Southern Baptist Politics

Author : Arthur Emery Farnsley, II
Publisher : Penn State Press
Page : 174 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2010-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9780271039992

Get Book

Southern Baptist Politics by Arthur Emery Farnsley, II Pdf

Unlike other recent studies of the Southern Baptists, Southern Baptist Politics was written after the culmination of the &"Baptist battles&" of the 1980s, when Fundamentalists had effectively taken control of the denomination. It also considers the SBC not simply as a denomination but as an organization with characteristics similar to other voluntary associations in American society&—an approach that promises to be useful for the study of other religious groups in America. Arthur Farnsley concludes that the SBC, as an American denomination, had within itself the seeds of pragmatism and individualism that characterize most American voluntary organizations. Of primary interest to Farnsley are the crucial issues of authority and power. Taking his cue from Paul Harrison's classic study, Authority and Power in the Free Church Tradition, Farnsley considers how authority has traditionally been exercised within the SBC, and how Fundamentalists maneuvered within this existing authority structure to seize power. According to Farnsley, disgruntled Fundamentalists soon discovered that they could exploit the democratic elements within the SBC polity to their advantage. So successful were they in their efforts that by 1990 all significant leadership positions within the denomination were filled by Fundamentalists, thus enabling them to take, and hold, institutional power. The lessons of Southern Baptist Politics extend beyond this one denomination. By using the Southern Baptists as a case study, Farnsley asks what the SBC controversy can tell us about religious organizations in America, about dealing with cultural pluralism, and about institutional means for creating change.

Author : Frank Newport
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
Page : 205 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2004-07-30
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9780759511767

Get Book

Polling Matters by Frank Newport Pdf

From The Gallup Organization-the most respected source on the subject-comes a fascinating look at the importance of measuring public opinion in modern society. For years, public-opinion polls have been a valuable tool for gauging the positions of American citizens on a wide variety of topics. Polling applies scientific principles to understanding and anticipating the insights, emotions, and attitudes of society. Now in POLLING MATTERS: Why Leaders Must Listen to the Wisdom of the People, The Gallup Organization reveals: What polls really are and how they are conducted Why the information polls provide is so vitally important to modern society today How this valuable information can be used more effectively and more...

Author : Tod A. Baker,Robert P. Steed,Laurence W. Moreland
Publisher : Greenwood
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1983
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UVA:X000819962

Get Book

Religion and Politics in the South by Tod A. Baker,Robert P. Steed,Laurence W. Moreland Pdf

Author : Oran P Smith
Publisher : NYU Press
Page : 486 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2000-05-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780814788967

Get Book

The Rise of Baptist Republicanism by Oran P Smith Pdf

A Choice Outstanding Academic Book By championing the ideals of independence, evangelism, and conservism, the Southern Baptist Covention (SBC) has grown into the largest Protestant denomination in the country. The Convention's mass democratic form of church government, its influential annual meetings, and its sheer size have made it a barometer for Southern political and cultural shift. Its most recent shift has been starboard-toward fundamentalism and Republicanism. While the Convention once ofered a happy home to Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and church-state separationists, in the past two decades the SBC has become an uncomfortable institution for Democrats, progressive theologians, and other moderate voices. Current SBC member-heroes include Senators Trent Lott and Jesse Helms. Despite this seeming marginalization, Southern Baptist politicians have grown from political obscurity to occupying the four highest positions in the constitutional order of succesion to the presidency. President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Senate President pro-tempore Strom Thurmond, and House Speaker Newt Gingrich are all Southern Baptists. In its emerging Republicanism, the SBC has taken on characteristics of its more active fellow travelers in the Christian Right, forging alliances with former enemies (African Americans amd Roman Catholics), playing presidential politics, establishing a Washington lobbying presence, working the political grassroots, and declaring war on Walt Disney. Each of these missions has been accomplished with calculating political precision. The Rise of Baptist Republicanism traces the Republicanization of the SBC's Republicanism in the context of the rise of the Fundamentalist Right and the emergence of a Republican majority in the South. Describing the SBC's political roots, Oran P. Smith contrasts Baptist Republicans with the rest of the Christian Right while revealing the theological, cultural, and historical factors which have made Southern Baptists receptive to Republican/Fundamentalist Right influences. The book is a must read for anyone wishing to understand the intersection of religion and politics in America today.

Author : David S. Dockery
Publisher : Crossway
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1433506793

Get Book

Southern Baptist Identity by David S. Dockery Pdf

In this collection of essays, sixteen Southern Baptist leaders address key issues of theology, polity, and practice to ascertain the future of the Southern Baptist Convention in particular and evangelicalism in general.

Author : Thomas S. Kidd,Paul D. Miller,Andrew T. Walker
Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
Page : 472 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2023-07-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781087736143

Get Book

Baptist Political Theology by Thomas S. Kidd,Paul D. Miller,Andrew T. Walker Pdf

Baptist ideals like the separation of church and state have indelibly shaped Western democracies, and Baptist thinkers continue to influence public policy and political engagement today. Yet the historical contours, enduring commitments, and current contributions of Baptist political thought are little understood. Baptist Political Theology, edited by scholars Thomas Kidd, Paul Miller, and Andrew Walker, introduces readers to the full sweep of Baptist engagement with politics. Part 1 reviews the life, writings, and political activity of important figures in Baptist history, as well as Baptist involvement in key historical eras and episodes. Part 2 presents a collective effort at applied political theology, with essays relating Baptist principles to a range of contemporary issues. This monumental volume sheds light on the history and contemporary practice of Baptists in the public square, offering context and clarity for Baptist political thought in the years to come.

Author : Kevin Jones,Jarvis J. Williams
Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1433643340

Get Book

Removing the Stain of Racism from the Southern Baptist Convention by Kevin Jones,Jarvis J. Williams Pdf

This volume, edited by and contributed to primarily by African-American voices in the SBC, is one small effort to help remove the stain of racism from the SBC in pursuit of Christian unity in our beloved denomination.

Author : R. Marie Griffith
Publisher : Basic Books
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 54,6 Mb
Release : 2017-12-12
Category : History
ISBN : 9780465094769

Get Book

Moral Combat by R. Marie Griffith Pdf

From an esteemed scholar of American religion and sexuality, a sweeping account of the century of religious conflict that produced our culture wars Gay marriage, transgender rights, birth control -- sex is at the heart of many of the most divisive political issues of our age. The origins of these conflicts, historian R. Marie Griffith argues, lie in sharp disagreements that emerged among American Christians a century ago. From the 1920s onward, a once-solid Christian consensus regarding gender roles and sexual morality began to crumble, as liberal Protestants sparred with fundamentalists and Catholics over questions of obscenity, sex education, and abortion. Both those who advocated for greater openness in sexual matters and those who resisted new sexual norms turned to politics to pursue their moral visions for the nation. Moral Combat is a history of how the Christian consensus on sex unraveled, and how this unraveling has made our political battles over sex so ferocious and so intractable.

Author : Lee Canipe
Publisher : Mercer University Press
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780881462395

Get Book

A Baptist Democracy by Lee Canipe Pdf

The first decades of the 20th century were days of robust optimism in the United States. These were the confident years of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, progressive reform and high purpose. This period also marked the high tide of what author Lee Canipe calls "Baptist democracy": the moral overlap between Baptist theology and American democracy that continues to shape the way Baptists in the United States understand and articulate their faith. In this book, Canipe traces the rise of Baptist democracy as reflected in the work of three prominent leaders who made their most significant contributions to Baptist life between 1900 and 1925: Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918), E. Y. Mullins (1860-1928), and George W. Truett (1867-1944). Celebrating the harmony between the principles of their church and the ideals of their state, these three Baptists eloquently articulated what, by the turn of the 20th century, had become an article of faith for many of their fellow Baptists.

Author : Arthur E. Farnsley II
Publisher : Penn State University Press
Page : 168 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2008-01-31
Category : History
ISBN : 0271034238

Get Book

Southern Baptist Politics by Arthur E. Farnsley II Pdf

Unlike other recent studies of the Southern Baptists, Southern Baptist Politics was written after the culmination of the Baptist battles of the 1980s, when Fundamentalists had effectively taken control of the denomination. It also considers the SBC not simply as a denomination but as an organization with characteristics similar to other voluntary associations in American society--an approach that promises to be useful for the study of other religious groups in America. Arthur Farnsley concludes that the SBC, as an American denomination, had within itself the seeds of pragmatism and individualism that characterize most American voluntary organizations. Of primary interest to Farnsley are the crucial issues of authority and power. Taking his cue from Paul Harrison's classic study, Authority and Power in the Free Church Tradition, Farnsley considers how authority has traditionally been exercised within the SBC, and how Fundamentalists maneuvered within this existing authority structure to seize power. According to Farnsley, disgruntled Fundamentalists soon discovered that they could exploit the democratic elements within the SBC polity to their advantage. So successful were they in their efforts that by 1990 all significant leadership positions within the denomination were filled by Fundamentalists, thus enabling them to take, and hold, institutional power. The lessons of Southern Baptist Politics extend beyond this one denomination. By using the Southern Baptists as a case study, Farnsley asks what the SBC controversy can tell us about religious organizations in America, about dealing with cultural pluralism, and about institutional means for creating change.

Author : Robert P. Jones
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2021-07-13
Category : History
ISBN : 9781982122874

Get Book

White Too Long by Robert P. Jones Pdf

"WHITE TOO LONG draws on history, statistics, and memoir to urge that white Christians reckon with the racism of the past and the amnesia of the present to restore a Christian identity free of the taint of white supremacy"--

Author : Nancy Tatom Ammerman
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
Page : 410 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0813515572

Get Book

Baptist Battles by Nancy Tatom Ammerman Pdf

Since 1979 Southern Baptists have been noisily struggling to agree on symbols, beliefs, and practices as they attempt to make sense of their changing social world. Nancy Ammerman has carefully documented their struggle. She tells the story of the Baptist reversal from a moderate to a fundamentalist outlook and speculates on the future of the denomination. Ammerman places change among the Southern Baptists in the context of the cultural and economic changes that have transformed the South from its rural past into an urbanizing, culturally diverse region. Not only did the South change; Southern Baptists did as well. Reflecting this diversity, the Southern Baptist bureaucracy was relatively progressive. During the 1960s and 1970s, moderate sentiments prevailed, while fundamentalists remained on the margins. These two were, however, becoming increasingly divergent in what they considered important about being a Baptist, in their views about the Bible, in their attitudes on the origination of women, on Christian morals, and on national politics. Late in the 1970s, a fundamentalist coalition emerged, followed by unsuccessful efforts by moderates to oppose it. The battles escalated until 1985, when 45,000 Baptists gathered in Dallas to decide between contending presidential candidates. That dramatic event illustrated the extent to which organized political resources were determining the course of the conflict. Ammerman studies these strategies and resources as well. Examining how this tension affected Baptists, Ammerman begins with case studies of the change it is producing in Baptist agencies. But she also brings us back to the local churches and individual believers who are renegotiating their relationships within their denomination. She asks whether the denomination's polity can accommodate an increasingly diverse group of Baptists, of whether the only way dissidents can have a voice is through schism.

Author : Russell Moore
Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2015-08
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781433686177

Get Book

Onward by Russell Moore Pdf

Christianity Today "Beautiful Orthodoxy" Book of the Year in 2016. Keep Christianity Strange. As the culture changes all around us, it is no longer possible to pretend that we are a Moral Majority. That may be bad news for America, but it can be good news for the church. What's needed now, in shifting times, is neither a doubling-down on the status quo nor a pullback into isolation. Instead, we need a church that speaks to social and political issues with a bigger vision in mind: that of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christianity seems increasingly strange, and even subversive, to our culture, we have the opportunity to reclaim the freakishness of the gospel, which is what gives it its power in the first place. We seek the kingdom of God, before everything else. We connect that kingdom agenda to the culture around us, both by speaking it to the world and by showing it in our churches. As we do so, we remember our mission to oppose demons, not to demonize opponents. As we advocate for human dignity, for religious liberty, for family stability, let's do so as those with a prophetic word that turns everything upside down. The signs of the times tell us we are in for days our parents and grandparents never knew. But that's no call for panic or surrender or outrage. Jesus is alive. Let's act like it. Let's follow him, onward to the future.

Author : Keith Harper
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2022
Category : Baptists
ISBN : 162190749X

Get Book

Southern Baptists Re-observed by Keith Harper Pdf

"In 1993, sociologist Nancy Ammerman published an edited collection, Southern Baptists Observed, that assayed the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as the conservative takeover of the denomination was triumphant and expanding. This volume examines the state of the SBC now that it has been under conservative control for a generation. Contributors address the sweeping success of the takeover-based on enforcing doctrinal fidelity, especially on issues like biblical inerrancy and complementarianism, a rejection of modern, secular values, and advanced international missionary work-alongside the movement's failure to attract and retain members by the turn of the twenty-first century. Essays by Elizabeth Flowers, Barry Hankins, Bill J. Leonard, Melody Maxwell, Alan Willis, and others are grouped under four broad categories: Truth and Freedom: Baptist Institutions and Contentious Issues; Defining and Defending Biblical Truth: Staking the Boundaries; Apologies, Reconciliation, and Continuing Reality; and the View from Outside. The volume begins with a foreword by Ammerman and an introduction by editor Keith Harper contextualizing the history of the movement and the issues it faces today, including those related to gender, homosexuality, race, and abuse"--

Author : Glenn Feldman
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Page : 582 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2005-09-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9780813137223

Get Book

Politics and Religion in the White South by Glenn Feldman Pdf

Politics, while always an integral part of the daily life in the South, took on a new level of importance after the Civil War. Today, political strategists view the South as an essential region to cultivate if political hopefuls are to have a chance of winning elections at the national level. Although operating within the context of a secular government, American politics is decidedly marked by a Christian influence. In the mostly Protestant South, religion and politics have long been nearly inextricable. Politics and Religion in the White South skillfully examines the powerful role that religious considerations and influence have played in American political discourse. This collection of thirteen essays from prominent historians and political scientists explores the intersection in the South of religion, politics, race relations, and southern culture from post–Civil War America to the present, when the Religious Right has exercised a profound impact on the course of politics in the region as well as the nation. The authors examine issues such as religious attitudes about race on the Jim Crow South; Billy Graham's influence on the civil rights movement; political activism and the Southern Baptist Convention; and Dorothy Tilly, a white Methodist woman, and her contributions as a civil rights reformer during the 1940s and 1950s. The volume also considers the issue of whether southerners felt it was their sacred duty to prevent American society from moving away from its Christian origins toward a new, secular identity and how this perceived God-given responsibility was reflected in the work of southern political and church leaders. By analyzing the vital relationship between religion and politics in the region where their connection is strongest and most evident, Politics and Religion in the White South offers insight into the conservatism of the South and the role that religion has played in maintaining its social and cultural traditionalism.