Southern Baptists express worry about the influence of Calvinism
Calvinists and traditionalists in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) agree on almost everything, except for the nature of election, the extent of the atonement, how people become Christians, and the meaning of original sin. Don’t take my word for it: “Truth, Trust, and Testimony in a Time of Tension,” a 2013 statement from the SBC’s Calvinism Advisory Committee, calls for unity in the face of “significant theological disagreement.”
That report came a year after more than 60 percent of SBC senior pastors in a 2012 LifeWay Research survey said they were concerned about the impact of Calvinism on their denomination. Baptist News Global recently quoted Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, saying to denomination members: “I know there are a fair number of you who think you are a Calvinist, but understand there is a denomination which represents that view. It’s...
