Academic freedom and Southern Baptist history.

Following the 1898 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) meeting, William Heth Whitsitt, under pressure from a threatening B. H. Carroll and at the encouragement of A. T. Robertson, resigned as president and church history professor of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

In May 1899 the trustees accepted his resignation. A century later, as Southern Baptists and their institutions stumble into the twenty-first century, one of the most significant challenges facing Southern Baptist teachers, scholars, administrators, and certainly the denomination is the issue of academic freedom. This issue is important both for persons affiliated with Southern Baptist institutions and for those Southern Baptists associated with both non-Southern Baptist denominational institutions and secular institutions.

Baptists and Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is an issue that is vital to the integrity and the advance of the denomination. For persons working in Southern Baptist institutions, the issue often relates both to academic freedom in the classroom and in the world of scholarship and to concerns over orthodoxy and heresy. Many, possibly all, of the historical case studies related to academic freedom in Southern Baptist seminaries and colleges focus on a struggle over academic freedom and integrity. As a confessional people, Southern Baptists do not stand in neutral territory. Teachings and beliefs are important concerns. The issue of academic freedom too often presents itself in the disciplines related to academic pursuit and to matters of student recruitment, development activities, individual personalities, and denominational politics and agendas.

In 1963, Southern Baptists adopted a revised confession. This action could easily be interpreted as the result of a struggle over academic freedom. The 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message addressed the issue of academic freedom in article XII, stating that:

   In Christian education there should be a proper balance between
   academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly
   relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The
   freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is
   limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative
   nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the
   school exists. (1)

This statement recognized the importance and ideal of academic freedom at denominational institutions in the context of basic Baptist convictions. Thomas H. Graves, in "Freedom of Academic Inquiry," discussed Baptist ideals and academic freedom. Graves wrote, "it is tragic to note how often attacks have been mounted upon the operation of respectable scholarship and to note how often these debates have been the center of denominational controversy." (2) He traced the roots of suspicion of legitimate scholarship to the nineteenth-century environment for Baptists and described the "generally low level of education in the rural South and the rugged frontier, the parochial and insulated nature of life in much of the American South, and the intensely practical nature of life on the frontier, which left little room for academic reflection." (3) Graves rightly concluded that anti-intellectualism continues to be a part of Baptist history in the United States.

Appreciation for academic and scholarly freedom, according to Graves, is found in several Baptist principles. The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers implies freedom of faithful inquiry. Personal responsibility, the highest authority being found in God, and communal responsibility to others emanate from this doctrine and are duties of faith. Scholars have a divine responsibility to express freely their God-given skills. The freedom of academic inquiry expresses a refusal "to accept truth without exposing it to the rigors of personal struggle and assent." (4) Graves also cited the Baptist rejection of creedalism, which repudiates any attempt to impose a secondhand faith. Finally, Graves pointed to the Baptist understanding of the pervasive presence of sin, which points us toward God and not ourselves for redemption. Our human efforts always fall short. Human effort, said Graves, only points us to the truth; it never completely captures it. Hence, we should be humble and honest, never claiming more than our humanity will allow. Academic freedom in Baptist life, therefore, is not based upon the concept of the vast superiority of the scholarly intellect but rather upon the clear recognition that none of us has attained the final measure of truth.

The issue of academic freedom often has arisen in the context of Southern Baptist seminaries and in the state Baptist-supported colleges and universities. At other times, academicians or scholarly researchers have debated it in publications. A cursory look at some of the more well-known cases will follow. The intent of this examination is to raise awareness of the constant tension between the pursuit of knowledge and understanding and the realities of institutional goals and threats to survival and stability.

Crawford Howell Toy (1836-1919) and the Liberal Tradition

In the later part of the nineteenth century, many theologians, pastors, institutions, and denominations accepted liberal theology and methodology. Among Southern Baptists, leaders like E. Y. Mullins sought to learn from the liberal tradition while rejecting a wholesale acceptance of it. The case of Crawford Toy, however, demonstrated that Southern Baptists were not inclined to move too far to the left. (5)

Toy studied two years in Germany prior to joining the faculty of Southern Seminary in 1869. In his inaugural address at Southern, Toy stated: "the Bible, its real assertions being known, is in every iota of its substance absolutely and infallibly true." (6) As his commitment to scientific criticism increased, however, his conviction about the inspiration of the Bible diminished. (7)

As a result of his German experience, Toy accepted not only the higher critical method of Julius Wellhausen as applied to questions of authorship and interpretation but also Darwinian evolutionary theories. His acceptance of liberal methods became clear in 1879 in articles he wrote concerning the authorship of Isaiah. These articles led to criticism that resulted in careful scrutiny of his teaching. Toy could not continue with such criticism or with his own ambivalence and thus offered his resignation. Jesse Fletcher raised the question as to whether Toy expected his resignation to be accepted or whether he simply resigned out of conviction. (8) In either case, Toy did move further away from Southern Baptists and eventually affiliated with the Unitarian Church in Boston, Massachusetts.

William H. Whitsitt (1841-1911) and Baptist Origins

The Whitsitt controversy is one of the clearest examples of a well-intentioned yet misguided attempt to determine truth. A student at Union University, the University of Virginia, and Southern Seminary, Whitsitt also studied for two years at the Universities of Leipzig and Berlin. In 1872, he left the pastorate in Albany, Georgia, to fill the Chair of Ecclesiastical History at Southern, which was located in Greenville, South Carolina, at the time. In 1895, Whitsitt became president of the seminary, which had relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1877.

In the 1880s, Whitsitt published anonymously several articles on Baptist origins, and then in the 1890s, he published signed articles. He rejected the view that Baptists could trace their history in an unbroken succession back to the time of Christ, a position that ran counter to the Landmarkist successionist interpretation. A major controversy ensued. Whitsitt resigned on July 13, 1898, an action accepted by the trustees in the following year.

An examination of the 1897 minutes of the Friendship Baptist Association in Oklahoma revealed the depth the controversy reached and the reality that academic freedom so easily can succumb to theological or political agendas. In this case, proponents of Landmarkism exercised vocal dissent that contributed greatly to the resignation of Whitsitt. The association passed a resolution that called for the "prompt removal of Dr. W. H. Whitsitt from the Presidency of the Seminary, and from the faculty also, and all of the faculty who agree with him in his teaching about Baptist history." A second resolution commended "the minority of the Board of Trustees, led by B. H. Carroll of Texas, in their efforts to get a decision of the Board in the Whitsitt case." (9) Carroll would later become the first president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His brother, J. M. Carroll, would become the first president of Oklahoma Baptist University and the author of The Trail of Blood, a small booklet published posthumously that advocated the Landmarkist theory of successionism.

In 1969, W. Morgan Patterson published Baptist Successionism: A Critical View, which traced the historical development of successionism from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Combining critical scholarship with sympathetic understanding of the adherents of successionism, Patterson concluded that the successionists failed to meet the demands of logical consistency and critical examination of available sources. Although successionism continued to be held by many Baptists, Patterson's position was not in jeopardy as had been Whitsitt's. The scholarship that led to Whitsitt's forced resignation is now accepted by most historians at Baptist colleges and seminaries. (10)

Ralph Elliott and The Message of Genesis

In 1961, Ralph Elliott, professor of Old Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, authored a book entitled The Message of Genesis. The SBC Sunday School Board published the volume. The board received strong criticism from the conservative element in the convention, which led to demands for doctrinal integrity.

H. Leon McBeth's A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage contains several primary sources related to the Elliott controversy. From these sources, one can envision the debate over academic freedom. E. S. James, in an editorial in the Baptist Standard, the state paper of Texas, raised a number of objections to Elliott's book. James wrote, "Most of us believe in academic freedom so long as it is not an abused privilege. No sane Baptist would consent to 'witch hunting' today ... but readers should be as free to dissent as writers and teachers are to affirm." James added, "Any Baptist who writes anything can expect it to be critically examined by all readers, and if it won't stand the test of public opinion he had better not write it. Oral statements may be denied or explained away, but the written word is a matter of record. Anyone who attempts to write for the public had better be ready to defend his position." (11)

In the same issue of the Baptist Standard, K. Owen White, pastor of First Baptist Church in Houston, published his sensational article, "Death in the Pot." White later was elected SBC president, presumably because of the publicity resulting from this article. He wrote, "If the appeal is made for 'academic freedom,' let it be said that we gladly grant any man the right to believe what he wants to--but, we do not grant him the right to believe and express views in conflict with our historic position concerning the Bible as the Word of God while he is teaching in one of our schools, built and supported by Baptist funds." White called upon trustees of Baptist institutions to "consider seriously the dangers involved in such theological views and to exercise caution in their approval of faculty members." He also urged the Sunday School Board "to be alert to any trend in the direction of liberalism in our publications." (12)

Robert H. Craft, in "Help for the Man in the Pew and the Pulpit: A Critique of Elliott's Book," defended Elliott. Craft noted that Elliott clarified and faced squarely and honestly "the major problems of authorship, date, anachronisms, and oral tradition in Genesis." Craft affirmed that Elliott's answer to these problems is a demonstration "of his academic integrity and pertinent knowledge of the best in Old Testament scholarship." (13)

One result of the Elliott controversy was that in 1962 the SBC Executive Committee recommended the appointment of a committee to prepare a new confession of faith. Herschel Hobbs, pastor of First Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was named chairman of the committee and was one of its most influential members. The committee chose to revise the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message rather than produce a completely new confession. The committee report was adopted without amendment at the 1963 convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The article on academic freedom was an entirely new addition to the confessional statement, indicating the importance and relevance of the topic. Like so much of the confession, this statement was specific in terms of criteria for academic freedom but flexible in that there was no detailed interpretation of each of the three limitations cited.

Elliott was eventually fired from Midwestern, not for heresy, but for insubordination. He sought a new publisher after the Sunday School Board decided not to republish the book and after the trustees of the seminary instructed him not to seek a new publisher. The comments on the back cover of the 1962 paperback edition by Bethany Press are relevant to the topic: "In making the book available to the reading public, the publisher is concerned that the author's opinions may be judged on the basis of firsthand rather than secondhand report.... This book has been called conservative by many of our reader advisers, but all have pointed out that it has liberal overtones and without exception each has recommended that, in the name of religious and academic freedom, it be kept in print." (14) Elliott later became an American Baptist pastor. The recent SBC controversy was partially rooted in the failure of the denomination to come to grips with the concerns addressed by Elliott.

G. Henton Davies and The Broadman Bible Commentary

In 1969, a publication by the SBC Sunday School Board again ignited a controversy in the denomination. This conflict arose over the publication of The Broadman Bible Commentary's volume on Genesis. Immediate criticisms were voiced in response to the interpretations of G. Henton Davies, principal of Regent's Park College, in Oxford, England. Davies was selected to write the commentary on Genesis because he was not a Southern Baptist and because the Sunday School Board was sensitive to the criticism surrounding Elliott's book. It proved to be a poor decision, not in terms of Davies' credentials but in terms of political realities in denominational life.

Critics gave primary attention to Genesis 22:1-9, a passage in which Davies interpreted the command of God to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to be a part of the psychological journey of Abraham rather than the will of God. Using both biblical support and analysis of the long pilgrimage of Abraham and Sarah to have a son, Davies concluded that the first patriarch believed that God demanded his son be sacrificed. But God intervened by providing a substitute sacrifice. Critics of this non-traditional interpretation at the 1970 SBC annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, asked the Sunday School Board to have the commentary "rewritten with due consideration given to the conservative viewpoint." (15) The board asked Davies to rewrite the Genesis commentary but messengers to the convention's annual meeting in St. Louis in 1971 by a narrow margin asked the board to select a new writer. Clyde T. Francisco of Southern Seminary was chosen, and the revised edition was published in 1972. (16)

Such controversies led to organized efforts within the convention to ensure theological orthodoxy. The Baptist Faith and Message Fellowship, organized in March 1973 in Atlanta, Georgia, insisted upon strict adherence to the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message and constantly opposed what it considered to be doctrinal deviations in its publication, Southern Baptist Journal. On the other side, moderates in the convention also appealed to the Baptist Faith and Message. Emphasizing the preface, they interpreted the confession as a defense against encroaching creedalism. (17)

Dale Moody (1915-1990) and Teachings on Apostasy

Beginning in 1947, Dale Moody served as professor at Southern Seminary for thirty-six years. He signed the seminary's "Abstract of Principles" but informed the president that he did not agree with the statement on the perseverance of the saints. In 1961, Moody expressed his view of apostasy in friendly conversations between sessions at an Oklahoma Baptist Convention Bible conference. His comments resulted in accusations of heresy and demands that he be removed from Southern's faculty, but no action was taken. (18)

After several clashes in the following years, Moody became involved in conflict again in 1981. The publication of his The Word of Truth led to further controversy over the issue of his teachings on apostasy. Moody defended himself by appealing to scripture rather than tradition. He did not deny that assurance was taught but did not see assurance as unconditional, with the required condition being continuing faith. He appealed to the parable of the sower in Luke, the abiding in the vine passages of John 15, and the warnings about apostasy in Galatians and Hebrews. (19)

In 1983, Moody's classroom career came to an end because of this theological conflict. He was granted a leave of absence from his teaching responsibilities in 1982-83, and his contract was not renewed following his leave. Moody, however, was granted the title Emeritus Professor of Theology in 1988. (20)

H. Leon McBeth's Centennial History of the Sunday School Board

The 1990 decision of the SBC Sunday School Board not to publish H. Leon McBeth's Celebrating Heritage and Hope, the centennial history of the agency, was another example of academic freedom being caught in the middle of denominational conflict and political agendas. The board commissioned McBeth to write an interpretive history of its first century. The book was within days of publication when the project was terminated in August 1990. The termination came as a result of conflict between the board trustees and Lloyd Elder, president of the board. Elder had provided McBeth with interviews and board records, and the trustees raised questions concerning the use of confidential documents and the interpretation of certain events. The board accused McBeth of writing an unbalanced manuscript that was biased against the conservative resurgence within the SBC.

McBeth's credentials as a Baptist historian and scholar were impeccable. Faculties at both Southern and Southwestern seminaries protested the decision, but unsuccessfully. The board claimed contractual ownership of the manuscript and arranged for all but one copy to be destroyed. Complete manuscripts as well as sections of the manuscript, however, found their way to many people. The crisis with McBeth's manuscript contributed to Elder's forced resignation in January 1991. (21)

A careful reading of McBeth's manuscript reveals that he was thorough, honest with the facts, and especially sensitive to the Elder crisis in light of the conflict going on at both the board and in the denomination at the time of the writing. Although McBeth's historical methodology has been questioned, it appears that academic freedom fell victim to denominational politics in this case.

Review and Expositor

A more recent example of the Southern Baptist struggle with academic freedom is evident in the conflicts over the scholarly journals of three Southern Baptist seminaries. In 1996, the editorial board of Review and Expositor severed the publication's relationship with Southern Seminary and became identified with a consortium of several new Baptist theological schools. Although the reason for the change was cited as decline in the subscription base, the first editorial in the journal after the transition spoke of the difficulty of surviving "in the midst of tempestuous changes at Southern Seminary." (22) In response to the action of the editorial board of Review and Expositor, Southern Seminary, in the spring of 1997, began publishing a new journal, The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, the purpose of which was described as "to inform, challenge and encourage its readers to stand for theological truth in a relativistic age and to present an orthodox definition of God in a confused world." Paul House, editor of the publication, stated that the journal "intends to be a positive partner with all parties, Baptist and otherwise, who hold to conservative evangelical convictions." (23)

The Southwestern Journal of Theology

About the same time as the Review and Expositor's policy changes, another seminary journal also faced difficulty. In 1997, the spring issue of the Southwestern Journal of Theology was suspended. That issue was initially to be edited by Jeff Pool, a faculty member at the seminary. The theme for the issue was to be the Baptist Faith and Message, which was also the theme of the denomination's 1997 doctrinal study. Authors were assigned and articles received and edited. In November 1996, the editorial board upon non-negotiable and non-debatable instructions from the institution's administration temporarily suspended the issue and informed the editor that the articles were to be rescheduled and published at a later date. Eventually, the articles were returned to their writers and republished in a book, Sacred Mandates of Conscience, which was edited by Pool.

Rationale for the action of the editorial board was based on Pool's selection of three writers, all former professors at Southern Seminary: William L. Hendricks, Molly T. Marshall, and Bill J. Leonard. Southwestern President Kenneth S. Hemphill initially defended the action and claimed that the decision was part of the editorial board's desire to redesign the journal. Later, Hemphill stated that the decision was based on the perception that the issue of the journal would not be balanced due to the biases of the three writers. Neither the content of the articles nor the actual credentials of the three writers in question seemed at issue. (24)

The Theological Educator

Another less visible struggle with academic freedom occurred at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In late 1997, the seminary ceased publication of The Theological Educator. The official reason cited was that the declining subscription base could not compete with the rising cost of producing the journal. There were, however, reports of a challenge to the contents of an article that was scheduled for publication in the fall issue. According to undocumented sources, a seminary trustee expressed concern about an interpretation of Charles A. Pay, Jr., in his article, "The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)." Ray noted that there were other parabolic stories similar to this story circulating in Palestine during the time of Jesus and that Jesus was aware of and familiar with them. The trustee apparently found this interpretation unacceptable. While Ray's article may not have been the primary factor in terminating publication of the seminary's scholarly journal, the situation demonstrated that legitimate scholarship might fall prey to theological or political agendas.

The preceding cases raise obvious concerns about the need for and respect of academic inquiry and integrity in Baptist institutions. Such developments should be considered seriously by those in the academic communities, by denominational and church leaders, and certainly by laity in Southern Baptist churches.

The Rise of New Divinity and Theological Graduate Schools

Issues related to scholarship and teachings in Baptist educational institutions and conflicts over theology, teaching, and denominational publications have led to the recent organization of numerous new Baptist divinity and theological schools. (25) These new schools reflect the growing interest in establishing seminaries committed to classical theological education. (26)

Meanwhile, the established Southern Baptist institutions continued to differ on issues relating to academic freedom. The trustees of Southwestern Seminary voted that faculty must sign the revised 1998 Baptist Faith and Message and must accept any future changes made by the SBC to the document. This decision resulted in a major public disputation, especially with regard to Article 18. That article on "The Family" called for a wife to "submit graciously" to her husband resulted in a test of conscience for a number of faculty members. Some professors were forced into early retirement, to accept severance packages from the seminary, or to compromise their convictions in order to remain employed by the seminary. As related to academic freedom, requiring a faculty member to accept theological teachings that have not even been determined demonstrates the absurdity that results when politics shape policy in educational institutions. A case easily can be made that conflict in the denomination over what is appropriate and acceptable in the classroom and in scholarly research is at the heart of such developments.

Historical Commission Pamphlet Withdrawal

Academic freedom concerns have not been confined to educational institutions. In 1993, the SBC Historical Commission published a new pamphlet series entitled Understanding Southern Baptists. Nolan P. Harrington, in "Who Are Southern Baptists?", wrote of Southern Baptist cooperation with a strong statement on the Cooperative Program. He also mentioned that churches give through other channels, including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Complaints were made to the SBC Executive Committee. At a later annual meeting of the convention, a trustee of the Historical Commission heard two trustees of the Executive Committee speaking of the pamphlet in question. One stated that if the commission did not withdraw the pamphlet, the Executive Committee would cut the commission's funding. The threat was to be taken seriously, for the Executive Committee had already defunded the Baptist Joint Committee. The pamphlet controversy can clearly be interpreted as an issue of academic freedom, for the Historical Commission had the closest of ties to the academic community. The commission eventually revised and republished the pamphlet. (27)

Conclusions

What has Southern Baptist history of the last 150-plus years taught us about academic freedom? What challenges are issued to us in terms of the need for academic integrity?

First, the ideal of academic freedom often is sacrificed to less than noble influences, when student recruitment, when satisfying potential donors, and when political and theological agendas become the criteria for what is acceptable in teaching, research, and publication in the academic community, then teachers, scholars, and educational institutions have compromised their reason to exist. Instead of retreating, we must learn anew to seize the higher ground, to defend honest, open inquiry and sane, legitimate academic scholarship as the only acceptable response to the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the scriptures, and the purpose of the institutions in which we serve. Nothing less will suffice. Perhaps now is a good time for responsible Baptists to produce a bold statement on academic freedom that elevates such an ideal to the highest expression of faith in the academic community and as the only acceptable possibility for a denominational school.

Second, the issue of academic freedom usually arises when scholars and teachers publish their views and interpretations as a result of their research. I remember being told repeatedly during my years as a student and as a young professor that the reason that seminarians were reluctant to publish was the fear of getting into trouble. Once something is in print it can move from being argument to evidence in a hurry.

Third, several of the controversies involved the interpretation of the Old Testament, and in particular the book of Genesis. The Toy controversy, the Elliott controversy, and The Broadman Bible Commentary controversy are examples of the debate over Genesis. Two major concerns about Genesis seem to result in conflict. One is the use of historical-critical methodology. Accusers usually identify higher criticism with liberal theology, but in Baptist circles, many of the teachers and writers are often conservative in their theological views, but still appreciate sound critical scholarship. Academicians have not dearly and forcefully enunciated this perspective. A second concern is the relation between science and religion. Baptists have not effectively dealt with or responded to this issue. Too often, the only option available to Baptists seems to be that either science is right and religion is wrong or religion is right and science is wrong.

Another general source of conflict has been the interpretation of the "historic Baptist position," as if there could be such a thing beyond important generalities. The Whitsitt controversy, the Moody controversy, McBeth's history of the Sunday School Board, and the Southwestern Journal of Theology controversy all highlight this issue. At the same time, it is easy to refer to Baptist history as a smokescreen for other agendas, since one needs an authority.

Fourth, Baptist history also teaches us that in moments of crisis, right and wrong often give way to winners and losers. Individuals are often abandoned for the causes of other individuals, institutions, and organizations.

Fifth, Baptists must be reminded that there is a difference between the pursuit of truth and truth itself. Humility in the journey is an important gift to have. Academic freedom guarantees the right and responsibility to pursue truth and new understanding. It may also defend the right for the scholars and teachers to make mistakes on the journey. Baptists shall never lack those who delight in directing others back to the main highway.

Sixth, a former colleague often reminded me that the prime ethical issue in the Book of Revelation is the choice between cowardice and courage. Philosophically, it is an easy choice to make. All would like to be men and women of courage. But when economics, stability, and reputation are thrown into the mix, the choice becomes much more difficult. If educators choose to be cowardly, whether they want to or not, they pay a price in terms of personal integrity. But the greatest price is paid by those to whom they serve, especially their students, because they have not given it their best.

Seventh, in 1979, Ray Summers, widely-respected Bible and Greek professor, made a statement while delivering the Founders' Day address at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Whether it was original or not with him, I do not know. But its relevance and application are important for teachers, researchers, writers, scholars, and academicians. Summers stated, "Buy truth, whatever the cost; sell it not, whatever the price." (28) Can the same apply to academic freedom?

In Baptist educational history, many academic legends taught with dignity and integrity, and instilled in their students a love for knowledge, inquiry, and scholarship and the desire to understand and to pass along not only information but a God-given passion for learning. These legendary professors would not allow their students to be content with convictions and ideas that could not withstand the rigor of academic inquiry. In recent years, some have longed for those simpler times, those quieter days. Yet such mentors taught during the days of the Elliott controversy, The Broadman Bible Commentary controversy, and the recent SBC controversy.

Today, many students in Baptist educational institutions are taught by those who have had their books banned, their views attacked, and their Christian commitment questioned. But the influence of these great teachers did not diminish; their shine did not dull. Their lives and ministry testify with certainty that they loved God, that they loved the pursuit of truth, that they loved the discipline of inquiry, and that they loved students. They taught with freedom, Christian freedom, Baptist freedom, the freedom that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Their influence will not diminish as long as there remain those who savor the wine of their academic freedom.

(1.) Baptist Faith and Message (Nashville: The Sunday School Board, 1963), 16.

(2.) Thomas H. Graves, "Freedom of Academic Inquiry Drives Authentic Theological Education," in Defining Baptist Convictions: Guidelines for the Twenty-First Century, ed. Charles W Deweese (Franklin, TN: Providence House Publishers, 1996), 192.

(3.) Ibid.

(4.) Ibid., 193.

(5.) Gaines S. Dobbins, "Toy, Crawford Howell," in Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, 2 (1958), 1423.

(6.) C. H. Toy, The Claims of Biblical Interpretations on Baptists (New York: Lange & Hillman, 1869), 44.

(7.) E. Glenn Hinson, "Southern Baptists and the Liberal Tradition in Biblical Interpretation, 1845-1945," Baptist History and Heritage 19, no. 3 (July 1984): 18.

(8.) Jesse C. Fletcher, The Southern Baptist Convention: A Sesquicentennial History (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1994), 89-92.

(9.) E. E. Thornton and Slayden A. Yarbrough, "Friendship Association of Missionary Baptists (1892-1911)," The Oklahoma Baptist Chronicle 35 (Spring 1992): 37.

(10.) Walter B. Shurden, Not A Silent People: Controversies that Have Shaped Southern Baptists (Nashville Broadman Press, 1972), 21-33; and J. Terry Young, "Bible, Controversies About," in Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, 4 (1982), 2120.

(11.) E. S. James, "Baptist Theologians and Their Books," Baptist Standard, 10 January 1962, 4-5, in H. Leon McBeth, A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1990), 498-500.

(12.) K. Owen White, "Death in the Pot," Baptist Standard, 10 January 1962, 6-7, in McBeth, A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage, 500-01.

(13.) Robert H. Craft, "Help for the Man in the Pew and in the Pulpit: A Critique of Elliott's Book," undated letter in McBeth, A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage, 502.

(14.) Ralph Elliott, The Message of Genesis (St. Louis: The Bethany Press, 1962), back cover

(15.) Annual, Southern Baptist Convention, 1970, 63.

(16.) Slayden A. Yarbrough, Southern Baptists: Who Are We? (Oklahoma City: Messenger Press, 1990), 45-46.

(17.) Ibid., 46.

(18.) Clark R. Youngblood, "Perseverance and Apostasy," in Has Our Theology Changed? (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994), 125-26.

(19.) Danny R. Stiver, "Dale Moody," in Baptist Theologians, eds. Timothy George and David S. Dockery (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1990), 542.

(20.) Ibid.

(21.) Fletcher, 310-11.

(22.) Dan R. Stiver, "Editorial Introduction," Review and Expositor 93 (Spring 1996): 175.

(23.) James A. Smith, "House Says Defining God is Growing Doctrinal Crisis," The Southern Seminary Magazine 65 (Spring 1997): 3.

(24.) An examination and interpretation of the developments of this controversy, along with the publication of the articles in the suspended volume, are found in Jeff B. Pool, ed., Sacred Mandates of the Conscience (Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys, 1997), 1-36.

(25.) Among those are Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, Wake Forest University Divinity School, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, Campbell University Divinity School, Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University, M. Christopher White School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University, the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, and the John Laland Center for Theological Studies.

(26.) Michael Clingenpeel, "New Baptist Seminary to Start in Washington's Virginia Suburbs," Associated Baptist Press, 30 January 1998.

(27.) This information is based upon conversations between Slayden Yarbrough, chairman of the trustees of the SBC Historical Commission, with various members of the staff, including Lynn E. May, Jr., executive director of the Historical Commission.

(28.) Slayden A. Yarbrough, "Baptists and Freedom: Conviction and Contradiction," in Dick Allen Rader, ed., Fibers of our Faith (Franklin, TN: Providence House Publishers, 1995), 170.

Slayden A. Yarbrough, retired Dickinson Professor of Religion, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma, now resides in Denver, Colorado.