Will Tom Nettles Leave Southern Seminary?
Tom Ascol is reporting on his blog that Tom Nettles, professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, will visit Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral on May 4-6 in view of a call to become the Associate Pastor.http://www.founders.org/blog/2007/04/
grace-baptist-church-considers-tom.html
Since Brother Nettles is a ringleader of the "born again before faith" hybrid/hyper/extreme/neo Calvinist movement, he will fit right in as Brother Ascol's associate pastor.
The surprise announcement makes me wonder: Is Dr. Nettles being "encouraged" to leave Southern Seminary? Did anyone "lean on" Dr. Mohler to get rid of Nettles?
The seminary has been under fire from many SBC leaders for its unSBC-like devotion to Reformed theology, with Nettles being the most visible and noted Southern professor.
Brother Bob Ross and I have written about Nettles and his theology. See,
Tom Nettles Is Short Of The Mark On Georgia Baptists
Tom Nettles Relies on Theologian Who Rejected Regeneration Before Faith Theology
Invitations: John Broadus vs. Tom Nettles
Dr. Tom Nettles to speak at Presbyterian church and conference
Charles
posted by Charles @ 7:18 PM
6 Comments:
NETTLES
Charles said,
Since Brother Nettles is a ringleader of the "born again before faith" hybrid/hyper/extreme/neo Calvinist movement, he will fit right in as Brother Ascol's associate pastor.
If this move is "in the works," Charles, I wonder if Tom & Tom have an agenda for the future -- such as starting a theology school as a means of furthering the "Flounders" version of "Calvinism"?
Every sect devoted to a particular "hobby" usually starts a theology school, and I would not be surprised to see this develope.
I really can't see Nettles voluntarily leaving SBTS unless something like this was "in the works."
In noticing your strong criticisms of those who are in the public eye, I am wondering why you choose to lurk in the bowels of anonymity. Your "complete profile" is a bit incomplete. Could you be a bit more forthcoming and let those of us who read with interest your blogs know who you are? I would think that anyone who speaks truth would not mind being identified with that truth.
MORE ON NETTLES AND MOHLER
Charles wrote:
The surprise announcement makes me wonder: Is Dr. Nettles being "encouraged" to leave Southern Seminary? Did anyone "lean on" Dr. Mohler to get rid of Nettles?
It has always seemed to me, Charles, that Dr. Mohler has personally not been very clear as being either for or against Hybrid Calvinism ("born again before faith") -- and in fact, on this blog we have only been able to quote Hybridism from faculty members and guest speakers at the Seminary -- not directly from Dr. Mohler himself.
Based on what Dr. Mohler has tolerated in some faculty members and guest speakers, it would appear that he favors Hybridism. But then, he may not have an appreciation for the outspoken type of emphasis demonstrated by Tom Nettles and some other Hybrids.
Over a year ago, Dr. Mohler sent me an email dated March 25, 2006 in response to my email in which I said, "I am especially concerned about what I view to be an aberrant theological view of the New Birth which alleges that one is 'born again before faith,' and that no 'means' are used in the Holy Spirit's act or work of regeneration."
In what appears to be an "orthodox" reply, although Dr. Mohler did not specifically address the "born again before faith" idea, he did state "that the New Testament clearly indicates that God uses means to reach the lost with the Gospel (Romans 10 should suffice to make this point). These means surely include the preaching of the Word and the act of witnessing, which are also Gospel commands. I would not hire anyone who believed otherwise--period. This is central to the mission of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism (which I established) and the entire seminary."
Since Tom Nettles holds the "born again before faith" idea, and yet he was hired by Mohler, the question is, "Was Mohler unaware of Nettles' view when he hired Nettles?"
Also, Mohler has Dr. Thomas Schreiner on the faculty, and Schreiner teaches "born again before faith" in an article used by Mark Dever on his website.
There seems to be a lack of consistency in Mohler on this issue. He has hired teachers and had guest speakers who are Hybrid Calvinists, yet he sends me what appears to be an orthodox comment on the use of "means" in the New Birth, and says he would not hire anyone who "believed otherwise."
Does Nettles' leaving the Seminary indicate that Mohler may be shifting away from having "born again before faith" advocates on Faculty?
curious, Hello!
You asked, "In noticing your strong criticisms of those who are in the public eye, I am wondering why you choose to lurk in the bowels of anonymity."
I was wondering the same thing about you, "curious."
You might want to ask Brother Tom Ascol about his new found love for anonymity and then let me know what he says.
And don't forget, The Calvinist Flyswatter has featured much excellent material from Brother Bob Ross. If you don't like my stuff, just read his instead. :-)
Charles
Brother Bob, Hello!
You wrote, I wonder if Tom & Tom have an agenda for the future -- such as starting a theology school as a means of furthering the "Flounders" version of "Calvinism"?
Possibly. Wouldn't that be interesting?
Maybe the trustees at Southern will use this opportunity to move the school toward a more evangelistic stance.
Charles
NETTLES & "HISTORIC CALVINISM"?
Bob to Peter Lumpkins:
I saw your comments, Peter, on the Founders' blog, and you refer to Dr. Nettles as "an honorable teacher and a worthy proponent of Historic Calvinism."
Dr. Nettles may be a worthy proponent of the Hybrid Calvinism which has passed as "Calvinism" among many of the "baby regenerationists" since
the seventeenth century, but he is far from being a worthy proponent of Creedal Calvinism.
Dr. Nettles doctrine of "pre-faith regeneration" -- or, "born again before faith" -- is "historic" with the "baby regenerationists" who follow Shedd, the Hodges, Berkhof, Frame, Sproul, Iain Murray, and their disciples, but it is not representative of the Calvinist creeds, John Calvin himself, Stephen Charnock, Thomas Watson, John Owen, and many of the other Puritans.
I commend you and appreciate what you have written in your own blog, critiquing both Nettles and Gene Bridges on the Sandy Creek Baptist history -- I just wanted to offer another point of view about referring to Nettles re "historic Calvinism"! His "Calvinism," like the "Flounders," is "historic" only in representing the Hybrid variety.
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