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Calvinism in SBC& IFB Seminaries

Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by Plain Old Bill, Feb 22, 2006.

  1. Plain Old Bill

    Plain Old Bill New Member

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    Been following things on the board for a while now and have come to know some folks fairly well as to thier leanings on certain subjects goes.

    Am I picking it up right that Calvinism is being taught and promoted heavily in SBC & IFB colleges and seminaries?
     
  2. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    no, not the SBC seminaries. It is being taught but not as in "this is the way it is", in my experience.
     
  3. Charles Meadows

    Charles Meadows New Member

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    Isn't SBTS now pretty Calvinistic under Mohler's influence?
     
  4. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    I agree with Tater.

    I am in the DMin program at SBTS. I have worked with 4 professors so far and only one of them was a Calvinist, and he did not even mention it in our class one time. He talked about it during a lunch conversation.
     
  5. Broadus

    Broadus Member

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    It depends upon which school to which one is refering at SBTS. The School of Theology would have a stronger presence of Calvinism, while the Graham School would have a strong presence but less than the School of Theology, IMO. Nevertheless, Calvinism per se is not taught as a system of belief. A strong emphasis upon God's sovereignty in salvation, however, is taught, and rightly so, because it is emphasized in the seminary's historic Abstract of Principles, in particular articles five, six, and eight:
    Bill
     
  6. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    POB,

    What Broadus has said above is true to a fault. Dr. Patterson, who was at Southeastern and is now at Southwestern as President, is not a Calvinist per se.

    He makes room, however, for that strain of thought alongside the other strains such as the Arminian thought that have had a place in SBC life. I think Dr. Patterson would steer a more middle-ground course between the two. I believe he would not want either to get out of hand or to become more of the ruling thought of the insitituion that he is seeking to guide.

    Dr. Patterson, from my following his thought through the Conservative Resurgence, would focus on missions, evangelism, church growth, et al. I think he would see the inerrancy of Scripture and the Co-operative Program and all of its workings as possibly the two primary motivating factors which have and do hold the Convention together.

    These are my impressions as well as conclusions where I am now in my understandings.

    I invite Broadus to help if he needs to correct me here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    sdg!

    rd
     
  7. Broadus

    Broadus Member

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    Yes, I agree with Rhet.

    Dr. Patterson has been recorded as saying some quite negative things about Calvinism, and yet he hired several Calvinists at SEBTS. Perhaps Dr. Patterson's negative pronouncements are against what we Calvinists also deplore, those who make Calvinistic soteriology the topic of every conversation and every sermon.

    Bill
     
  8. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Among IFB seminaries, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary is very Calvinistic.
     
  9. shannonL

    shannonL New Member

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    When I attended SEBTS during Patterson's days I appreciated very much the balance of the faculty there. I came from a dispensational IFB school before going there. It was great to get to learn about the reformation etc....
    None of the profs. there did anything but teach. There was no promoting of one view or the other just a healthy exposure. IMHO.
    Now I met a few students who seemed to have the answers to all the hard theological questions. Especially the ones who wanted to talk about Calvinism every spare moment.
    My Church History class was taught by Calvinist while one of my OT classes was taught by a fellow from Dallas Seminary who had dispie leanings.
    Both men were very gifted profs. Their classes were always filled to the max. Great guys.
     
  10. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    The more conservative education you get (think REAL biblical training) the more calvinistic you become. Not a joke, just an observation.

    In my seminary experience, you could not study theology, Greek, Hebrew, etc and NOT end up far more calvinistic/reformed in overall perspective.

    The less formal education, the more touchy-feely way of treating the word instead of a sound hermeneutic (think Wesleyan, Pentecostal, etc) the more Arminian.

    Nature of man.
     
  11. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    Let me give you an observation Dr. Bob since we are on the subject.

    Calvinist look down the nose at people who really are not dumb enought to fall for calvin's teachings.

    Calvinist lack charity, which makes them exactly what they are "noisy gong" or "clanging cymbal". Let me hear one say "Let me be accursed and not them God" it won'd happen. Proof that Paul was not a calvinist.

    The more education you get (deformed ed) the dumber you get. Changing words, terms and redefining words that no one else would declare to be true except those in the calvinist word. The phrase "educated beyone your intelligence" comes to mind.

    They are a haughty, snotty, pridefull people that worship knowledge, whether correct or not, instead of the true living God.

    No, Dr. Bob calvinist do not have a lock on bible education. Yes if you really think "real" Bible training is the teachings of John Calvin then I see how you would follow that line of ignorance. HOwever there are great scholars and Bible teachers all over the world who whole-hardly disagree (majority of them)with you and this prideful statement. It seems to come from the flesh.
     
  12. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Proving my point, Tim. Proving my point!! Pride in being ignorant and not understanding basic Bible doctrine is not laudable!

    This is a fellowship forum. You want to debate biblical soteriology and doctrines of grace, fire away up in "theology" debate area.
     
  13. Timtoolman

    Timtoolman New Member

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    It seems more like you just proved my points.
     
  14. Bible-boy

    Bible-boy Active Member

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    Bill </font>[/QUOTE]Dr. Akin (President of SEBTS) has written a great article on this subject for the April Issue of SBC Life. In his article Dr. Akin notes that Basil Manly, Jr. wrote the Abstract of Principles in 1859. Manly was a Calvinist. However, in Article IV on Providence (which is noticeably abscent from the above quoted material) he reveals a healthy and beneficial theological balance.

    Dr. Akin goes on to say,

    I agree with Dr. Akin here. As Southern Baptists we must find theological balance on this issue. We must be honest with ourselves and admit that the Bible teaches us that this is not an either/or; but rather, a both/and issue. Does such an idea result in theological tension? Yes. Can we as fallen humans fully understand God's divine way in this area? No, it remains a divine mystery with which we will simply have to learn to live.

    With that said, be sure to see Dr. Akin's full article in the April issue of SBC Life!

    [ March 03, 2006, 04:08 AM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]
     
  15. Bible-boy

    Bible-boy Active Member

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    As an SEBTS student I wholeheartly agree.
     
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