what aspects of calvins theology are familiar to you?

(RNS) Nearly 35 years subsequently conservatives launched a takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention, a new split up is emerging — this time over the teachings of 16th-century Reformer John Calvin — that threatens to upend the nation'south largest Protestant denomination.

The 16th century Protestant Reformer John Calvin is perhaps all-time known as the godfather of Reformed churches, including Presbyterianism. But information technology's young American evangelicals who are now picking up his theological torch. Religion News Service photo courtesy Library of Congress

When Southern Baptist delegates gather for their almanac meeting adjacent week (June 11-12) in Houston, they'll be presented with a report, "Truth, Trust, and Testimony in a Time of Tension," that focuses on the growing popularity of Calvinism amidst Southern Baptist pastors and seminaries.

At stake are fundamental beliefs on who tin be "saved," the need for evangelism, and whether Baptists will retread familiar battlefields on the proper roles of men and women.

Calvinism, which is traditionally the domain of Reformed churches like Presbyterians, differs from traditional Baptist theology in cardinal aspects, particularly on the question of salvation. The report concludes that those aspects, while important, should not divide Baptists.

Tom Ascol, a Florida pastor and executive director of Founders Ministries, a pro-Calvinist arrangement, chosen the written report a positive step.

"It points the manner forward," he said. "The report acknowledges genuine disagreement, just it besides affirms commonality in essentials, a commonality we didn't accept 35-forty years ago."

Nigh 30 percent of Southern Baptist pastors consider their churches Calvinist, according to a poll last year by SBC-affiliated LifeWay Research, but a much larger number — threescore percent — are concerned "nearly the bear on of Calvinism in our convention."

Calvinism is already shaping the next generation of Southern Baptist pastors through the influence of R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the SBC's flagship seminary in Louisville, Ky., and popular charismatic speakers like Minneapolis writer John Piper and Seattle'southward Mark Driscoll.

Ascol embraces one of the aspects of Calvinism that makes traditional Baptists deeply uncomfortable: the idea that Jesus died on the cantankerous only for humans whom God had elected to save, and not for everyone.

The H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin Higher recently acquired a 16th-century book past John Calvin. Faith News Service photograph by Jolie Myers/The Thousand Rapids Press

Calvinists telephone call this the doctrine of "predestination" — the idea that a person'southward salvation already has been determined. More traditional Baptists say if Jesus died only for the elect, then Baptists' trademark evangelism becomes pointless.

Lxxx percent of SBC pastors disagreed with the idea that just the elect will be saved, according to concluding year's LifeWay poll, and ii-thirds disagreed with the idea that salvation and damnation have already been adamant.

"It is obvious that we all cannot be correct," Ascol wrote on his blog. "At least ane of us is wrong. It may be that we both are wrong. … In other words, our differences are existent. But they are differences within the family."

Eric Hankins, a pastor from Oxford, Miss., and fellow member of the committee, said the report volition change at least ane important process in Southern Baptist life: the pick of pastors.

Considering each Southern Baptist congregation is autonomous, local congregations rent and fire pastors. According to the study, congregations are gratis to cull Calvinist or non-Calvinist pastors, but both the candidate and the congregation must exist honest about their behavior.

"We cannot presume that pulpit (search) committees volition have the theological understanding of Calvinism to inquire the sort of questions that demand to be asked for total disclosure to take place," Hankins said.

Neo-Calvinist pastors and speakers like Piper and Driscoll take drawn criticism for how they interpret Calvinism's handling of gender roles. For a denomination that has already said a wife should "submit herself graciously" to her married man and banned women pastors from the pulpit, information technology's a potentially explosive debate.

While some Calvinist traditions allow for women clergy and stress gender equality, a growing number of "new" Calvinists argue that, as part of God'south design for humankind, men and women have dissimilar roles in the family unit, church, and order.

The Baptist Organized religion & Bulletin of 2000, the denomination'southward comprehensive confession of organized religion and doctrine, already asserts a form of "complementarianism" (men and women are equal simply take different roles), but some strains of Calvinism go a step farther.

Emily McGowin, a doctoral candidate at the University of Dayton and erstwhile Southern Baptist, said that Calvinism has the potential to rework how Baptists view women'due south roles even beyond what the Baptist Religion & Message says.

"Unlike what you might see in run-of-the-mill SBC complementarianism, where women'south subordination and male headship is affirmed merely inside the nuclear family unit and the local church, many Neo-Calvinist complementarians view women's subordination and male headship equally something that applies to all spheres of human life."

In other words, according to some leading neo-Calvinists, men are called to atomic number 82 in every sphere of life, including business organization and politics, and women are called to submit.

Boy Scouts of America uniform and flag image courtesy Shutterstock (http://shutr.bz/14p1Ppg)

Hankins said the committee did not address gender roles and Calvinism because information technology was not within the committee's portfolio. He said information technology actually isn't an issue because the Baptist Faith & Bulletin already takes a conservative theological position on gender roles.

In other business, the SBC meeting is expected to:

• Denounce the recent decision past the Boys Scouts of America to permit openly gay members. "That will no doubtfulness be discussed over and over," said Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Commission, who expressed "deep disappointment" over the May 23 vote.
• Perchance consider a resolution that declares Southern Baptists should piece of work with Mormons on "issues of morality, social justice, and religious liberty" merely be articulate that the fundamentals of Mormon theology are "non considered Christian, or part of an evangelical belief organisation."

Quiz: How much do you know about Calvinism?

KRE/YS END HORTON

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Source: https://religionnews.com/2013/06/06/why-john-calvin-is-shaking-things-up-for-southern-baptists/

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