Oct 10, 2016
Dr. Rick Patrick, Executive Director of Connect316 and local Pastor, joins Dr. Flowers on the program today to discuss the article below
and how the Conservative Resurgence relates and affects today's conflict over Soteriology:
The Rise of Soteriological Traditionalism
By: Rick Patrick ,
Pastor
First Baptist Church Sylacauga,
AL
This article was originally posted in Theological Matters and is used by permission.
In 2012, hundreds of pastors, professors and laypersons affixed their signatures to the most attested confession of faith Southern Baptists have ever produced with the exception of The Baptist Faith and Message. Since that time, hundreds more have signed this document, which is available for signing today at the Connect 316 website.
A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvationwas written by Eric Hankins, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Miss. This document generated significant discussion, prompting the formation of a Southern Baptist task force on soteriology, the branch of theology focusing on salvation doctrine. Today, looking back, we are better able to assess the significance of these efforts.
What are the historic roots of Soteriological
Traditionalism?
First, we find
theological similarities with the Anabaptists in Switzerland during
the 16th century. Later, we trace our theological stream from the
General Baptists in England in the 17th century to the Sandy Creek
tradition in the American South during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Ultimately, in the 20th century, the primary confessor of each
version of The Baptist Faith and Message (E.Y.
Mullins in 1925, Herschel Hobbs in 1963, and Adrian Rogers in 2000)
uniformly held to the view of salvation doctrine that is described
in the Traditional Statement.
Where did Soteriological Traditionalism get its
name?
In 2001, Fisher Humphreys and
Paul Robertson, who both served as professors at New Orleans
Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote God So Loved the
World: Traditional Baptists and Calvinism. They used the term
“traditional” for the basic view of salvation doctrine held by
Herschel Hobbs, Adrian Rogers and Billy Graham. Eleven years later,
this very same word was included in the title of the statement.
Can we not find a better term for our position than
“Traditionalism”?
First, we must rule
out partial terms or combinations of views we disaffirm. Thus, we
are not “Moderate Calvinists,” “Calminians” or “Semi-Arminians.”
Who really wants to be half-something? Second, we resist terms that
negate. Thus, labels like “Anti-Calvinist” or “Non-Arminian” are
off-limits. No Dallas Cowboy fan prefers the moniker
“Anti-Redskin.” Third, the term must actually distinguish. Many
claim for themselves the Baptist or Biblicist or Majoritarian
position. Some who object to the term “Traditionalist” believe it
must refer to the earliest days of the SBC in 1845. But the term is
not “Originalist.” Many churches offer a Traditional Worship
Service featuring music that was popular in the mid-20th century.
Theology popular in that period can also be called “Traditional.”
While other options exist, such as “Savabilist,” “Extensivist,”
“Decisionist,” “Conversionist” and “Volitionist,” no term has yet
emerged that is as widely accepted as “Traditionalist.”
What are the doctrinal beliefs affirmed in the
statement?
The statement affirms
Traditionalism while disaffirming Calvinism, Arminianism,
Semipelagianism and Amyraldism. To better understand these terms
and your own view of salvation doctrine, consider completing this
brief Soteriological
Assessment. In general, Traditionalists accept a small
amount of Calvinism and a fair amount of Arminianism, while also
disagreeing in important ways with both views. We also disagree
with the Semipelagians and the Amyraldists. We are basically
staking a position for Southern Baptist Traditionalists residing at
a point that lies between the Arminianism of the Methodists and the
Calvinism of the Presbyterians.
What did we learn from the reaction to the Traditional
statement?
The initial reaction was
unnecessarily polemical, as the signers (including many of our
leading theologians and pastors) were charged variously with
Semipelagian heresy or remedial reading comprehension skills.
Looking back, I am amused by these charges. At the time, however, I
was distraught that the Southern Baptist views I had learned,
believed and preached all my life were suddenly suspect. This fact
only served to establish the absolute necessity of the statement’s
publication, for if one group of Southern Baptists could look at
the convictions of another group and conclude they were practically
heretical, we obviously had some important wrinkles to iron
out.
How was this a theologically defining moment for
Southern Baptists?
When the statement
came out, an assumption had begun to take root that all Southern
Baptists should be viewed as Calvinists to a certain degree. It was
as though the course setting for our denominational ship was due
Calvinist and the default Southern Baptist position was going to be
theologically reformed. For many of us, our consciences would
simply not allow us to be pulled in this direction any further. It
was time for us to stand up and say, “We do not believe Calvinism
should be seen as the optimal SBC position.”
Is the goal of Connect 316 and Traditionalism to
eradicate Calvinism in the SBC?
Our
aim is not to drive Calvinism from the convention, but rather to
establish our own place at the denominational table. A few years
ago, we counted six different Calvinist organizations influencing
the SBC. We thought there should be at least one organization
promoting our own theology. Why should one theological wing of our
denomination sponsor all the conferences and give away all the
t-shirts and invite all the speakers and publish all the books?
Southern Baptists will fly much higher with two healthy wings.
How does Connect 316 endeavor to promote Traditionalism
in a positive manner?
We sponsor an
annual banquet at the Southern Baptist Convention. In Baltimore, we
had 100 in attendance. In Columbus, we had 200. In St. Louis, we
had 300. As our attendance grows, we will be better equipped to
promote a more Traditionalist-friendly convention. We also sponsor
a news blog, SBC Today,
with more than 1,000 hits per day and readers from more than 170
countries. On social media, we have the 316
Roundtable, an open discussion forum on Facebook.
Our Connect
316 website offers many helpful resources. We also assist
ministries hosting regional conferences.
What is the greatest challenge in promoting
Soteriological Traditionalism?
Most
Southern Baptists probably identify with our understanding of
salvation. They simply do not call it by the lofty term
“Soteriological Traditionalism.” Believing it to be commonly held,
they may see no need for the label or the movement. Frankly, they
must first be apprised of the growing influence of Calvinism in
order to explain how Traditionalism differs from it and why these
differences matter. It is a rather complex assignment to teach
people that what they have always believed is being seriously
challenged today. They must first learn about the Calvinism they
reject in order to fully appreciate the Traditionalism they
affirm.
How can Southern Baptists get involved in this growing
movement?
I often hear from young
people who disaffirm Calvinism but are nevertheless assumed to wear
such a label simply due to their youthfulness. They feel
disconnected as their Calvinist friends attend conferences and
events. They wonder where they can find a theological home offering
like-minded fellowship and resources. I hear from former Calvinists
who have converted to Traditionalism only to experience a loss of
fellowship. Connect 316 is beginning to fill this void. You can get
involved by attending our annual banquet this summer in Phoenix, by
reading or writing at sbctoday.com, by checking out
our website atconnect316.net, by hosting a regional
conference, or by simply signing the Traditional Statement. The
movement of Soteriological Traditionalism packages an old theology
with a new label. Southern Baptists disenfranchised by New
Calvinism will find a welcoming theological home among the
like-minded Christians at Connect 316.
Show NOTES:
Here is the link from the Disciple 6 Resource page: http://disciple6.com/
And here is the pdf for Dr. Lemke’s article on our Southern Baptist soteriological roots: