Douglas A. Sweeney
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195390971
- eISBN:
- 9780199777099
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195390971.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity, Church History
Few matters were more hotly debated by Reformed divines in nineteenth-century America than the nature, history, and contemporary expression of the Calvinist system of thought. John Williamson Nevin ...
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Few matters were more hotly debated by Reformed divines in nineteenth-century America than the nature, history, and contemporary expression of the Calvinist system of thought. John Williamson Nevin of Mercersburg Seminary contended that most Americans had abandoned Calvin’s system long ago (especially in regard to the Eucharist). The New England theologians (led by Edwards Amasa Park) claimed to be faithful modern Calvinists, but no longer bound to Calvin’s own doctrinal preferences. Princeton theologians (led by Charles Hodge) criticized both of these other groups, trying their best to shore up a sense of mainstream orthodox Calvinist unity from the time of the Reformation to their own age. This chapter will use these debates to examine the status of Calvinism and reassess Calvin’s legacy in nineteenth-century America. It will also engage the interpretations of many recent historians who interpret the nineteenth century as one in which most American "Calvinists" abandoned Calvin’s legacy.Less
Few matters were more hotly debated by Reformed divines in nineteenth-century America than the nature, history, and contemporary expression of the Calvinist system of thought. John Williamson Nevin of Mercersburg Seminary contended that most Americans had abandoned Calvin’s system long ago (especially in regard to the Eucharist). The New England theologians (led by Edwards Amasa Park) claimed to be faithful modern Calvinists, but no longer bound to Calvin’s own doctrinal preferences. Princeton theologians (led by Charles Hodge) criticized both of these other groups, trying their best to shore up a sense of mainstream orthodox Calvinist unity from the time of the Reformation to their own age. This chapter will use these debates to examine the status of Calvinism and reassess Calvin’s legacy in nineteenth-century America. It will also engage the interpretations of many recent historians who interpret the nineteenth century as one in which most American "Calvinists" abandoned Calvin’s legacy.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0000
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The Prologue argues for the importance of Charles Hodge in nineteenth-century American Protestantism through his publications (including forty years as the editor of the Biblical Repertory and ...
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The Prologue argues for the importance of Charles Hodge in nineteenth-century American Protestantism through his publications (including forty years as the editor of the Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review) and his fifty-six year career as a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. It is impossible to fully understand the current shape of American Presbyterianism, American Calvinism, and much of twentieth-century Protestant Fundamentalism without carefully studying the theological influence of Charles Hodge.Less
The Prologue argues for the importance of Charles Hodge in nineteenth-century American Protestantism through his publications (including forty years as the editor of the Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review) and his fifty-six year career as a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. It is impossible to fully understand the current shape of American Presbyterianism, American Calvinism, and much of twentieth-century Protestant Fundamentalism without carefully studying the theological influence of Charles Hodge.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Chapter Nine recounts how Hodge returned to Philadelphia to convalesce from his chest condition after graduation. After his health improved he took two important trips. First, he traveled to Silver ...
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Chapter Nine recounts how Hodge returned to Philadelphia to convalesce from his chest condition after graduation. After his health improved he took two important trips. First, he traveled to Silver Lake, Pennsylvania to visit Robert and Jane Rose. Here, he decided to enter the ministry against the preferences of his mother. Second, he traveled throughout Virginia with Archibald Alexander, the founding faculty member of Princeton Theological Seminary.Less
Chapter Nine recounts how Hodge returned to Philadelphia to convalesce from his chest condition after graduation. After his health improved he took two important trips. First, he traveled to Silver Lake, Pennsylvania to visit Robert and Jane Rose. Here, he decided to enter the ministry against the preferences of his mother. Second, he traveled throughout Virginia with Archibald Alexander, the founding faculty member of Princeton Theological Seminary.
Kenan B. Osborne
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195178067
- eISBN:
- 9780199784905
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195178068.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter focuses on a single theme central to both the Trent and Vatican II councils — the formation of priestly leadership. The goal of the chapter is twofold: on the one hand, to indicate the ...
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This chapter focuses on a single theme central to both the Trent and Vatican II councils — the formation of priestly leadership. The goal of the chapter is twofold: on the one hand, to indicate the clear differences between the two councils, and, on the other hand, to emphasize the undeniable similarities regarding the respective positions of the two councils on the issue of formation of priestly leadership. The chapter begins with an overview of the basic official statements regarding the Tridentine reform of priestly formation. Second, it gives a historical background, listing the major factors that occasioned such a reform in priestly formation in the 16th century. Third, it presents a review of the major developments of the seminary system in the 17th century, immediately following Trent. Next it gives an overview of the basic official material on priestly formation as developed by Vatican II and its postconciliar reception an finally, some concluding remarks are offered.Less
This chapter focuses on a single theme central to both the Trent and Vatican II councils — the formation of priestly leadership. The goal of the chapter is twofold: on the one hand, to indicate the clear differences between the two councils, and, on the other hand, to emphasize the undeniable similarities regarding the respective positions of the two councils on the issue of formation of priestly leadership. The chapter begins with an overview of the basic official statements regarding the Tridentine reform of priestly formation. Second, it gives a historical background, listing the major factors that occasioned such a reform in priestly formation in the 16th century. Third, it presents a review of the major developments of the seminary system in the 17th century, immediately following Trent. Next it gives an overview of the basic official material on priestly formation as developed by Vatican II and its postconciliar reception an finally, some concluding remarks are offered.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on William Heth Whitsitt, who succeeded John Broadus as president of Southern Seminary in May 1895. Whitsitt's tenure was short and tumultuous, and the controversy he ...
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This chapter focuses on William Heth Whitsitt, who succeeded John Broadus as president of Southern Seminary in May 1895. Whitsitt's tenure was short and tumultuous, and the controversy he precipitated cost him his position. The presenting issue in the controversy was his claim that in 1641 Baptists invented immersion as the mode of baptism. Most Southern Baptists found the claim troubling, and many thought it contrary to scripture. But Whitsitt's ultimate offense was betrayal of denominational trust—common Baptists could not get past the sneering tone with which he corrected his own denomination. He was president of a seminary established as a guardian of Baptist orthodoxy, but he had disparaged Baptist views in a way that broadly discredited the denomination.Less
This chapter focuses on William Heth Whitsitt, who succeeded John Broadus as president of Southern Seminary in May 1895. Whitsitt's tenure was short and tumultuous, and the controversy he precipitated cost him his position. The presenting issue in the controversy was his claim that in 1641 Baptists invented immersion as the mode of baptism. Most Southern Baptists found the claim troubling, and many thought it contrary to scripture. But Whitsitt's ultimate offense was betrayal of denominational trust—common Baptists could not get past the sneering tone with which he corrected his own denomination. He was president of a seminary established as a guardian of Baptist orthodoxy, but he had disparaged Baptist views in a way that broadly discredited the denomination.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on Duke K. McCall, who succeeded Fuller as president of the seminary. McCall entered office anticipating a struggle over the seminary's direction. A dissident faction of the ...
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This chapter focuses on Duke K. McCall, who succeeded Fuller as president of the seminary. McCall entered office anticipating a struggle over the seminary's direction. A dissident faction of the faculty sought effective control of the school and was leading it toward the values and ambitions of the “nondenominational seminaries of the Northeast.” Trustees and other faculty members opposed the dissidents' aims. Trustees vested in the president the authority to determine the direction of the seminary, and they expected the seminary to serve the needs and beliefs of Southern Baptist churches, not of New England divinity schools. McCall sought to lead the school jointly with the faculty while keeping his executive authority theoretical.Less
This chapter focuses on Duke K. McCall, who succeeded Fuller as president of the seminary. McCall entered office anticipating a struggle over the seminary's direction. A dissident faction of the faculty sought effective control of the school and was leading it toward the values and ambitions of the “nondenominational seminaries of the Northeast.” Trustees and other faculty members opposed the dissidents' aims. Trustees vested in the president the authority to determine the direction of the seminary, and they expected the seminary to serve the needs and beliefs of Southern Baptist churches, not of New England divinity schools. McCall sought to lead the school jointly with the faculty while keeping his executive authority theoretical.
Roy L. Honeycutt
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on Roy L. Honeycutt, who succeeded McCall as president of the seminary. Honeycutt entered office knowing that his job was to prevent change. By the time of his installation as ...
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This chapter focuses on Roy L. Honeycutt, who succeeded McCall as president of the seminary. Honeycutt entered office knowing that his job was to prevent change. By the time of his installation as president in February 1982, Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson had initiated a movement designed to dislodge denominational leaders and seminary professors who endorsed liberal theology and replace them with persons who held orthodox views. As the conservative insurgency gained successive victories, the threat to the seminary's progressive faculty and administration grew. The conservative majority in the Southern Baptist Convention wanted a seminary of a very different sort. If Honeycutt and other denominational leaders could not find a strategy to stop them, the seminary that they had labored to establish would cease to exist. Honeycutt resisted the control of the popular majority. And when resistance failed, he obstructed.Less
This chapter focuses on Roy L. Honeycutt, who succeeded McCall as president of the seminary. Honeycutt entered office knowing that his job was to prevent change. By the time of his installation as president in February 1982, Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson had initiated a movement designed to dislodge denominational leaders and seminary professors who endorsed liberal theology and replace them with persons who held orthodox views. As the conservative insurgency gained successive victories, the threat to the seminary's progressive faculty and administration grew. The conservative majority in the Southern Baptist Convention wanted a seminary of a very different sort. If Honeycutt and other denominational leaders could not find a strategy to stop them, the seminary that they had labored to establish would cease to exist. Honeycutt resisted the control of the popular majority. And when resistance failed, he obstructed.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on the conservative takeover of the Southern Seminary. Moderate leaders knew that time was running out on moderate control of Southern Seminary. Efforts to elect a moderate ...
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This chapter focuses on the conservative takeover of the Southern Seminary. Moderate leaders knew that time was running out on moderate control of Southern Seminary. Efforts to elect a moderate convention president had failed. Before the 1988 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio, Roy Honeycutt still hoped for a moderate victory to rescue the seminary from conservative control. But conservative candidate Adrian Rogers was elected and Honeycutt recognized the inevitability of conservative control.Less
This chapter focuses on the conservative takeover of the Southern Seminary. Moderate leaders knew that time was running out on moderate control of Southern Seminary. Efforts to elect a moderate convention president had failed. Before the 1988 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio, Roy Honeycutt still hoped for a moderate victory to rescue the seminary from conservative control. But conservative candidate Adrian Rogers was elected and Honeycutt recognized the inevitability of conservative control.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on Robert A. Mohler who succeeded Honeycutt as president of the Southern Seminary. Mohler made it clear from the start that he intended to enforce the Abstract of Principles ...
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This chapter focuses on Robert A. Mohler who succeeded Honeycutt as president of the Southern Seminary. Mohler made it clear from the start that he intended to enforce the Abstract of Principles according to its original intent. He knew that many professors subscribed to the Abstract in full awareness that they disagreed with its literal assertions. Mohler sought to return to Boyce's understanding of the Abstract's meaning and use in the seminary.Less
This chapter focuses on Robert A. Mohler who succeeded Honeycutt as president of the Southern Seminary. Mohler made it clear from the start that he intended to enforce the Abstract of Principles according to its original intent. He knew that many professors subscribed to the Abstract in full awareness that they disagreed with its literal assertions. Mohler sought to return to Boyce's understanding of the Abstract's meaning and use in the seminary.
Michael Pasquier
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195372335
- eISBN:
- 9780199777273
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372335.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
French émigré priests fled the religious turmoil of the French Revolution after 1789 and found themselves leading a new wave of Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States. This book explores ...
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French émigré priests fled the religious turmoil of the French Revolution after 1789 and found themselves leading a new wave of Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States. This book explores the diverse ways that French missionary priests guided the development of the early American church in Maryland, Kentucky, Louisiana, and other pockets of Catholic settlement throughout much of the trans-Appalachian West. This relatively small group of priests introduced Gallican, ultramontane, and missionary principles to a nascent institutional church in the United States. At the same time, they struggled to reconcile their romantic expectations of missionary life with their actual experiences as servants of a foreign church scattered across a frontier region with limited access to friends and family members still in France. As they became more accustomed to the lifeways of the American South and the West, French missionaries expressed anxiety about apparent discrepancies between how they were taught to practice the priesthood in French seminaries and what the Holy See expected them to achieve as representatives of a universal missionary church. As churchmen bridging the formal ecclesiastical standards of the church with the informal experiences of missionaries in American culture, this book evaluates the private lives of priests—the minimally scripted thoughts, emotions, and actions of strange men trying to make a home among strangers in a strange land—and treats the priesthood as a multicultural, transnational institution that does not fit neatly into national, progressive narratives of American Catholicism.Less
French émigré priests fled the religious turmoil of the French Revolution after 1789 and found themselves leading a new wave of Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States. This book explores the diverse ways that French missionary priests guided the development of the early American church in Maryland, Kentucky, Louisiana, and other pockets of Catholic settlement throughout much of the trans-Appalachian West. This relatively small group of priests introduced Gallican, ultramontane, and missionary principles to a nascent institutional church in the United States. At the same time, they struggled to reconcile their romantic expectations of missionary life with their actual experiences as servants of a foreign church scattered across a frontier region with limited access to friends and family members still in France. As they became more accustomed to the lifeways of the American South and the West, French missionaries expressed anxiety about apparent discrepancies between how they were taught to practice the priesthood in French seminaries and what the Holy See expected them to achieve as representatives of a universal missionary church. As churchmen bridging the formal ecclesiastical standards of the church with the informal experiences of missionaries in American culture, this book evaluates the private lives of priests—the minimally scripted thoughts, emotions, and actions of strange men trying to make a home among strangers in a strange land—and treats the priesthood as a multicultural, transnational institution that does not fit neatly into national, progressive narratives of American Catholicism.
Michael Pasquier
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195372335
- eISBN:
- 9780199777273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372335.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter situates French missionary priests within a Franco-American ecclesiastical network that took shape in the aftermath of the French Revolution and the erection of the Diocese of Baltimore ...
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This chapter situates French missionary priests within a Franco-American ecclesiastical network that took shape in the aftermath of the French Revolution and the erection of the Diocese of Baltimore in 1789. It relates the story of how the first generation of Catholic émigré priests conceived of the Gallican world they left behind in France and the missionary world they found themselves in the United States, seen most clearly in their collective attempts to educate young men for the priesthood in Sulpician seminaries and extend the institutional reach of the church into the American interior.Less
This chapter situates French missionary priests within a Franco-American ecclesiastical network that took shape in the aftermath of the French Revolution and the erection of the Diocese of Baltimore in 1789. It relates the story of how the first generation of Catholic émigré priests conceived of the Gallican world they left behind in France and the missionary world they found themselves in the United States, seen most clearly in their collective attempts to educate young men for the priesthood in Sulpician seminaries and extend the institutional reach of the church into the American interior.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0058
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The Epilogue examines Hodge’s theological legacy after his death. Hodge may be a largely forgotten figure, but his thinking has had a wide influence on American Protestantism over the past century. ...
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The Epilogue examines Hodge’s theological legacy after his death. Hodge may be a largely forgotten figure, but his thinking has had a wide influence on American Protestantism over the past century. His thinking on the inspiration of Scripture, as well as his commitment to Augustinian Calvinism and Scottish Common Sense Realism has had a profound impact on American Fundamentalism and American Evangelicalism.Less
The Epilogue examines Hodge’s theological legacy after his death. Hodge may be a largely forgotten figure, but his thinking has had a wide influence on American Protestantism over the past century. His thinking on the inspiration of Scripture, as well as his commitment to Augustinian Calvinism and Scottish Common Sense Realism has had a profound impact on American Fundamentalism and American Evangelicalism.
Chün-fang Yü
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824836580
- eISBN:
- 9780824871086
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824836580.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated ...
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The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks. Both characteristics are unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism and are evident in the Incense Light community (Xiangguang). This book is the first in-depth case study of the community, which was founded in 1974 and remains a small but influential order of highly educated nuns who dedicate themselves to teaching Buddhism to lay adults. It begins with a historical survey of Buddhist nuns in China, followed by discussions on the early history of the Incense Light community; the life of Wuyin, one of its most prominent leaders; and the crucial role played by Buddhist studies societies on college campuses, where many nuns were first introduced to Incense Light. Later chapters look at the curriculum and innovative teaching methods at the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary and the nuns' efforts to teach Buddhism to adults. The book ends with portraits of individual nuns, providing details on their backgrounds, motivations for becoming nuns, and the problems or setbacks they have encountered both within and without the Incense Light community.Less
The term “revival” has been used to describe the resurgent vitality of Buddhism in Taiwan. Particularly impressive is the quality and size of the nun's order: Taiwanese nuns today are highly educated and greatly outnumber monks. Both characteristics are unprecedented in the history of Chinese Buddhism and are evident in the Incense Light community (Xiangguang). This book is the first in-depth case study of the community, which was founded in 1974 and remains a small but influential order of highly educated nuns who dedicate themselves to teaching Buddhism to lay adults. It begins with a historical survey of Buddhist nuns in China, followed by discussions on the early history of the Incense Light community; the life of Wuyin, one of its most prominent leaders; and the crucial role played by Buddhist studies societies on college campuses, where many nuns were first introduced to Incense Light. Later chapters look at the curriculum and innovative teaching methods at the Incense Light Buddhist Seminary and the nuns' efforts to teach Buddhism to adults. The book ends with portraits of individual nuns, providing details on their backgrounds, motivations for becoming nuns, and the problems or setbacks they have encountered both within and without the Incense Light community.
James Carter
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195398854
- eISBN:
- 9780199894413
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398854.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Tanxu becomes the student of Master Dixian, one of the pre-eminent monks of the period. Studying in Dixian’s seminary in Ningbo, Tanxu learns not only the essentials of becoming a monk, but also ...
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Tanxu becomes the student of Master Dixian, one of the pre-eminent monks of the period. Studying in Dixian’s seminary in Ningbo, Tanxu learns not only the essentials of becoming a monk, but also perceives the deep linguistic and cultural differences that separate China’s regions, particularly north from south. Tanxu travels with Dixian to Beijing, where he makes many of the important contacts that will enable him to promote his nationalist agenda in the years to come. Back in Ningbo, Tanxu is frustrated by the isolation of the seminary and leaves, against Dixian’s wishes, to spread Buddhism in North ChinaLess
Tanxu becomes the student of Master Dixian, one of the pre-eminent monks of the period. Studying in Dixian’s seminary in Ningbo, Tanxu learns not only the essentials of becoming a monk, but also perceives the deep linguistic and cultural differences that separate China’s regions, particularly north from south. Tanxu travels with Dixian to Beijing, where he makes many of the important contacts that will enable him to promote his nationalist agenda in the years to come. Back in Ningbo, Tanxu is frustrated by the isolation of the seminary and leaves, against Dixian’s wishes, to spread Buddhism in North China
Gregory Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Southern Baptists have remained consistently conservative in a culture whose democratic drives have led the majority of American Christians to adapt their beliefs and practices to contemporary life's ...
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Southern Baptists have remained consistently conservative in a culture whose democratic drives have led the majority of American Christians to adapt their beliefs and practices to contemporary life's individualist values. Through most of the 20th century, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was the denomination's chief promoter of adaptation to modernity. After about 1900 many of its faculty embraced progressive theology and aimed to influence Southern Baptists in this direction. For most Southern Baptists, the adaptation went only so far. Throughout the 20th century, most remained committed to traditional orthodoxy in such fundamental areas as biblical inspiration, creation, conversion, atonement, and miracles. Southern Seminary played a surprising role in restraining modernism and preserving orthodoxy. This book is not about Southern Seminary alone—it is also about Southern Baptists. It shows how the denomination navigated the tension between the individualist values of modernity and traditional commitment to orthodoxy. The seminary's conflicts and transformations revealed Southern Baptists' most basic commitments and significantly shaped their identity. The story has a larger meaning also. It helps illuminate the course and character of religion in America, its conservative versions especially.Less
Southern Baptists have remained consistently conservative in a culture whose democratic drives have led the majority of American Christians to adapt their beliefs and practices to contemporary life's individualist values. Through most of the 20th century, the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was the denomination's chief promoter of adaptation to modernity. After about 1900 many of its faculty embraced progressive theology and aimed to influence Southern Baptists in this direction. For most Southern Baptists, the adaptation went only so far. Throughout the 20th century, most remained committed to traditional orthodoxy in such fundamental areas as biblical inspiration, creation, conversion, atonement, and miracles. Southern Seminary played a surprising role in restraining modernism and preserving orthodoxy. This book is not about Southern Seminary alone—it is also about Southern Baptists. It shows how the denomination navigated the tension between the individualist values of modernity and traditional commitment to orthodoxy. The seminary's conflicts and transformations revealed Southern Baptists' most basic commitments and significantly shaped their identity. The story has a larger meaning also. It helps illuminate the course and character of religion in America, its conservative versions especially.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on James Petigru Boyce and his efforts to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. In 1856, Boyce emerged as the leader of a new effort to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. By ...
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This chapter focuses on James Petigru Boyce and his efforts to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. In 1856, Boyce emerged as the leader of a new effort to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. By the time of his election as professor of theology at Furman University in 1855, he had concluded that it was his duty under God to do all in his power to establish the seminary. Without his leadership and sacrificial devotion, the seminary would have failed to be established or, once established, would have suffered extinction. His energy, wisdom, and determination overcame the many obstacles and crises that threatened the seminary's existence.Less
This chapter focuses on James Petigru Boyce and his efforts to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. In 1856, Boyce emerged as the leader of a new effort to establish a Southern Baptist seminary. By the time of his election as professor of theology at Furman University in 1855, he had concluded that it was his duty under God to do all in his power to establish the seminary. Without his leadership and sacrificial devotion, the seminary would have failed to be established or, once established, would have suffered extinction. His energy, wisdom, and determination overcame the many obstacles and crises that threatened the seminary's existence.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on the fate of the Baptist seminary with the onset of the Civil War. The seminary barely escaped extinction during its first thirty years. The Civil War caused its suspension and ...
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This chapter focuses on the fate of the Baptist seminary with the onset of the Civil War. The seminary barely escaped extinction during its first thirty years. The Civil War caused its suspension and annihilated its endowment. In the economic destitution of the Reconstruction South, Baptists had little ability to raise a new endowment. The seminary relocated to Kentucky in 1877 with promises of a new endowment, but securing the pledges and their payment was thwarted by a business panic and economic depression, and by opponents within the denomination who launched powerful attacks against the school.Less
This chapter focuses on the fate of the Baptist seminary with the onset of the Civil War. The seminary barely escaped extinction during its first thirty years. The Civil War caused its suspension and annihilated its endowment. In the economic destitution of the Reconstruction South, Baptists had little ability to raise a new endowment. The seminary relocated to Kentucky in 1877 with promises of a new endowment, but securing the pledges and their payment was thwarted by a business panic and economic depression, and by opponents within the denomination who launched powerful attacks against the school.
Crawford H. Toy
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on Southern Seminary professor Crawford H. Toy. Toy has been dubbed as modernism's first martyr: “The first to suffer for the higher criticism in the United States.” Toy's ...
More
This chapter focuses on Southern Seminary professor Crawford H. Toy. Toy has been dubbed as modernism's first martyr: “The first to suffer for the higher criticism in the United States.” Toy's beliefs ran afoul of Boyce's vision of a seminary bounded by an orthodox creed and controlled by the denomination. When he began teaching the new theology's view of inspiration and its critical reconstruction of the history of Israel, the seminary dismissed him. Boyce's leadership in the dismissal and the faculty's defense of traditional views of the Bible established a historical precedent that has endured in denominational memory. It helped shape Southern Baptist identity and became an emblem of the denomination's commitment to orthodoxy and to the popular control of its institutions.Less
This chapter focuses on Southern Seminary professor Crawford H. Toy. Toy has been dubbed as modernism's first martyr: “The first to suffer for the higher criticism in the United States.” Toy's beliefs ran afoul of Boyce's vision of a seminary bounded by an orthodox creed and controlled by the denomination. When he began teaching the new theology's view of inspiration and its critical reconstruction of the history of Israel, the seminary dismissed him. Boyce's leadership in the dismissal and the faculty's defense of traditional views of the Bible established a historical precedent that has endured in denominational memory. It helped shape Southern Baptist identity and became an emblem of the denomination's commitment to orthodoxy and to the popular control of its institutions.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on the many difficulties and changes experienced by the seminary's following its move to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1877. By 1895, none of the seminary's founders remained, marking ...
More
This chapter focuses on the many difficulties and changes experienced by the seminary's following its move to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1877. By 1895, none of the seminary's founders remained, marking the end of the institution's first age. The founding faculty steered the seminary through the severest trials. Time after time, when the death of the seminary was at hand, they refused to abandon it, and God blessed their stubborn faithfulness with sufficient support to continue the enterprise, at least until the next crisis. By the early 1890s, their labors and sacrifices succeeded in establishing the seminary on a permanent foundation, with a secure endowment and a marvelous campus.Less
This chapter focuses on the many difficulties and changes experienced by the seminary's following its move to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1877. By 1895, none of the seminary's founders remained, marking the end of the institution's first age. The founding faculty steered the seminary through the severest trials. Time after time, when the death of the seminary was at hand, they refused to abandon it, and God blessed their stubborn faithfulness with sufficient support to continue the enterprise, at least until the next crisis. By the early 1890s, their labors and sacrifices succeeded in establishing the seminary on a permanent foundation, with a secure endowment and a marvelous campus.
Gregory A. Wills
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195377149
- eISBN:
- 9780199869497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195377149.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This chapter focuses on Edgar Y. Mullins's continued leadership. In the second half of his tenure as president, Mullins rose to leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. Effective leadership in ...
More
This chapter focuses on Edgar Y. Mullins's continued leadership. In the second half of his tenure as president, Mullins rose to leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. Effective leadership in the populist denomination demanded sensitivity to the majority. Although he agreed with the conservative majority on many points, he also sought to express the majority views in ways that did the least harm to progressive aspirations. He sought to provide space for progressive theology in the seminary and did not want to drive progressives from the denomination. But he also needed to keep the denomination's trust in the seminary's orthodoxy and denominational loyalty. It was a difficult balancing act that drew the criticisms of progressives and conservatives alike. In the end Mullins accomplished as much to reassert orthodoxy as to promote progressive theology.Less
This chapter focuses on Edgar Y. Mullins's continued leadership. In the second half of his tenure as president, Mullins rose to leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. Effective leadership in the populist denomination demanded sensitivity to the majority. Although he agreed with the conservative majority on many points, he also sought to express the majority views in ways that did the least harm to progressive aspirations. He sought to provide space for progressive theology in the seminary and did not want to drive progressives from the denomination. But he also needed to keep the denomination's trust in the seminary's orthodoxy and denominational loyalty. It was a difficult balancing act that drew the criticisms of progressives and conservatives alike. In the end Mullins accomplished as much to reassert orthodoxy as to promote progressive theology.
