Baptists have both had periods of extreme development, the former sometimes scarcely escaping fatalism and antinomianism, the latter sometimes falling into Socinian denial of the deity of Christ and Pelagian denial of original sin. The great majority of the Baptists of today hold to what may be called moderate Calvinism, or Calvinism tempered with the evangelical anti-Augustinianism which came through the Moravian Brethren to Wesley and by him was brought powerfully to bear on all bodies of evangelical Christians" A. H. Newman, A History of the Baptist... Read more →

Is it OK for God to slaughter women and children anytime He pleases?

A few years ago, theologian John Piper had this to say in response to the question, "Why was it right for God to slaughter women and children in the Old Testament? How can that ever be right?" "It's right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases. God gives life and he takes life. Everybody who dies, dies because God wills that they die. God is taking life every day. He will take 50,000 lives today. Life is in God's hand. God decides when your last heartbeat will... Read more →

W.A. Criswell and Calvinism…Again

source When the Traditional Statement was released in 2012, it drew fire from many Calvinistic quarters across the evangelical spectrum not the least of which was Founders Ministries, then the largest network of Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention. Accompanying many of the criticisms of the document was an appeal for theological support from the late Pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas, Texas and Southern Baptist legend, W.A. Criswell. For example, Tom Ascol, the executive director of Founders Ministries, wondered aloud if Criswell would attach his name to the recent... Read more →

J.B. Nicholson, Jr.: 'Confessions of a Zero-Point Calvinist'

Undoubtedly, one of the most well-known Brethren believers remains the late Dave Hunt (1926-2013) who founded The Berean Call. Hunt's specialty was in the area of sectarian Christianity (i.e. "cults"), broadly establishing himself as an expert in the field and often debating "cult" leaders of almost every theological stripe.1 Sometime in the early 2000s, Hunt entered the theological battleground outside his studied specialty of Christian "cults" and began to critique a movement making waves across the evangelical landscape, including causing quite a stir among Brethren believers.2 The theological movement was... Read more →

No difference between strict Calvinism and "Mahometanism" in viewing sovereignty?

Below are two descriptive selections from two 19th century sources, one selection of which describes Calvinism's view of sovereignty and the other Mahometanism's view (or, in today's term, Islam's view). The first is from an essay in Review & Expositor by famed Southern Baptist historian, A.H. Newman, entitled "The Calvinism of Calvin." The selection to be compared is from an entry entitled "Mahometanism" in Buck's Theological Dictionary (1838). A.H. Newman on Calvinism: "Before the first man was created God had established (statuerat) what he willed should take place (fieri) concerning... Read more →

God avenges Calvinist church by striking dead a non-Calvinist preacher

THE CHURCH IN PORTSMOUTH AND NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. In the year 1789, there were a few members in Portsmouth and its vicinity, who were of the Baptist society, but were members in the church at Shoulders's Hill. Through the instrumentality of Elders Elijah Baker, Thomas Armistead and others, there were several added in Portsmouth and Norfolk. After which, the members petitioned the Association, then held in the Isle of Wight, to send helps to constitute them into a church. Whereupon Elders John Meglamre and David Barrow were sent; who, when attending,... Read more →

Charleston tradition loses influence at Brown Creek Baptist Association

In the Fall of 1854, several churches from North Carolina's Moriah Baptist Association—an association birthed by The Charleston Association in 1815--decided to organize another association. Meeting at the Wilson Chambers School House (school located across the road from Mt. Olive Baptist Church), the Brown Creek Baptist Association was constituted.1 The association may have taken its name from Brown Creek Baptist Church (1773). In 1884, the name changed from the Brown Creek Baptist Association to Union Baptist Association.2 The minutes of the meeting reveal the mindset the churches possessed toward the... Read more →

North Carolina’s Friendship Baptist Association organized in 1861 as non-Calvinistic

On Oct. 25-26, 1861, a group of Baptist delegates from several churches met with the Valley Town Baptist Church on Valley River in North Carolina and organized the Friendship Baptist Association.1 Among the first orders of business was adoption of a confession of faith which all the churches forming the alliance could embrace. Below is the Confession of Faith originally adopted by the Friendship Baptist Association in 1861. 1. We believe in one only living and true God, and that there are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the... Read more →

Baptist Association birthed over election and predestination

Named after the French Broad River flowing 210 miles from Western North Carolina to East Tennessee, the French Broad Baptist Association organized in 1807 with six churches, three each from two existing associations—Holston Association and Broad River Association.1 The organizers immediately prepared for adoption both a Covenant and Rules of Decorum for the newly established association. The Covenant or confession of faith contained twelve articles, the first four of which are provided below: Article 1. We believe in the only living and true God, and that there are three persons... Read more →

1807 Abington Baptist Association Confession of Faith: Will history finally vindicate Southern Baptist Traditionalists?

After frequently corresponding with one another, a convention of messengers from three Pennsylvania Baptist churches was held on Saturday, December 26, 1807, at the Abington log cabin home of Rev. John Miller for the purpose of forming a new Baptist association.1 Quite interesting to us is the confession of faith the Abington churches chose as their charter document of belief. The churches oddly but apparently sought little, if any, assistance in forming their association from what's now the oldest Baptist association in America, The Philadelphia Baptist Association, an association a... Read more →

Early American Baptists divided over atonement and missions

Three years after the township of Caroline, New York was organized in 1811, Baptists followed by organizing the First Baptist Church of Caroline. According to an historical sketch of Tompkins County penned in 1894, "This society [i.e. the First Baptist Church] was organized in 1814 with fourteen members and Rev. Pliny SABIN pastor. In 1848 a house of worship was erected; this was removed in 1863 and a neat building erected at Brookton, which was dedicated January 11, 1864; its cost was $2,500. The society also owns a parsonage. The... Read more →

Anabaptists not Reformers unloaded the theological dead wood of medievalism

Below is an excerpt from a 1918 historical essay by Rufus M. Jones (1863-1948), Quaker Christian and then Professor at Haverford College. Published in Harvard Theological Review, "The Anabaptists and Minor Sects in the Reformation" remains an enlightening read on the rise of Anabaptism during (and even before) the days when reformers like Luther, Calvin and Zwingli were considered the leading lights of protest against the Roman Catholic Church. Concerning the Magisterial Reformers, even though they did what Jones describes as a "monumental piece of work" in changing the course... Read more →

'Christ our Representative' by Christmas Evans

Christmas Evans (1766-1838) remains a legend among Welsh Baptists even to modern times. Below is a quote from one of his evangelistic sermons. Search the streets of Jerusalem; go to the garden of Gethsemane; inquire on the hill of Calvaiy. Who is willing to die for sinners to-day? There is the tree. There is the executioner, with hammer and nails. - Who will offer himself a sacrifice there, for the redemption of man? None but Jesus. None but Jesus was able ; none but Jesus was willing. “Here am I,”... Read more →

Sandy Creek Baptists viewed Reformed doctrine of election "troubling"

Emir Caner, President of Truett-McConnell College, writes an informative piece on the Sandy Creek tradition in the latest volume of the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry published by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Contra the view of many Southern Baptist Calvinists who dismiss virtually all theological distinctions between the Sandy Creek Baptist tradition and the so-called Charleston Baptist tradition, Dr. Caner suggests that "The Reformed definition of election was particularly troubling to those birthed out of a Sandy Creek (Separatist) heritage." He then quotes from famed Baptist historian, George... Read more →

'Southern seminary founded to combat the great Arminian heresy'

"The founder of this seminary, whose portrait sits behind you, identified Arminianism as one of the three great heresies this institution was established to combat.” --President Al Mohler to Barry Hankins in interview-- "Oral Memoirs of R. Albert Mohler, Jr." Read more →

Lewis Duncan, Missouri Baptists, and General Atonement

1Lewis Duncan (1806-1852) was a native of Virginia, and born in Culpepper County, March 1st, 1806. Duncan grew up in moderate circumstances but nonetheless only received a partial common-school education. However, he managed to acquire a sufficient knowledge of the English branches to teach school. He professed conversion and was baptized in the spring of 1828. After his ordination to the ministry, Duncan quit teaching school. On October 16th, 1828, Duncan's family started for Missouri arriving about the middle of the following December and settling in Lincoln County where Lewis... Read more →

Did Jesus tell Nicodemus he must be born again so he can believe the gospel?

I recently posted F.H. Kerfoot's editorial correction to James P. Boyce's teaching that regeneration precedes faith in the Ordo salutis published in Boyce's first edition of the Abstract of Systematic Theology (1887). Kerfoot was recommended to the trustees by Boyce himself to take over the theology chair at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. At first, Kerfoot became co-professor of theology alongside Boyce. However, that lasted only a short time due to Boyce's declining health. Thus, Kerfoot became the head of the theology department and served the chair of theology upon Boyce's... Read more →

Evangelical surprise: Billy Graham just may be a Calvinist!

On October 28, Dr. Rick Patrick, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Sylacauga, Alabama posted a piece entitled "25 Traditional SBC Heroes" at SBC Today. Patrick named as the top contender for the number one hero amongst traditional Southern Baptists the Rev. Billy Graham. While one might quibble whether Graham deserves the no.1 hero seed, few would question whether Graham should make the hero lineup for traditional Southern Baptists. Within the comment thread, however, some extreme Calvinists (and perhaps others not so extreme) actually raised the question as to whether Billy... Read more →

Does teaching regeneration precedes faith imply salvation by works?

In 1965, Roy L. Aldrich, then President of Detroit Bible College, wrote a paper published in Bibliotheca Sacra entitled “The Gift of God.” The scope of the brief piece was to refute the Calvinistic notion that faith was a gift of God only to the elect. Below is an excerpt from Aldrich’s essay which should, in my view, nail the proverbial coffin shut on Calvinism’s unscriptural ordo salutis. Most Calvinistic commentators believe that the gift of Ephesians 2:8 is saving faith rather than salvation: “For by grace are ye saved... Read more →

F.H. Kerfoot on the Limited Atonement teaching of James P. Boyce: 'constant tendency of strong Calvinists is laying too much emphasis on the limitations’

The most obvious dissent F.H. Kerfoot recorded in his editorial work of James P. Boyce's Abstract of Systematic Theology seems to be his explicit rejection of strict Calvinism's insistence upon the doctrine of Limited Atonement. Whatever other theological qualms Kerfoot possessed concerning what Boyce had absorbed and embraced while at Princeton, all of them appear to take second place to Kerfoot's understanding of the atonement. So far as the future of Southern seminary and the seminary's student body were concerned, Kerfoot seemed convictionally fixed on teaching what he deemed the... Read more →

Redux: Southern Baptists Move Away from Rigid Calvinism: The Influence of F.H. Kerfoot

Below is a biographical piece on F. H. Kerfoot I forgot I originally posted almost eight years ago. I think it's vital info about Kerfoot relevant to the series of footnotes I'm presently posting from Kerfoot's editorial work on Boyce's Abstract of Systematic Theology republished in 1899. Note in the body of the piece my obvious unawareness that Kerfoot both challenged Boyce's position at several junctures and changed his wording at other key junctures to soften the strong Calvinism Boyce embraced in his textbook for future students at Southern seminary.... Read more →

F.H. Kerfoot's rejection of James P. Boyce's Federal Theology: "The reviser has always felt constrained to differ with the author"

In my last piece, I recorded the dissent F.H. Kerfoot noted concerning James Boyce's "regeneration precedes faith" doctrine almost universally proclaimed now by Southern Baptist Calvinists. Whether it's the young, restless, and reformed community or traditional "Founders" Calvinists, they routinely and almost invariably proclaim what R.C. Sproul famously calls the "cardinal point of Reformed theology." "When speaking of the order of salvation (ordo salutis), Reformed theology always and everywhere insists that regeneration precedes faith."1 In itself, this particular doctrine oozing from the neo-Calvinism resurgence accounts for a large part of... Read more →

F.H. Kerfoot says James P. Boyce "mistaken" concerning regeneration preceding faith

I recently ran across an essay Beeson Divinity School dean and professor, Timothy George, wrote in 1985 entitled "Systematic Theology at Southern Seminary." In the essay, George mentioned that perhaps the greatest accomplishment of James P. Boyce's chair of theology successor, F.H. Kerfoot, would be his editorial work on Boyce's magnum opus republished in 1899, Abstract of Systematic Theology. George also indicated some of the editorial comments Kerfoot included distanced himself from Boyce's strict Calvinism. I found George's claim facinating.3 Not having Kerfoot's edition nor any fortune in finding a... Read more →

Ron Vietti and Jim Crews' critics on Exposing Calvinism

Ron Vietti and Jim Crews (Vegas Campus) are co-pastors at Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, CA. Being the largest church in town, their recent exposé on Calvinism caused some Calvinists to experience complete meltdown. Vietti predicted with amazing accuracy the chatter splatter he would personally receive because of the stance he would take. But rather than focus on what some of the more hackneyed critics had to say, I'd like to turn our attention to an open letter written by Chad Vegas,1 Lead and Founding Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church... Read more →

Slip, slidin away: The Greasy Doctrine of Limited Atonement

Nineteenth century Baptist historian, David Benedict (1779-1874), details the forming of what is likely the very first Baptist church on American soil in Providence, RI by Roger Williams.1 Below are a few highlights one of which enlightens us concerning the theological shift that took place in the church while Williams was pastor. When they were out of the Massachusetts jurisdiction, they pitched in a place now called Rehoboth; but the men of Plymouth hearing thereof, sent to inform them that they were settled on lands within their territories. Now they... Read more →

F. H. Kerfoot softened James P. Boyce's strict Calvinism in first major edit

James P. Boyce is considered by many to be the "father" of historic Baptist Calvinism in America, especially Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention. Boyce's name is never far from those who speak of the theological "founders" of Southern Baptists. The president of Beeson Divinity School, Timothy George, wrote an essay in 1985 entitled "Systematic Theology at Southern Seminary" and published in Southern seminary's elder brother journal, Review and Expositor. In the section where he mentions the accomplishments of F.H. Kerfoot, Dr. George writes: Upon his death in 1888 Boyce... Read more →

Mental health expert describes Caner critic as "inhumane and not intellectually respectable"

On Thursday, October 2, during the regular chapel service at Brewton-Parker College, trustee chairman and pastor of Vidalia First Baptist Church, Bucky Kennedy, led a special time honoring the late Braxton Caner, son of President and Mrs. Jill Caner and older brother to Drake Caner. During the memorial time, Pastor Kennedy, who is also the Caner’s pastor, announced the establishment of The Braxton Caner Memorial Fund for the Prevention of Suicide and Cyber-bullying. The memorial fund was a way to honor the young Caner's brief life as well as address... Read more →

B.H. Carroll's commentary on James P. Boyce's systematic theology

When I graduated from Boyce in 1981, I received my brand new Abstract of Theology by James Petigru Boyce (1827-1888) compliments of Founders Ministries. And, while I've since moved on from the printed edition Founders gave me as a gift (and, as most know, I've also moved on from Founders), I nonetheless often consult Boyce digitally either through Kindle or Logos. The historic significance of Boyce's theological-intellectual contribution to early Southern Baptists cannot be overestimated. A slightly lesser light among towering figures of early Southern Baptists stands the magnificent Texan,... Read more →

David Allen on John Piper and Definite Atonement

I've had many opportunities over the last several years to log the stunning lack of biblical, theological, and historical evidences weighing in favor of Calvinism's most vulnerable petal on its well-nigh universal symbol--the tulip--an acronym representing the five core doctrines Calvinists insist accurately summarizes the gospel teaching on salvation. The petal most at risk in T.U.L.I.P. is the centerpiece, the L as in Limited Atonement. Unfortunately for Calvinists, among the greatest critics historically, and perhaps it's not too much to suggest among the most effective critics of Limited Atonement (i.e.... Read more →

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 →

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 →