1973—David Otis Fuller’s second influential book appears,
True or False? The Westcott-Hort Textual Theory Examined.
1978—D. A. Waite founds the Dean Burgon Society (DBS). Since Waite has scholarly credentials (Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary), the society has early credibility. However, in the original articles of faith there were signs of a KJVO position (
Articles of Faith, Operation & Organization). Their early credibility is helped by their reprints of such scholarly authors of the past as John Burgon (
The Revision Revised of 1883 and
The Last Twelve Verses of Mark) of 1871) and Edward Miller (
A Guide to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, 1886) and their early opposition to Ruckman. However, by perhaps the mid ’80s the DBS has clearly become KJVO, eventually supporting Gail Riplinger, and with some of its authors even quoting Ruckman as a scholar (for example, Jack Moorman in his books).
1979—The first work by an evangelical scholar on the controversy is published,
The King James Version Debate, by D. A. Carson. However, oddly enough for a major evangelical scholar, Carson is not that literate concerning the movement. He doesn’t even mention Ruckman. His book is actually opposing the Textus Receptus priority position of Hills and Fuller, and the Byzantine/Majority priority positions of Wilbur Pickering, Jakob van Bruggen, Zane Hodges and others, rather than the KJVO position per se, though he does spend some space refuting J. J. Ray.
1980s—The KJVO movement gains ground. Major fundamental schools such as Bob Jones University and Tennessee Temple University continue with a broader stand on Bible versions, even using the UBS Greek New Testament in their classes. (Maranatha and Northland also did so.) Pensacola Christian College (founded in 1974) takes a TR Only route. Ruckman is widely thought to be too radical even by other KJVO advocates.
1981—What is probably the first work by a fundamentalist scholar against the KJVO movement appears,
The Truth about the King James Version Controversy, by BJU Greek professor Stuart Custer.