peterlumpkins.com

Systemic Racism & Sexual Revolution: Replying to Karen Swallow Prior

Formerly teaching English at Liberty University for over 20 years, Karen Swallow Prior presently serves as Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Prior is author of a number of books including Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting; On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books; Heart of Darkness, and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me not to mention her prolific online literary presence and numerous magazine articles published in Christianity Today and other major Christian publications. Prior's... Read more →

Janet Mefferd on Russell Moore and the Conservative backlash: "This isn't just about Trump"

Talk-radio host, Janet Mefferd, writes a convincing account of the issues many Conservatives have raised concerning Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) president, Russell Moore. Writing as a non-Southern Baptist, Mefferd claims many in the media falsely assume Conservatives' problems with Moore began with his criticism of then presidential candidate, Donald Trump. She demonstrates Moore's excessive and over-the-top criticism of the President-elect, including Moore's unreasonable and misguided criticism of evangelicals who voted for the President-elect, was but one of several issues many Conservatives have raised since Moore became president of... Read more →

What’s at Stake in the Southern Baptist Convention for the backlash against Russell Moore? A Response

Jake Raabe is a student at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas and columnist for The Baptist Standard, the news service affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Raabe recently wrote an opinion column entitled "Voices: What's at stake for the SBC in backlash against Russell Moore?" arguing that it is a mistake for Southern Baptists to either silence or dismiss the views of the president of the Ethics and Religious Life Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention, Russell Moore. It would be naive... Read more →

Alternate Presidential Candidate for #NeverTrump supporters Denny Burk, Russell Moore, and the ERLC

It's no secret that some high-profile Southern Baptists are pushing evangelicals toward a #NeverTrump position. Among the more aggressive top-tier influencers (especially among younger evangelicals) stand Denny Burk and Russell Moore, both Southern Baptists, both #NeverTrump members, both employees at entities owned by the Southern Baptist Convention--The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission respectively. Many Southern Baptists think their posturing toward #NeverTrump to be either misguided or unstudied. Below is one response to the third-party, write-in candidacy both Burk and Moore have recently promoted. First,... Read more →

Is Racism embedded all over the Southern Baptist Convention?

I've been trying to stay away from denominational politics. Honest! At times, however, it's impossible to stay on the wagon. Indeed as my good friend, Chris Gilliam, indicated in the Facebook thread (see below), one gets tired of the simplistic rhetoric. Below is a brief commentary I pecked out on my cell phone in response to an article detailing Russell Moore's indictment of widespread racism allegedly embedded within the Southern Baptist Convention. A Facebook friend asked me to post it on my blog so he could point his friends to... Read more →

Yale lecturer on The Great Calvinist Reawakening

Briallen Hopper is English Lecturer at Yale University, Faculty Fellow at the University Church in Yale, and frequent contributor on religious topics in many prestigious media venues. She has written about religion for The Huffington Post, Killing the Buddha, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. In her latest piece entitled "The Great Calvinist Reawakening" published in Religion & Politics, Hopper profiles the rise of Neo-Calvinism and the impact it's having in contemporary culture. Citing the proof of Reformed revitalization as entirely persuasive, she goes on to contrast Neo-Calvinism with... Read more →

President of Southern Baptists' ERLC on suspending Duck Dynasty's patriarchal leader

Phil Robertson (pic source) Dr. Russell Moore offered commentary on the recent A&E suspension of Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty's patriarchal figure. Moore described the network television decision "censorious cultural fundamentalism" that is neither “progressive” nor “pluralistic.” The ERLC president went on to conclude: "Let’s have genuine diversity, meaning let’s talk honestly with one another about what we believe and why. Muting one another isn’t what debate is for in a free society. It’s what remote controls are for." Read the entire statement-- "Duck Dynasty?" on the president's blog, Moore to... Read more →

Mark Driscoll peeved at Janet Mefferd and hangs up--"you're rude and unkind"

Seasoned journalist and Christian Radio Talk Show host, Janet Mefferd, interviewed Mark Driscoll on his stop-by attendance at John MacArthur's Strange Fire Conference. She especially queried him concerning whether Driscoll's books he was giving away free were confiscated by security police his tweets suggest. As Mefferd went on in the interview, she also questioned Driscoll about a section in his newest book, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future? (Tyndale House Publishers, 2013. $19.99), where Driscoll allegedly has a section 14 pages long reflecting the... 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 →

Must we define Mormonism as a cult? A Brief Response to Bart Barber

Dr. Bart Barber’s latest piece states the following proposition in its title: “Why Mormonism Is a Cult and Should be Called One.” Bart begins his piece by stating his principled disagreement with three Southern Baptists over the issue of whether “cult” is a proper and useful category in which to place Mormonism. He states >>> “I find myself today disagreeing with Richard Land, Ed Stetzer, and Peter Lumpkins… Mormonism is a cult, and if I read and understand these gentlemen correctly, they all agree with me on that point. Where... Read more →

Dr. Ed Stetzer on Mormonism: "Pay everyone...honor to whom honor is due" by Peter Lumpkins

More times than not, this blog site has been what we could call a counter-point site, a site which offers an alternate narrative on a particular issue from one being offered elsewhere. Sometimes the counter-point we post may represent the majority opinion. At other times, it represents more the minority view. And, there are times it may very well represent a rogue view >>> Whatever the case, it represents my thoughts on particular issues facing the Southern Baptist Convention or a particular interpretation of a theological-biblical subject. I marvel at... Read more →

An Open Letter to Franklin Graham: “Mr. Graham: Put that page back up!” by Peter Lumpkins

I've never been one for writing open letters. In fact, I don't recall ever writing one. But I can no longer say that. Albeit my full support and unshakable appreciation for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) since the late seventies of the last century, I continue to be stunned by their recent action in taking down a webpage on which a partial list of religious "cults" containing several sectarian groups were named. >>> Among those named as examples of heretical "cults" within the Christian tradition were "Mormons" (link to... Read more →

Who invited Mark Driscoll to Liberty University? by Peter Lumpkins

I have not been shy about querying whether Seattle had anything to do with Lynchburg. Mark Driscoll showing up on campus at Liberty University may be one of the most shocking events within evangelicalism thus far in the 21st century >>> So, how did Driscoll not only get invited to Liberty University's Vines Center to speak at convocation as well as hold a Real Marriage seminar on Liberty Mountain? According to a Washington Post story published last fall, Vice President Johnnie Moore, Jr. appears to be the one in charge... Read more →

Update on Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca by Peter Lumpkins

On March 1st, I posted a piece entitled "Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca" tenatively concluding that if Jim Hinch, journalist with the Orange County Register, characterized Warren correctly, "perhaps it's time to officially end any left-over love affairs with Saddleback"1 >>> A day later, Ed Stetzer, VP at Lifeway Resources, wrote a stinging rebuke of those he called "watchbloggers"2 for presumably jumping the gun on an apparent hit-piece on Rick Warren composed by secular journalist (i.e., Jim Hinch). Lifeway's VP wrote: Once again, watchbloggers are accusing Rick Warren of heresy.... Read more →

Ed Stetzer, watchblogging, and Rick Warren's relationship with Muslims by Peter Lumpkins

Yesterday, I posted a short piece entitled "Rick Warren's bridge to Mecca" wherein I quoted a reputable news outlet in Orange County, California. A piece written by journalist, Jim Hinch, entitled "Rick Warren builds a bridge to Muslims" concluded Rick Warren and Saddleback church were apparently building a bridge far too close to Mecca's theological borders "acknowledging that Christians and Muslims worship the same God" >>> Now we apparently find out that Hinch may have misunderstood Warren and the "Kings Way" theological documents which apparently was the basis for the... Read more →

Clark Pinnock on Eternal Torment & Millard Erickson on Clark Pinnock by Peter Lumpkins

The late Clark Pinnock was one of the more provocative evangelical theologians.* His firey literary style riled his many (and just) critics about as much as some of his theological heterodoxy>>> Note how Pinnock framed the doctrine of eternal punishment: "Let me say at the outset that I consider the concept of hell as endless torment in body and mind an outrageous doctrine, a theological and moral enormity, a bad doctrine of the tradition which needs to be changed. How can Christians possibly project a deity of such cruelty and... Read more →

The Top Issue Facing Today's Church by Peter Lumpkins

In 2005, LifeWay Christian Resources surveyed more than 1,300 evangelical leaders from around the world to determine what they perceived to be the "Top 10 Issues Facing Today's Church." Among the top issues were: 1. Prayer: The need for more ongoing, passionate prayer in both personal and church life 2. Discipleship: The need for involvement of every believer in being continually transformed into the image of Christ 3. Leadership: The need for clear, biblical vision and direction by church leaders 4. Evangelism: The decline among Christians in personal sharing of... Read more →

Helpful Study Links by Peter Lumpkins

Below are some helpful study links....Maybe... Be warned, however. The content on these sites is for serious readers only. No blogger dumbing down the messy details. Nor are all papers biblically or baptistically sound. Also, some are conservative, some on the extreme theological left. Yet most represent scholarly presentations nonetheless (NOTE: some journals are now defunct but contents are still available. Also, some have only partial availability). Save them in your bookmarks or download the papers to searchable pdf files. And, the best part???............................ All content is free! Journal of... Read more →