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The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology Volume 13 · Number 1 Spring 2009 Editor-in-Chief: R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Celebrating 150 Years at Southern Seminary Executive Editor: Russell D. Moore 2 Editorial: Stephen J. Wellum Editor: Stephen J. Wellum Celebrating God’s Faithfulness to Southern Seminary Book Review Editor: Chad Owen Brand 4 R. Albert Mohler Jr. Associate Editor: Christopher W. Cowan Mission, Transmission, and Confession: Assistant Editors: Brian Vickers Three Central Issues in Theological Education Brent E. Parker 6 Thomas J. Nettles Advisory Board: James Petigru Boyce: For Christ and His Church Timothy K. Beougher 30 Michael A. G. Haykin John B. Polhill “Soldiers of Christ, in Truth Arrayed”: Chuck Lawless The Ministry and Piety of Basil Manly Jr. (1825-1892) Peter J. Gentry Esther H. Crookshank 46 Joshua W. Powell Mark A. Seifrid “We Cannot Sit in Judgment”: Randy Stinson William Whitsitt and the Future of the Seminary Design: David Yeiser 60 Gregory A. Wills Typographer: John Rogers A Review of James H. Slatton’sW. H. Whitsitt: The Man and the Controversy Editorial Office & Subscription Services: SBTS Box 832 64 Gregory A. Wills 2825 Lexington Rd. Southern Seminary and Progressive Religion 1870-1940 Louisville, KY 40280 80 Russell D. Moore (800) 626-5525, x 4413 Southern Seminary and the Reshaping of American Culture: Editorial E-Mail: Retrospect and Prospect [email protected] 100 TheSBJT Forum Yearly subscription costs for four issues: $25, individual inside the by the American Theological Library Association, 250 S. Wacker Dr., U. S.; $50, individual outside the U. S.; $40, institutional inside 16th Flr., Chicago, IL 60606, [email protected], www.atla.com. the U. S.; $65, institutional outside the U. S. Opinions expressed in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology are solely the responsibility The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology is published quarterly of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editors, members by The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington of the Advisory Board, or the SBJT Forum. Road, Louisville, KY 40280. Spring 2009. Vol. 13, No. 1. Copyright ©2009 The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. ISSN 1520-7307. This periodical is indexed in Religion Index One: Periodicals, the Index Second Class postage paid at Louisville, KY. Postmaster: to Book Reviews in Religions, Religion Indexes: Ten Year Subset on Send address changes to: SBTS, Box 832, 2825 Lexington Road, 1 CD-ROM, and the ATLA Religion Database on CD-ROM, published Louisville, KY 40280. Editorial: Celebrating God’s Faithfulness to Southern Seminary Stephen J. Wellum ne of the most beloved hymns of the promised. In fact, it is due to these great truths Opast century is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” that the people of God throughout the ages have It is so loved because it expresses well the biblical been able to rest in God’s promises, despite appear- truth that the Triune God of Scripture is one who ances to the contrary, to believe and to know that is true to his character, unchanging in his prom- the kingdom of God will never fail, that the gates ises, and faithful to his people. Despite our lack of of hell cannot prevail against the church even faithfulness and our propensity to though Satan’s rage is great, and that nothing in Stephen J. Wellum is Professor go our own way, even as the people all of creation can separate the child of God from of Christian Theology at The South- of God, our God never fails. For he the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord ern Baptist Theological Seminary. is the same yesterday, today, and (Rom 8:28-39). Dr. Wellum received his Ph.D. forever (Heb 13:8). It is because Now what the people of God have rested in and degree in theology from Trinity of the Lord’s great love, compas- celebrated throughout history, we at Southern Evangelical Divinity School and sion, and faithfulness that we are Seminary specifically take time to celebrate this has also taught theology at the th Associated Canadian Theological not consumed (Lam 3:22-24). year, since 2009 marks the 150 anniversary— Schools and Northwest Baptist From Genesis to Revelation, our the sesquicentennial—of The Southern Baptist Theological College and Seminary God is presented as the promise- Theological Seminary. Begun in the fall of 1859 in Canada. He has contributed to several publications and a maker, the promise-keeper, and the in Greenville, South Carolina, under the excellent collection of essays on theology sovereign Lord of the universe leadership and godly vision of James P. Boyce, and worldview issues. whose plans and purposes cannot Southern Seminary was founded as the flagship be thwarted. We, then, as his peo- seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention ple, may have hope, confidence, and full-assurance with the goal of preparing God-called individuals that he will always remain faithful to what he has for more excellent gospel ministry. It was Boyce’s 2 SBJT 13.1 (2009): 2-3. vision that regardless of a person’s educational well today. For this, we at Southern Seminary background, there needed to be a seminary that pause to give God thanks, acknowledging without prepared and trained God-called ministers to pro- any hesitation or confidence in ourselves, that this claim the whole counsel of God to the churches is God’s doing from beginning to end, a testimony and to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. to, and affirmation of, the biblical truth that God’s From the seminary’s humble beginnings in 1859, faithfulness is very great indeed. through its relocation to Louisville, Kentucky in To commemorate, then, Southern Seminary’s 1877, during difficult times in the nineteenth and sesquicentennial, this edition of SBJT is devoted twentieth centuries, and down to our present-day, to articles which recount the history, legacy, and it is very evident that the Lord’s faithful hand has vision of the seminary, as well as Forum contribu- rested on Southern Seminary. tions from those who have been associated with Specifically, God’s faithfulness may be uniquely Southern over the last number of years. For our witnessed in how the Lord has preserved Southern anniversary celebration, the three words—truth, Seminary over the years both in terms of her com- legacy, and vision—capture nicely the last 150 mitment to historic Christianity and to fulfilling years. “Truth” in that we continue to ground all of her calling in training God-called individuals for our education, instruction, and theological beliefs gospel ministry. In this regard, one only has to in a commitment to the full authority, infallibility, consider the history of theological education in and inerrancy of Scripture as God’s Word writ- this country, let alone around the world, to note ten. “Legacy” and “vision” in that we continue how rare it is to find seminaries, schools, and insti- to uphold and pass on the vision of J. P. Boyce tutions that have celebrated their sesquicentennial and the other founders of the Seminary, as we and are still training ministers for the church who stand on their shoulders, to equip and train God- maintain anything resembling historic, orthodox called ministers for gospel ministry so that we can Christian belief. Generally speaking, schools that fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission in began well in terms of their commitment to a this country and around the world. And we do so confessional orthodoxy and who were commit- proudly as the flagship Seminary of the Southern ted to training gospel ministers for the church Baptist Convention, along with our sister institu- have, sadly, not finished well. Unfortunately, for tions, thankful to the churches of the Convention many of these institutions, their commitment to who have prayed, sacrificially given of their finan- the gospel is now only a distant memory, a mat- cial resources, and labored together to encourage ter of historical record. But not so with Southern and support the training of gospel ministers. In Seminary. No doubt, the last 150 years of South- addition, to honor the anniversary of the Semi- ern Seminary’s history has witnessed some high nary, readers of SBJT will notice that we have and low points as Greg Wills’s article in this issue made some changes to the format of the journal, admirably points out. For a time, it looked like which we hope only makes it better. Southern Seminary was going to follow the path of It is our earnest desire, as you read this com- so many institutions that had begun well but that memorative issue, that it will not only inform you eventually ended up compromising their commit- of the history and legacy of Southern Seminary, ment to historic Christianity. However, in the case but that it will also lead you to celebrate God’s of Southern Seminary, ultimately for reasons only faithfulness with us and to pray for us. Pray that we known to him, God has been pleased to preserve will continue to stand for the truth and not waver, and keep her over the years so that the same vision that we will continue to train individuals for gos- and commitment to the truth of God’s Word that pel ministry, and that we will be found faithful to pulsated in her original founders is still alive and our great God who is always faithful to his people. 3 Mission, Transmission, and Confession: Three Central Issues in Theological Education R. Albert Mohler Jr. magazine published by a seminary of cal knowledge from one generation to the next. A the old Protestant “mainline” crossed my Viewed over the last 200 years, the history of theo- desk in recent days.
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