Comments on Baptists Today Blogs: Of carts and horses

Dr. Cartledge, I've seen quite a few books on the ...

2008-04-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

Dr. Cartledge,

I've seen quite a few books on the shelves lately about "faith and the university" or "liberal-arts education & Christianity," etc.

In particular, folks like Stanley Hauerwas and Wendell Berry have some pretty stark commentaries on the state of universities. Part of the rub is that these days, schools that once educated people in humanities (which were designed to build-up virtuous people) now educate people for "success." Students in universities are now taught how to "compete in the job market" with no substantive thought given to ethics or morality.

It seems that a "confessionally Christian" undergraduate program is - in this way - at some advantage given that universities these days tend to turn out people who know how to compete but who don't know how to be "good people."

Looking forward to Genesis class next semester.

Grace & Peace, A.T.

IMHO, I think having undergraduate programs on the...

2008-04-18T16:37:00.000-04:00

IMHO, I think having undergraduate programs on the campuses of seminaries like the one at SEBTS is a horrible idea.

I think the real issue comes down to control. Since the undergraduate institutions have typically been administered at the state convention level, the SBC has had a much less direct influence on what was taught there and who was doing the teaching. As more and more of these schools have wised up and reevaluated their ties to their state conventions, the SBC is less able to administer much influence. I guess it was only natural for the SBC seminaries to start undergraduate programs of their own...it was either that or starting all new universities/colleges.

It's too bad that there could very well come into existence a generation of influential ministers in the SBC, who have only been educated by the SBC for the SBC.

We need fewer ministers trained solely in Christian studies or pastoral ministries or the like...leaving them ill prepared to do anything but sit in the ivory tower of a church office. Instead, we need more ministers who have theological education along with a well rounded knowledge of other subjects as well.

One thing I hope Campbell Div and GW Div students ...

2008-04-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

One thing I hope Campbell Div and GW Div students will do to show their muster as the NC Primary comes to town is engage SEBTS mindset on the framework of the astounding Review of Charles Marsh's Wayward Christian Soldiers in current tnr.com
Titled the Idolatry of America, I encourage all of you to engage this conversation.
It's a stout one.
I understand Marsh was on Campbell ground recently. You are to be congratulated on that one.
Hoping students there will engage publicly the upcoming PBS endorsement of Francis Schaeffer as Marsh outlines serious reservations about the fundamentalism of Schaeffer in his book.