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Southern Baptist theologian and statesman E.Y. Mullins--'denominations generally--except Baptists--much perplexed over salvation of infants dying in infancy until recent years'

Mullins writes: "...Baptists have been the only adequate interpreters of the Reformation. … "The denominations generally, except Baptists, have been much perplexed over the salvation of infants dying in infancy, until recent years. Our Confession of 1660 contains a distinct article declaring that all infants dying in infancy are saved. I quote Article 10, p. 112: 'That all children dying in infancy, having not actually transgressed against the law of God in their own persons, are only subject to the first death, which comes upon them by the first Adam,... Read more →

No Southern Baptist should be 'in limbo' over Infants dying and going to Hell! by Ron F. Hale

Dr. Gerald Harris, the editor of the Christian Index, asked a pressing question in a recent editorial concerning the report of the Calvinism Advisory Team.1 He asked, "What Southern Baptists are there who do not believe that those who die before they are capable of moral action go to heaven?" His query is based on a section in the report that says, "We agree that most Southern Baptists believe that those who die before they are capable of moral action go to heaven through the grace of God and the... Read more →

Will "Infant Damnation Presbyterians" spawn "Infant Damnation Southern Baptists"? Part 2

In Part 1, I reprinted an article from The Baltimore Sun, May 26, 1908, an article reflecting the turmoil between Presbyterians who desired to change the Westminster Confession because it taught the eternal damnation of some infants and those Presbyterians who insisted the Confession should remain as it was originally written. One of the leaders was J.B. Mack, a well-known Presbyterian pastor, theologian, church planter and evangelist appointed by the Synod of Georgia. Below is an article written by Mack and originally published in The Atlanta Constitution, December 23, 1900.... Read more →

Christian Index editor pushes for answers from Calvinism Advisory Committee about babies burning in hell

Below is the most recent editorial by Christian Index editor, Gerald Harris.1 Entitled "A New Kind of Calvinism" Dr. Harris shares his perspective on the committee report released prior to the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention by Executive Committee President Frank Page. In addition Harris recalls his concern over one aspect of the committee report, a concern he expressed during the official Q/A at the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention. Harris rightly asked about the committee's affirmation that "most Southern Baptists believe that those who die before they are capable of moral... Read more →

Roger Olson: an Interview Revisited: Part 4

Today I offer the final installment on the interview series with Dr. Roger Olson, Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics, Truett Theological Seminary, Waco, TX. We talked in this final section on many issues raised in his latest book, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. I trust your understanding of Arminiansim has deepened as a result. Let's begin: Do you think the historic debate between God’s Sovereignty and human Free Will is where emphasis should be placed in discussions between Calvinists and Arminians, or are there other more significant discussions to... Read more →

Roger Olson: an Interview Revisited: Part 3

Today, we continue our Interview with Dr. Roger Olson, Professor of Theology, Truett Theology Seminary, Waco, Texas. This is part three of a four part series. Professor Olson is both an accomplished theologian in the Arminian tradition as well as a renowned historian of Christian Theology. His many books include The Story of Christian Theology, Who Needs Theology?, The Mosaic of Christian Belief, 20th-Century Theology, Pocket History of Theology, and under discussion today, his latest book, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. Welcome Dr. Olson... Professor, what does Classic Arminianism teach... Read more →

What Is Wrong With the Young, Restless and Reformed Movement? An Interpretive Essay by Dr. Paul Owen

Below is a solicited essay by Dr. Paul Owen. Dr. Owen is Professor of Greek and Religious Studies at Montreat College in North Carolina, where he has taught since 2001. Founded in 1916, Montreat College is the only liberal arts college in North Carolina that holds membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Dr. Owen’s academic articles and book reviews have been published in numerous venues, including the Calvin Theological Journal, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Journal of Biblical Literature, and Journal for the Study of the... Read more →

The Calvinism Advisory Committee report online...

The committee Frank Page put together to consider how to approach the continued conflict Calvinism has become in the Southern Baptist Convention has published its report. Entitled TRUTH, TRUST, and TESTIMONY in a TIME of TENSION: A Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee, the reader may find it in the current online edition of SBC Life. For your convenience, I posted a link below so the reader may download it as a PDF file. I do not want to comment on the report itself before carefully reading it first. But... Read more →

John Owen vs. Jesus Christ on the World of John 3:16

Here's our Lord Jesus in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (ESV) Here's John Owen, the theological darling of many contemporary Baptist Calvinists, in his rendition of what Jesus said in John 3:16: "God so loved his elect throughout the world, that he gave his Son with this intention, that by him believers might be saved" (The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, p.214) For some reason, there... Read more →

Is Calvinism comparable to a caste social construct?

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a caste social structure is "any of the ranked, hereditary, endogamous social groups, often linked with occupation, that together constitute traditional societies in South Asia, particularly among Hindus in India" (//link). The article goes on to suggest that "Although sometimes used to designate similar groups in other societies, the “caste system” is uniquely developed in Hindu societies." If I understand it correctly, certain characteristics identify how each class is to be socially ranked into each occupational category. And, once a social group is identified to be... Read more →

Baptist Press reports on the 2013 John 3:16 Conference

Baptist Press posted a good summary article on The 2013 John 3:16 Conference held at North Metro First Baptist Church March 21-22. It rightly cast the differences between the earlier conference as a planned response to each of the five-points Calvinism (T.U.L.I.P.) and this year's conference: "This year's event focused on six key questions pointing to theological differences between the conference's speakers and those Southern Baptists who identify with Calvinism or the Reformed tradition. The sessions included both professorial and pastoral presentations by Baptist college and seminary leaders as well... Read more →

Louisiana's Message republishes "The Calvinists are here" by Georgia's Christian Index editor, Gerald Harris

The Baptist Message recently posted a series of articles on the purported issue over Calvinism at Louisiana College. I received permission from The Message editor to re-post the four articles in full on my site since many Southern Baptists outside Louisiana are watching with concerned interest the fiasco taking place on the Baptist campus. Yet since so few of us outside Louisiana subscribe to The Message, we were left completely in the dark as to the content of the articles. You may find the first and second articles linked after... Read more →

"Vines left speechless by book in his honor" says a Southwestern seminary news release

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary posted a news release entitled "Vines left speechless by book in his honor." The article states: "Moments before standing to preach a sermon in a Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel service, well-known Southern Baptist preacher and former SBC president Jerry Vines was presented with a book written in his honor by prominent SBC pastors and theologians. The unexpected recognition left Vines in an unfamiliar state—speechless." Entitled Preach the Word! A Collection of Essays on Biblical Preaching in Honor of Jerry Vines (Free Church Press, 2013: David... Read more →

New Release by Free Church Press! The Secrets of a Great Church by Jerry Vines

Just in time for The John 3:16 Conference, The Secrets of a Great Church by Jerry Vines will be given free of charge to all registered participants. In addition, through the generosity of friends of Free Church Press and Jerry Vines Ministries, a complimentary copy will be available to messengers who drop by the booth at the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention in Houston, TX. Read more →

Truett-McConnell professor interviewed by Christian Index

Dr. Adam Harwood, Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at Truett-McConnell in Cleveland, Georgia was interviewed recently by The Christian Index. The interview appears in the latest edition. Below are answers to some of the questions1: Adam Harwood, assistant professor of Christian studies at Truett McConnell College, has written a book entitled “The Spiritual Condition of Infants.” Free Church Press has recently summarized the book into a 38-page volume, “Born Guilty: A Southern Baptist View of Original Sin.” Harwood will be addressing the John 3:16 Conference at North Metro First Baptist... Read more →

What is Calvinism? everything you need to know about Calvinism...and then some by Peter Lumpkins

Well it took long enough! The truth is, I've been so busily assisting others in getting their literary stuff published, I've continued to place on the back burner something from my own bean pot. Hence, I took a few days off to cook up this little piece which I think will help church folk understand the Calvinism issue. Below are a few words from the opening: “So, what do I desire to accomplish in this little book? Recall the subtitle—everything you NEED to know about Calvinism ... and then some.... Read more →

Born Guilty? A Southern Baptist View of Original Sin by Adam Harwood

Free Church Press announces a new and exclusive teaching series on biblical, theological, ethical, and ecclesial themes significant for Southern Baptists. The series will target people in the pew rather than those who have a theological background. While we believe all church leaders--including pastors and other staff leaders--will benefit from the series, the goal is to educate the millions of Southern Baptists who neither have theological or biblical degrees nor desire to wade through long, technical works to gain a reasonable grip on the essence of a particular subject. Thus,... Read more →

Craig Daliessio on good old-fashioned altar calls

Craig Daliessio, my friend and graduate of Liberty University, popular speaker, and author of A Ragamuffin Christmas , has a unique take on "altar calls."1 While conceding abuse of the altar call has been the unfortunate practice of some in evangelical and fundamentalist circles, Craig nonetheless laments the demise of genuine invitations and altar calls, especially among some of the contemporary churches where he often speaks. In "Gimme That Old Time Religion: Part 3: The Altar," he writes: "Another memory from my early days as a believer. Another seeming relic... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists: Part 6B: Augustine's Critics and Legacy by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford This is the final installment of Dr. Gifford's series on Augustine and Southern Baptists. I want to thank him for lending us his scholarship and pursuing this series at SBC Tomorrow. Be assured that the engagement in the comments did not accurately reflect either the number of readers Gifford's series had nor the significance of the series for future discussions about Original Sin, imputed guilt, original guilt, total depravity, free will, divine sovereignty, determinism, or any number of other subjects usually under the head of philosophy of... Read more →

The 2013 John 3:16 Conference is almost here

In November, 2008, the First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia hosted an insightful conference called The John 3:16 Conference, an event promising a scholarly evaluation of the recent Calvinist Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention >>> Past president of the Southern Baptist Convention and Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Jerry Vines, led the scheduled event at Woodstock. And, it did not disappoint. Subsequent to the conference, B&H Academic published the papers and sermons delivered in 2008 in a book entitled Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists: Part 6A: Augustine's Critics and Legacy by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford This is the last installment of my series on Augustine. I wanted to say at the outset of this post that I really appreciate all of you who took the time to read it. A great big thank you to Peter for graciously posting it on his blog. I also want to thank Ben Simpson, Ken Hamrick, and David Allen for helpful suggestions and feedback. Thanks to Christiane and Lydia for insights and links. Thanks also to Eric Hankins, Malcolm Yarnell, and Adam Harwood for kind words... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists Part 5: Augustine's Exegetical and Hermeutical Method by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford This next-to-last post will examine the exegetical and hermeneutical method Augustine employs in constructing his teachings on grace and providence. Before I begin, I want to state my deep indebtedness to Donato Ogliari and his fine work Gratia et Certamen [Grace and Struggle]. Most of the real research in this section is his and I have only summarized it. One may wonder why this section comes later in this series of posts than his assumptions and the examination of the sources of those assumptions. It should be... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists Part 4: The Upshot of Augustine's Assumptions: Divine Determinism by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford The third assumption in Augustine's thinking is his experience, based on personal observation, that some humans are not saved. In his own life, Augustine observed that some babies die before being baptized. For Augustine, reconciliation to God in Christ is impossible without baptism.1 Not everyone who was baptized was ultimately saved, but baptism for him was a "condition sine qua non" for salvation.2 Therefore anyone who died without baptism likewise died without hope of salvation. Combined with his views of God's unlimited power and humanity's helplessness, Augustine... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists Part 3B: Infralapsarian Humanity by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford A further difficulty in Augustine's thinking has been aptly pinpointed by John Rist. He writes, "The problem, as Augustine would rephrase it, is not, 'Why does God not save everyone?'; but 'Why does God save anyone?'; for we are all justly condemned. The problem would not be God's justice, but God's mercy which would seem unjust, or at least at the expense of justice".17 Ogliari continues, We must admit that, even though Augustine tried to reduce the brutality of a mechanical and infallible non-predestination of the non-elect,... Read more →

Augustine and Southern Baptists: Part 2: Augustine and Divine Omnipotence by Dr. Jim Gifford

Dr. Jim Gifford In this post, I will discuss the first of two assumptions Augustine brought to his theological method. That assumption is the strong, or absolute omnipotence of God. All Christians believe God has all power. Not all Christians agree that he exercises that power in the same way. One of the things that makes this explanation tricky is that a lot of theo-philosophical water has gone under the bridge (e.g. nominalism and voluntarism) between Augustine's time and ours. It is difficult to use terminology to explain Augustine's position... Read more →

G.W. Northrup on infants dying in infancy: The Western Recorder, Infant Salvation, and The Sovereignty of God: Part IV

In the final essay in his series critiquing strict Calvinism’s understanding of God’s Sovereignty in Predestination, Dr. G.W. Northrup proposes to “apply to the case of infants dying in infancy and of the congenitally idiotic the positions of the Calvinistic system already discussed.”1 On the whole, and contrary to many today who seem to feel the subject of infant salvation remains insignificant, Northrup contends for its extreme importance: “The question of the fate of those dying in infancy is one of vast theologic as well as of practical interest. For... Read more →

The Western Recorder, Infant Salvation, and The Sovereignty of God: Part III

In closing his third essay in the series entitled “The Sovereignty of God in Predestination as Held by Many Representative Calvinistic Theologians,” G.W. Northrup asked and answered two specific question. Below is a partial entry answering the first of the two questions: 1. Are mankind, at birth, under condemnation—"liable to the pains of hell forever," on the ground of the fall of Adam? The utter absence of any reference to the Adamic guilt as among the grounds of the sentence of condemnation to be pronounced at the day of judgment,... Read more →

Adam Harwood and J.W. MacGorman’s “dangerous,” “unorthodox” doctrine inevitably leading to “heresy if not worse”

Recently, a Kentucky Southern Baptist pastor challenged Dr. Adam Harwood’s raising questions toward a particular seminary professor’s exclusive allegiance to imputed sinful guilt and whether the exclusiveness of the professor's view may be inconsistent with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.1 In his post entitled “Adam Brought Sin into the Human Race: A Response to Adam Harwood,” Jared Moore begins: Adam Harwood, Professor of Christian Studies at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, GA, recently argued that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, because they believe in original guilt, may not be able to... Read more →

Mullins proleptical words on "imputed guilt" in the 1925 statement of faith

E.Y. Mullins may be the most controversial theologian in Southern Baptist history. He is routinely cited by conservative and liberal, Calvinist and non-Calvinist as both friend and foe to the Baptist cause1. Nor is Mullins' role as the primary--if not exclusive--literary architect of the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message seriously questioned. Rather it is barely less than universally assumed >>> Therefore, what Mullins actually meant in the 25 articles he chiefly composed and which Southern Baptists subsequently adopted as their first, convention-wide statement of faith remains crucial if we desire... Read more →

Hobbs in his own words on "imputed guilt" in 1963 Baptist Faith and Message

I continue to read questionable interpretations surrounding Southern Baptists' consideration and adoption of the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message.1 According to the minutes, the study committee was recommended by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention and established at the 1962 convention: Since the report of the Committee on Statement of Baptist Faith and Message was adopted in 1925, there have been various statements from time to time which have been made, but no over-all statement which might be helpful at this time as suggested in Section 2 of... Read more →

Was the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message Calvinistic enough? Mark Dever vs Tom Ascol and Tom Nettles

According to a 1996 Baptist Press article by James A. Smith, Sr., Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., urged the revision of the Southern Baptist Convention's 1963 statement of faith while speaking at the 14th annual meeting of the Founders Conference held on the campus of Samford University, Birmingham, Ala. Smith wrote >>> Speaking on the topic of "Irresistible Grace," one of the five points of Calvinism, Dever asserted the 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message leans more toward the Roman Catholic position of... Read more →

Adam Harwood on the dilemma at young, restless, and reformed's "ground zero"

The book was Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists by Colin Hansen. In it, the self-identifying "YRR" journalist dubbed Southern Seminary "Ground Zero" for training and equipping the new army of young neo-Calvinist pastors and church planters to spread the doctrines of grace across the Southern Baptist Convention >>> In a brief commentary on the chapter entitled, "Ground Zero: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky" (pp.69-94), I wrote a few years back: Finally, we move on to chapter four which stands as perhaps the most... Read more →

Were Southern Baptists much more Calvinistic in 1925 than later in the 20th century?

One often hears the claim that our first convention-wide adopted statement of faith--The 1925 Baptist Faith and Message--was much more Calvinistic than either of the two subsequent revisions in 1963 and 2000 >>> Indeed one occasional commenter at SBC Tomorrow suggested that since the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message was a "mirror of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith"--a confession, according to him, written by individuals holding "very strong Calvinist leanings"--the 1925 confession was therefore "put together" with "[intentional] vagueness" in order to "widen the denominational tent." Consequently, Southern Baptists'... Read more →

Young Truett-McConnell scholar drops a bombshell on Southern Baptist academia

When Karl Barth's classic commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans was first published in 1919, a biblical monograph which effectively delivered Old Liberalism its first mortal blow, one German reviewer described Barth's neo-orthodox innovation revealed in his Romans exposition as falling "like a bombshell on the playground of the theologians" >>> And, while one cannot place Adam Harwood's modest theological reflection at SBC Today on such a profoundly global ecclesial scale as was Barth, the Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at Truett-McConnell College just dropped a theological bombshell on... Read more →

What about those who haven't heard the gospel?

The Inspired Apostle concluded, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17). One of the perplexing questions Christians often discuss revolves around those who never have and/or never will hear the life transforming gospel message >>> What constitutes an acceptable answer which remains biblically faithful to not only our understanding of God's merciful love and holy justice, but also to our unwavering commitment to soteriological exclusivism? Namely, the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive work as the only begotten of the Father? Or, as stated... Read more →

Missouri Pathway reports Jason Allen elected as the fifth president of Midwestern seminary

It's official: Dr. Jason K. Allen has become the fifth president of The Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. According to The Pathway >>> "After a three-hour closed session during their bi-annual meeting, the trustees voted 29-2 to call the 35-year-old Allen following an official nomination, questions from trustees and discussion" Furthermore, Dr. Allen will begin his duties immediately and hopes to be inaugurated in April 2013 upon the expected completion of Midwestern's new chapel. And, though we've been vocally outspoken concerning both the search committee process as well as what we... Read more →

Why Calvinism is not for me...Take Two by Peter Lumpkins

I put up a post last week in which I quoted a single passage from Calvin which illustrates well my theological rejection of Calvinism. The statement was not meant to constitute an argument but state a conclusion to which I've come regarding the Calvinistic system. The bottom line is, regardless of all the protest to the contrary, Calvinism reduces to pure determinism. From my standpoint, rigid Calvinism is as much about philosophy as theology and unhealthily depends upon both for its warrant to exist in lieu of sound, consistent biblical... Read more →

David Allen sets the record straight: Limited Atonement is biblically bankrupt, theologically insipient, and ethically unpreachable by Peter Lumpkins

Founders Ministries put together several theological worthies to write its latest apology for strict Calvinism, Whomever He Wills >>> Names include seasoned professors--Tom Nettles, Bruce Ware, Thomas Schriner, and Stephen Wellum--professors all at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (the majority of the contributors are affiliated with Southern). The author of the chapter on Limited Atonement, David Schrock, is presently a PhD candidate at the same seminary as well as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Seymour, Indiana. Given Dr. David Allen's devastating rejoinder to Schrock, one wonders if Founders Press is now... Read more →

Whomever He Wills: a brief discussion on Dr. Andrew Davis' chapter--"Unconditional Election" by Peter Lumpkins

Below is the first review video in a short series on "Unconditional Election" in Whomever He Wills, the latest book on Calvinism from Founders Press. "Unconditional Election" is chapter three in the book and was written by Dr. Andrew Davis, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church, Durham, North Carolina >>> Read more →

A brief discussion on Dr. Mark Devine's chapter--"Total Depravity" Part 3 by Peter Lumpkins

We continue below with Part 3 in a series on Dr. Mark DeVine's chapter in Whomever He Wills 1 >>> 1I apologize for both the audio and standard definition. I tried four times to upload the HD version but it stubbornly refused to take... Read more →

A brief discussion on Dr. Mark Devine's chapter--"Total Depravity" Part 2 by Peter Lumpkins

We continue with Dr. Mark DeVine's chapter in Whomever He Wills >>> Read more →

Whomever He Wills: a brief discussion on Dr. Mark Devine's chapter--"Total Depravity" by Peter Lumpkins

Below begins a series of my initial thoughts on the chapter concerning total depravity written by Dr. Mark DeVine in Whomever He Wills 1. I hope my commentary is helpful and the video format useful2... >>> 1"Total Depravity: A Biblical and Theological Examination" is chapter two in Whomever He Wills (pp. 16-36) 2I continue to work on the audio quality of my video presentations. While it is improved somewhat from earlier videos, it still is not at the level I'd like it. Any feedback would be appreciated... Read more →

Response to Whomever He Wills: Part II by David Allen

UPDATE: Note: four parts are now available. Check out the links at the bottom of the post... We linked to Dr. David Allen's introductory remarks concerning the newest release by Founders Press, Whomever He Wills , edited by Drs. Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles. Since Allen's opening remarks were posted, Dr. Fred Zaspel, author of the book's Preface which Allen critically engaged in his introductory remarks, has offered a brief response to Dr. Allen >>> In Part 2 (which will be offered in several increments due to length), Dr.... Read more →

New Resource: articles from Baptist media sources concerning Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention by Peter Lumpkins

I just put up a new resource--a page containing articles from Southern Baptist media sources concerning the subject of Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention. Sources will include Baptist Press and all available state papers. No commentary is offered. Nor is the resource intended as a polemical tool. If the article was published by a Southern Baptist news venue, it qualified for the resource. Check out the page (click here or look on the sidebar for a link there). It obviously is only a beginning. When it is finished, I... Read more →

The Salvation of Infants: a theological essay by C.W. Koller

Frequently, our Reformed-leaning Baptist brothers and sisters insist that the doctrine of imputed sin (i.e. “Original Sin”) as understood in the Augustinian-Calvinist theological trajectory is not only the biblical view, it is also the classic view among Southern Baptists. We’ve shown before that theologians of great stature among Southern Baptists have historically distanced themselves from Augustine on Original Sin. Nonetheless, many still accuse those of us who do not embrace Augustine’s theory of imputed Adamic guilt (based primarily upon Augustine’s skewed reading of Romans 5:12) of being “heretics” at worst... Read more →

Strict Calvinists and the "whosoever" gospel by Peter Lumpkins

The Apostle John records as a final invitation in his Revelation of Jesus Christ these magnificent words >>> "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life."(Revelation 22.17, NLT). Personally, I think the old version captures such a stately form--"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the... Read more →

James White critiques Ronnie Rogers' book, “Reflections of a Disenchanted Calvinist” by Peter Lumpkins

UPDATE: As expected, James White responded to this piece on his follow-up "Radio Free Geneva" podcast. Well, let me be clear: it really wasn't a response to this piece so much as an acknowledgment of it. During the first few minutes, he talks about "almost forgetting" about old "Petey" (And, we want to assure James White we've not forgotten about him, either!) Then, he and Rich Pierce ridiculed the video I put up because of the number of views, etc. comparing my traffic to his. What a hoot! Like giddy,... Read more →

The Anabaptists—“being puritan before puritanism was cool” by Peter Lumpkins

"The Anabaptists.—It should be here stated that the first martyrs for religious liberty during the reign of Elizabeth are found, not among the Brownists, but among the hated, maligned, and much-suffering Anabaptist. The history of that remarkable sect has yet to be written, and when justice has been done to them a memorable and heroic chapter will have been added to the history of the world. The Anabaptists were Puritans before Puritanism had sprung into recognized existence, and held substantially all that the Puritans afterwards contended for…"1 1Puritanism in the... Read more →

W.T. Conner on the imputation of Adam's sin by Peter Lumpkins

W. T. Conner taught systematic theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for 39 years beginning in 1910. The bio from The Texas State Historical Association sums up his academic life well: Conner's enduring legacy to Southern Baptist life lies in his thirty-nine-year teaching career at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary... In the classroom he endeavored to make theology practical rather than speculative; in the faculty his recommendations for prospective teachers were tantamount to administrative approval; and in the administration his long tenure provided continuity from the first president to the third.... Read more →

Tom Nettles and the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention (part II) by Peter Lumpkins

In part I, we rehearsed the historical relationship Dr. Tom Nettles, professor of historical theology, at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has had with Founders Ministries since its inception in 1982. Nettles still sits on the board of directors for Founders Ministries. Nor has Dr. Nettles been rhetorically shy about stating in forceful language precisely how he sees those Traditional Baptists who deviate from what Director of Founders Ministries, Tom Ascol, has called "historic Southern Baptist Orthodoxy." Nettles wrote: >>> Southern Baptist beginnings were self-consciously and vigorously Calvinistic. This is... Read more →