Fundamentalist's Scholars

Dr Doug MacLachlan, former President of Central Baptist Theological Seminary wrote "Recovering Authentic Fundamentalism" a worthwhile read.

Dr Ernest Pickering, President of the Seminary before Doug wrote "Biblical Separation", another must read.

Dr George Dollar, Prof at Central wrote "Biblical Fundamentalism" often quoted by Doc Cassidy and myself

Dr Pettegrew formerly of the Seminary wrote a definitive treastise on the Holy Spirit

Dr RV Clearwaters, founder of the school and of Pillsbury Baptist College wrote on the "Great Conservative Baptist Compromise" (so many churches pulled from the Northern/America Baptists following WWII and the CBA grew exponentially. It soon drifted, then sped into neo-evangelicalism)

This is ONE ifb seminary and a sample of the "scholarship" in printed works. These men were all mentors of mine, often professors of mine, and top drawer.

 

Yes, there is a scarcity of "scholarship" in Fundamentalism today. However, when you consider Modernism went through the old line seminaries like Sherman went through Georgia and Sheridan through the Shenandoah, it's not that surprising. After two almost three generations Fundamental scholars are coming back into the picture.
When you think of the GARBC schools, Pillsbury\Central, the old San Francisco Baptist Theological, Calvary BTS, Detroit, and Maranatha College and Seminary, it's hard to say Fundamental Baptists turned their backs on scholarship.

 

George Dollar, Gordon Conwell, Boston College. Ph.D.
W. B. Riley, Hanover College, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville.
R.V. Clearwaters, Moody Bible Institute, Northern Baptist Seminary, Kalamazoo, University of Chicago Divinity School.
Myron Cedarholm, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Princeton.
James Hollowood.
Arno Weniger
Archer Weniger
Warren Vanhetlo
Gordon Lovic
Roland McCune

The list goes on and on and on. And those, with the exception of W.B. Riley, are the ones I have known personally and studied under several of them.

Fundamentalism is replete with excellent scholars.

 

The men named above kept the love of scholarship alive during its wilderness years in Fundamentalism. It is on their shoulders that the current and growing crop stands. I would add Dr. Richard Weeks to the list. Please note expect for Warren Vanhetlo, Gordon Lovic, and Roland McCune who I don't know, all of the men named were Northern Baptists. They were never affiliated with or associated with the SBC.

 

The problem may very well be is "the wider evangelical or scholarly worlds" willing to listen to such Fundamental scholars that do exist? It may be a case of "the wider evangelical or scholarly worlds" not believing that Fundamentalists have anything scholarly to say. The best analog I can give is the way the wider scientific community tends to disregard any of their peers who hold to a creationist position. It's hard to contribute when you can't get published no matter how good your work. Have you checked out www.sharperiron.org ? The folks there seem to think deep thoughts.:applause:

 

Since the Baptists are MORE THAN HALF of all the "evangelicals" in the US, and the SBC is 40% of all Baptists in the US, carrying weight in that group carries real weight!

There is an "academic elite" of the old "new evangelical school" (kissing up to liberalism, modernism and godless evolution) that would be espoused by the "Christianity Today" mindset. They will look down their collective noses at someone from a Fundamentalist perspective and elevate the Biola, Talbot, Gordon-Conwell, Harvard Divinity, Western types.

But THESE are the minority. Not sure how many are even "evangelical" in a loose sense!

 

Looking at the topic from a strictly Baptist perspective, we didn't have all that many scholars back in the day (before Modernism flooded the seminaries and washed out the orthodox teachers). So, it's not surprising there aren't all that many today. The old saw was "Baptists spent their time in pastoral work and preaching the Gospel. They read the commentaries written by the Presbyterians."