Al Mohler: The Cost of Conviction

August 24, 2009 by Andy Naselli

These two MP3s from Sovereign Grace’s 2003 Leadership Conference include Al Mohler’s “testimony about his call to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in order to highlight key points of his messages”:

Mark Ward:

It doesn’t get much better in your earbuds than Mohler’s comeback to the postmodernist faculty member who refused to interpret the Bible straightforwardly but insisted on a rigorously literal interpretation of his contract—followed by C. J. Mahaney’s uproarious laughter. I was edified (and, I admit, entertained). I highly recommend these two MP3s.

Updates:

1. See my review of Gregory A. Wills, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859–2009 in Themelios 34 (2009): 403–5.

2. Mohler before He Became President of Southern: “I Intend to Age”

3. Mohler contributed to this debate-book I co-edited: Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism.

4. Sean DeMars interviews Al Mohler for his “Room for Nuance” podcast:

Fundamentalism : Historic Christianity :: Hamburger : Filet Mignon

August 22, 2009 by Andy Naselli

“Comparing Fundamentalist faith and practice to the faith and practice of historic Christianity is like comparing a hamburger to a filet mignon. The two obviously have something in common, but it would be misleading to say that everything in the steak is also in the hamburger.”

–Kevin Bauder, “Fundamentalism: Whence? Where? Whither? Part 2: Fundamentalism and History”

Henry Center Events for 2009-2010

August 18, 2009 by Andy Naselli

Owen Strachan just posted the schedule.

I’ll probably continue live-blogging most of these events for the Henry Center blog since I’m a (very grateful!) Hansen fellow again this year.

Getting Authenticity

August 17, 2009 by Andy Naselli

Jim Hamilton, “What I Learned in My First Pastorate,” Towers (August 17, 2009): 4:

You don’t get this from wearing cool clothes, having a trendy name for your church or learning to preach from comedians. If it comes—and if the authenticity about “big” sins is accompanied by authenticity about “acceptable” sins—it will come by the power of the Spirit through the preaching of the Word.

Kevin Bauder Begins a Series on the History of Fundamentalism

August 15, 2009 by Andy Naselli

“Fundamentalism: Whence? Where? Whither? Part 1: Things Have Changed”

Some excerpts:

In 1986 [i.e., when “the last sustained history of fundamentalism” was “published by a fundamentalist”], neither Dave Doran nor Tim Jordan held the pastorates that have come to be associated with their names. Dan Davey and Mark Minnick were associate pastors in Virginia Beach and Greenville, respectively. Matt Olson was just a few years into the planting of Tri-City Baptist Church near Denver. John Hartog III was a college student, and Stephen Jones was still in high school.
In 1986, clear fissures were already evident within the fundamentalist movement.
Things have changed for fundamentalism. Indeed, they still are. Rapidly. For a generation there has been no comprehensive attempt to summarize the changes and directions within fundamentalism, to link them to the past, and to draw out the trajectories along which they may carry fundamentalist churches and institutions in the future.
These essays will neither defend nor denounce fundamentalism.
I do not intend to try to persuade anyone—least of all young leaders—that they must remain in the fundamentalist movement. I love the idea of fundamentalism, and I would like to persuade people of its beauty and utility. The fundamentalist movement, however, is at best an imperfect embodiment of the idea. Those who can find a better incarnation of the idea ought to pursue it. Ideas ought to command our allegiance, not party or institutional loyalties.
One underlying thesis of this series is that the fundamentalist movement no longer exists. The unraveling of the movement began in the 1960s and has continued virtually without interruption. At the present, little coherence remains among self-identified fundamentalists. The result is that no one can choose to be a fundamentalist simpliciter. In order to be a fundamentalist at all, one must choose among fundamentalist influences and institutions. The inevitable result is that all contemporary fundamentalists are modified fundamentalists, in the sense that they all require some modifier or qualifier to be attached to the name.

Note: Central Seminary emails Kevin Bauder‘s essays every Friday afternoon. You can join the mailing list (as well as access the archives) here.

Two New Books by Bryan Chapell

August 13, 2009 by Andy Naselli

Click the book covers for more information, including sample pages and endorsements from Tim Keller, D. A. Carson, Phil Ryken, Jerry Bridges, Al Mohler, and Tullian Tchividjian (click the “Endorsements” tab).