90 Book Reviews

Book Reviews Duke McCall: An Oral History. Duke conservative either. Rather, he is a man father, and there are fabulously inter- McCall with A. Ronald Tonks. Brent- who grew up living in the big house esting insights into the personal life wood and Nashville: Baptist History on the plantation, which was essen- of the presidential family during and Heritage Society and Fields Pub- tially good to him and, therefore, the years at Southern Seminary. For lishing, 2001, 480 pp., $20.00. needs to be protected at whatever cost. example, he records the sign that his Duke McCall is above all else a sons put up close to their property Stoke your fire, put the blanket over denominational pragmatist, and there line, which said, “Trespassers will be your feet, curl up in your recliner, and is no theme in the book that comes shot on sight” (p. 113). He indicates prepare to enjoy — an oral history? through any more clearly. that the Louisville Times got hold of the Surely no oral history would ever Among the many rivetingly inter- story and printed it, causing a degree qualify for “leisure reading.” The esting aspects of the book is his assess- of embarrassment to some, but one exception to that time-honored rule is ment of the 1958 controversy at gets the impression that McCall this scintillating oral history by Duke Southern Seminary. In the end, the viewed the incident as humorous and McCall, an almost legendary figure in trustees of Southern Seminary become in a sense admired the creativity of Southern Baptist life for the past five the “guys in the black hats” who his boys, knowing as he did that dur- decades. Doubtless one of the keys to insisted on nixing McCall’s attempts ing their actual patrol the boys were a genuinely good oral history is know- to have some forgiveness and resto- armed only with air rifles. ing the right questions to ask, thus ration. The interplay of the various McCall had little good to say about triggering the recall of a colorful wit- personalities in the dispute and the the Association of Theological ness. Ronald Tonks should get rave realization that ultimately it was a Schools, especially in its relationship reviews in this case since his questions classic power struggle to determine to the seminary’s 1958 controversy. On tend to elicit some of McCall’s most whether the seminary would be a page 198 and following of the oral his- colorful memories. But even the right faculty-run institution or an adminis- tory, McCall documents irrefutably questions would never make for an in- tratively-led seminary becomes crys- just how intransigent, belligerent, and vigorating read if the interviewee tal clear. Although the theological unjust were the operations of the were not one of the most decisive and impact of this controversy was later AATS (now ATS) in their dealings colorful figures to cross through the felt by both Midwestern and South- with the situation at Southern Semi- Baptist Zion in recent years. McCall eastern, theology had little enough to nary. Since McCall is often featured as tells it all straight, at least as he saw it, do with the confrontation at Southern. being one who is opposed to the con- and he is not overly concerned about Other interesting features include servative movement (and in truth he political correctness or the public McCall’s advising Herschel Hobbs is), it is refreshing to see such an accu- relations aftermath. The oral history that the latter would be a fool to accept rate and candid portrayal of the ATS exposes the mind and heart of McCall the presidency of Southern Seminary. coming not from conservatives but and as such contains not only his can- Then McCall accepted the presidency from McCall. did perspectives but also real insight himself. In candor, he rehearses the McCall was no less enthralled with into everything from the adminis- letter he received from Hobbs upon the WMU, and that will once again tration of schools to theology and his acceptance of the seminary, which come as something of a revelation to churchmanship. said, “Dear Fool, I want to congratu- some contemporary readers. Some of In the process of this volume, it late you on your position in the meat his observations about certain mem- becomes apparent that Duke McCall grinder” (p. 99). bers of the WMU are worth recount- is no liberal. But, of course, he is not a McCall seems to have been a good ing. Speaking of Kathleen Mallory, 90 who at that time was heading up the lars and knew that it would make no rather sophisticated mind of Dr. Bill work of the WMU, he says, “She difference to his father who would Hull. didn’t care a great deal for the male of insist on the twenty days in jail. To his A rather extensive section on Paul the species. If there ever was anything astonishment, however, his father Pressler combines both insight and called ‘female chauvinism,’ you could called him forward and then paid the na¨ıvet´e as McCall notes that Pressler have gotten some over in the WMU fine for him. Not only does the inci- understood the Southern Baptist camp in those days” (p. 86). As a mat- dent give insight into the relationship Convention’s functional principles as ter of fact, the WMU does not fare very between father and son, but it also very few, but then McCall seems to well in any of the narrative regarding served as a frequent illustration in follow the usual line that Pressler was its relationship to Southern Seminary McCall’s preaching for explaining the making a considerable grab for power. and the School of Social Work that was atonement. Obviously, it would be dif- He also recounts an incident on page eventually begun there. Reading the ficult to come to any other conclusion 400 in which Paul Pressler bodily pur- contemporary accounts of journalists, based on this illustration but that sued him down the hall of a hotel and you would think that Al Mohler and McCall believed in a substitutionary tried to restrain him physically from Southern Seminary were guilty of atonement. entering an elevator. Pressler has no creating a rift in the landscape of a per- The former Southern Seminary memory of any such incident. And fect relationship; but McCall’s assess- president also comes down strongly while the current reviewer was not ment demonstrates the degree to in favor of pastoral authority, which present to draw any conclusion, it is which such a view is nothing more he explicates at some length (p. 49 and clearly far beyond the usual style of than fiction. following) and also insists that the Pressler to do any such thing. By the As would be anticipated, McCall is Bible is absolutely true (p. 392). Would same token, some of the report that less than enthusiastic about the cur- he waffle on that issue in response to Dr. McCall offers concerning this rent conservative movement in South- some of the more advanced contribu- reviewer’s relationships to Dr. Cris- ern Baptist life. The present reviewer tions of historical-critical scholars? well and to the First Baptist Church does not agree with many of the There is evidence that McCall just of Dallas comes up, as they say, “a few conclusions that McCall draws. But, never saw the problem between the bricks short of a load.” McCall even even if one differs with this Baptist two views. This is why at times he admits that he has only one source for statesman, one cannot help but be appears to be naive and undiscerning. his information, and that source con- enthralled with the nature of McCall’s For example, he insists on the old veniently is neither named nor docu- evaluations, not all of which are moderate clich´e that there are “no lib- mented in any way. McCall is wrong entirely negative. erals in the Southern Baptist Conven- also about the fact that the plan was a One of the more fascinating aspects tion.” This is repeated more than once five-year program to turn back the of this oral history is that at times in the book. By the same token, Convention to the faith of its fathers. McCall seems to be totally orthodox McCall’s assessment of the Elliott con- Conservatives always said that it was in his views; whereas, at other times troversy at Midwestern Seminary a ten-year program. However, he is he appears profoundly uncritical and (pages 248 and following) is not only right that conservatives underesti- rather naive. On page 21 there is a fas- intriguing, but also incredibly undis- mated the time feature by one-half cinating incident from his boyhood cerning for a person who, under since it took actually nearly twenty regarding the time he was arraigned normal circumstances, is so very per- years for the convention to turn. That before his own father, Judge McCall, ceptive. Also, his assessment of Bill figure is even more remarkable in light for speeding. He was fined twenty Hull, while not entirely positive, nev- of maintaining any confrontation in dollars or twenty days in jail. The ertheless indicates that McCall failed the present environment for such a younger McCall stood there speech- to discover the degree of neo-ortho- lengthy period. less since he did not have twenty dol- doxy which was characteristic of the On page 416 McCall observed, “It 91 is incredible that anybody would not find it a thought-provoking read.

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