This elitism comes across in several negative ways. People who don’t know the terms decline to participate in discussions where they can grow and be sharpened by iron. To an outsider, these ’super intelligent’ folks can come across as unapproachable and keep those people who need to grow from thinking they can master the concepts.

The ironic thing about our Christian belief and its concepts is that in reality, the important ones are so simple. Man, with our ego, tries to make them complex.

I am tempted to pick on him, but I think I will refrain:). However, for those of you who see him, you must ask about “the hat” trick.

Michael Estes, I think that theological elitism is definitely a temptation for pastors as well as professors. I think that’s why Drs. Akin and Moore (and others) press seminarians so hard on this issue.

Dougald McLaurin, I definitely think that pastors and other church teachers should try and lead God’s people to be as biblically and theologically literate as possible. Of course then the whole congregation may struggle with theological elitism!

Heath Lloyd, the Slatton biography does a good job of bringing out the factors at play in the Controversy that had little or nothing to do with either theology or historiagraphy.

Roger Simpson, thanks for your thoughts on how theological elitism might relate the contemporary SBC. I am hopeful that the GCR will eventually birth a consensus with which most of us will be happy.

John Inman, Whitsitt apparently thought Boyce was a shallow theologian, a poor leader, etc. He referred to Boyce as a “dunderhead” on numerous occasions. We cannot know Whitsitt’s motives, but it is obvious he was not a big Boyce fan.

David Brumbelow, I agree that professors should preach in small churches with regularity, at least those who are gifted to preach. I think all professors should at least be teaching in a local church context. This keeps us in front of “real” Christians on a regular basis who do not debate theology just for sport, like many collegians and seminarians.

NAF

One thing that might help is for every professor and denominational leader should, on a regular basis, preach in a small country or city church. Learn to know and love the simple saints of God. And if they don’t understand what you preach, keep preaching there until you are easily understood. My idea of a great scholar is someone who can take deep truths of Scripture and make them so simple a child can understand.
David R. Brumbelow

Eric

I think the SBC is on the cusp right now. There are several camps vying for daylight. We have Calvinists, non-Calvinists, BI guys, “neo-Landmarkers”, etc. I think it is possible to detect some cleavage in the SBC by noting who has and who has not signed on to the GCR document.

Specifically, I note that there are people from certain of the six seminaries who are (so far) conspicuous by their absence in terms of signatories. Also, a few states, including here in Oklahoma, seem “under-represented” in terms of leadership that have signed on.

The way to short-circuit this is to reach out to all camps — including people out here in Red River and Missouri River drainage areas — when putting together whatever committee is going to come out of Louisville to study any possible re-org of SBC life.

I believe that something like the CGR document is a step forward only if 99.44% are on board.

I think theological elitism and theological one-up-manship are kissing cousins of each other. This works out in practice in the following statement, “The stuff you are doing [and the documents you are cranking out] are great but I have a few minor points”. Translation, “if you expect me to support this overtly you better seek input from the constituency within the SBC that I’m part of”.

As a proponent of “Rodney King” theology, I like the GCR document. I believe Christianity is very simple: There are only a few core truth claims. I’m too dumb to even understand — let alone passionately expound on — most of the stuff that is at play.

The key parameter regarding the GCR document is NOT what particular combination of theological / programmatic / organizational / regional / niches gave birth to it. The main thing is that people actually buy into something common — possibly a revised GCR document with everyone’s fingerprints on it — and move forward together.

Bottom line, unless there is at least a 95% buy-in, I think SBC leadership is not well advised to bring this up in Louisville because it will do more harm than good.

The tea leaves tell me right now that the buy-in is probably 70% — there is a way still to go in a few short weeks.

Roger K. Simpson
Oklahoma City OK

Also you are wise to point out the same happening amongst professors (and I might add amongst my fellow pastors). May we walk humbly before our God.