Not a Silent People: Controversies That Have Shaped Southern Baptists

by Walter B. Shurden

Walter B. Shurden presents a heritage of denominational controversy and shows how this history continues to shape and affect Baptists today, in this second edition. First published in 1972, this revision includes an additional chapter, a second preface and gender-free language throughout the text. "If religious controversy is an index of how much people care, then Baptists care more than any group in the world. Nothing can be understood until you know its history. For that reason, the Baptist heritage matters." — From the Preface Walter B. Shurden is Minister at Large with Mercer University. He is author of numerous books including The Baptist Four Fragile Freedoms, Not a Silent Controversies that Have Shaped Southern Baptists and the five-volume Proclaiming the Baptist Vision set.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a pretty helpful book in understanding several different American Baptist controversies from the early 1800's to now and how they still affect the denomination today. The book was written in 1972, so it's a bit dated but still very informative. An updated edition would display the Calvinism-Arminianism debate which reared it's ugly head as recently as 2012. Written from a moderate-liberal stand point. [There was an updated version of this book published in 1995 which does address the conversative-liberal split in the late 80's and early 90's of the SBC. The author is a bit sour about it b/c in the divorce the SBC kept the house and CBF was left with much fewer resources].

My main concern is that it's not the best to do history strictly by examining different controversies. I guess that's sort of how we study Christology and the Trinity. It's like defining oneself by what one is against rather than what one is for. Also Shurden concludes that conflict is healthy for the SBC and that it will forever be inevitable. He may be correct about the latter, but internal conflict is not always good (like the Calvinism/Arminianism divide) above and sometimes generates more heat than light.

Still a good book.

[Doug Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

highly readable account of several controversies that have troubled the SBC. Writes from a moderate-liberal perspective.