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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 →

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 →

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 →

Professor F.H. Kerfoot: A New Day for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Dr. Franklin Howard Kerfoot (1847-1901) though not a name widely recognized in Baptist circles today was, during the late 19th century, a formidable leader among Southern Baptists. He served as pastor, denominational leader and seminary professor >>> Dr. Kerfoot was born a Virginian but died a Georgian. After serving in the Confederate Army for a short period, he enrolled in Columbian College in Washington D.C. and excelled in his studies such that, in only three years, he received his M.S. and L.L.B. which normally took six. Afterward, Kerfoot spent a... Read more →