Were the Early Southern Baptists Primarily "Calvinists"?

It means that the non-Calvinists in the SBC should quit sneering at the Calvinists in the SBC as some kind of aberration in Baptist circles as we Calvinists in the SBC are the ones in the tradition of the founders and early leaders of the SBC, such as James Petigru Boyce, Basil Manley, Jr., John L. Dagg, E. Y. Mullins, B.H. Carroll, etc., etc., etc.

Ken

 

If the burden of proof is on the Arminians point of view then I say listen to some popular SBCers, Adrian Rogers, Baily Smith, and Paige Patterson. You could also read/review the "Baptist Study Bible", which is a revison of the "Criswell Study Bible" of days gone by. Expect for the loss of salvation, I think you will find them pretty well in line with Arminian theology.

 

From what theological heights the SBC has fallen.

Ken

 

rsr's point should be well noted. Too often we are not very precise in the terminology we use. Too often we assume people know that of which we are speaking. I used the term "Arminian" several times in reference to what I feel is the predominant SBC position today (as opposed to the 5-pt Calvinism or nearly so of many of the early SBC "fathers"). Technically these people are neither Arminian nor Calvinist. They have a blended theology comprised of some of both systems, and this maintaining of total depravity and eternal security in connection with general redemption and resistible grace has probably been most commonly called a modified Calvinism.

go2church, the people you mentioned are representative of "modified Calvinism" . They stand in contrast to those individuals that Ken mentioned. This goes toward showing that there has been a change in the dominant salvific theology of mainstream Southern Baptists.

[ September 21, 2002, 12:34 PM: Message edited by: rlvaughn ]

 

Rev. G., since the Sandy Creek tradition was mentioned in this series of posts, I thought you might be interested in this old topic on the Charleston & Sandy Creek Traditions.

 

Modified by Arminianism

 

Here is what most Southern Baptists I know believe: Total Depravity, An election conditioned on repentance and faith, General Atonement, Conviction may be resisted, and Eternal Security. That is modified Calvinism to most people, and, yes, modified by Arminianism (or Pelagianism). It is interesting that people who hold 2 parts Calvinism and 3 parts Arminianism are called modified Calvinists rather than modified Arminians! I think this is because their historical heritage is Calvinism rather than Arminianism. In other words, they were Calvinists whose doctrine changed towards Arminianism rather than Arminians whose doctrine changed toward Calvinism.

 

its only modified calvinism/arminianism if such a system is used for a base.

I am neither. I try to form my doctrine from scripture alone and not pre-existing theological systems. Perhaps this is wrong but at least I only have to answer to the Lord and not the originator of the system I subscribe to.

SoCM

(BTW: I realize this has nothing to do with history but the clarification was needed, I felt)

 

That's good as that is what all honest students of the Scriptures attempt to do. Unfortunately, we all do so imperfectly as we all approach the Scriptures with our presuppositions due to our life experiences and prior learning.

Ken