Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 1859-2009

by Gregory A. Wills

With 16.3 million members and 44,000 churches, the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Baptist group in the world, and the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Unlike the so-called mainstream Protestant denominations, Southern Baptists have remained stubbornly conservative, refusing to adapt their beliefs and practices to modernity's individualist and populist values. Instead, they have held fast to traditional orthodoxy in such fundamental areas as biblical inspiration, creation, conversion, and miracles. Gregory Wills argues that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has played a fundamental role in the persistence of conservatism, not entirely intentionally. Tracing the history of the seminary from the beginning to the present, Wills shows how its foundational commitment to preserving orthodoxy was implanted in denominational memory in ways that strengthened the denomination's conservatism and limited the seminary's ability to stray from it. In a set of circumstances in which the seminary played a central part, Southern Baptists' populist values bolstered traditional orthodoxy rather than diminishing it. In the end, says Wills, their populism privileged orthodoxy over individualism. The story of Southern Seminary is fundamental to understanding Southern Baptist controversy and identity. Wills's study sheds important new light on the denomination that has played - and continues to play - such a central role in our national history.

Genres: Church History, History, Biography, Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion

566 pages, Hardcover

First published July 27, 2009

Reviews

[Purshia Gambles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man. This book was something else. For many reasons. I knew some about the origins and history of my school and my denomination, but this gave more perspective than I can readily explain. But the book itself was good in that it was well-written! Truly a page-turner for both of those reasons. To be clear, this review is on the quality of the BOOK, not the story it tells. The story of Southern and the SBC is one largely wrapped up in controversy, doctrinal misalignment, and power-hunger. But I think that oftentimes any organization or denomination. Anyone thinking they have found a perfect institution/ministry/church/denomination has lied to themselves and likely seared their conscience to do so. But the doctrine of my denomination is what I align with, although I'm grieved by the history and much of it's present.

[Flynn Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterfully done. Wills is able to blend historical theology with narrative history in a cogent manner worthy of being modeled by any Christian historian. Most of all, he maintains an admirable degree of objectivity in his summarization and analysis.

[Luke Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having graduated from SBTS, I had a special interest in reading this. But aside from having been a student, this book was helpful in understanding the struggles within Southern Baptist life generally. I especially appreciated that Wills did not simply make this a data dump, but he wove a narrative that was edifying to this reader.

[Maryeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so at first I was mad about having to read all of this book, but I honestly learned a lot and ended up enjoying it!!!

[Mark Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glorious read: the story is fascinating and edifying, the details are just enough and not too much, and the history is quite relevant to someone like me who lives in a town with Boyce and Broadus streets—relevant, in fact, to any gospel-preaching Baptist in America.

My only complaint is that Gregory Wills didn't give in to the temptation to puff his employer, Al Mohler, by including more details about Mohler's role in the conservative retaking of the seminary in the early 1990s (like the ones you can hear in two talks at C.J. Mahaney's church). Discretion is the better part of valor, but before I die I would like to read a full account written with the same style and care and theological perspective Wills gives us in this book.

[Jake Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory Wills does a superb job in tracing out the history of SBTS in commemoration of the school's 150th anniversary. Wills does not just give you the story of the seminary but the story of the convention in so many ways. He does an admirable job in showing how the issues in the seminary were actually issues affecting the entire denomination. In this work, Wills provides great research and attention to detail in showing how a school departed severely from its confessional, Calvinistic foundations only to return to them when Al Mohler embraced the vision of the founder of the seminary, James P. Boyce. This is a great resource to learn more about Southern Baptist history and the lessons we need to learn today.

[Spencer R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-researched book, Greg Wills runs throughout the history of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, going from it's founder James P. Boyce up to its current president Albert Mohler. I had to read this book for school, and honestly, even though I gave it four stars, there was too much detail in this book to keep my interest. Of the thirteen chapters, only three were of any real interest to me. I would have liked to have seen more information on Mohler's presidency after the gender battles.

[Shane Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly fascinating story as told by church historian Greg Wills.

The shift from the founders’ vision to the liberalism that dominated for over fifty years (1940-90), to the monumental change brought about by the conservative resurgence through Al Mohler is simply a remarkable story.

Wills’ attention to detail is startling and immense—perhaps too laboured at times (my only critique, really)—and navigates the seminaries exciting and exhilarating history. So much to learn here from internal politics, the role of trustees, denominational ties, and statements of faith.

I’m thankful that I’m able to study at this institution that presently stands for the unadulterated truth of the Gospel as revealed in the Word of God. I pray the Lord continues to use this institution for good and for the building up of the church globally.

[Mike Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wills writes a very detailed account of the ebb and flow of Southern’s history, especially its theological heritage. I think he convincingly shows how Southern served to influence the largest evangelical denomination for better, then for worse, and then for better again. Yet, as an SBC seminary, SBTS was also influenced by the denomination. That is why it is no longer a home for modernism, but a defender of orthodoxy.

I only have a few quibbles with the book: 1) it takes a few too many detours to explain the theological influences of every president and some prominent professors. 2) I wish the story focused more on the tangibles of the school: its programs, buildings, etc. 3) I wish it spent more time on the history after the conservative resurgence.

All in all, a great read for anyone who wants a vignette of SBC history. Many other key players and movements make contact with this story, so there’s something for everyone in here.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, well-written, and, oftentimes, exhilarating retelling of the story of Southern Seminary! Wills does a wonderful job illustrating how Boyce’s vision for a confessional Baptist seminary, owned and controlled by the Southern Baptist Convention has acted as a safeguard throughout the history of SBTS. Even during its liberal drift, Southern still had to reckon with the Abstract and with the reality of denominational control. Wills likewise does a great job of drawing out Mohler’s vision for Southern: a return to the confessional fidelity of its founders. As a student of Southern Seminary, I am proud of the Calvinistic, evangelical, and Baptist heritage of this institution and am also thankful for the work of Dr. Wills in this faithful presentation of our history!

[Will Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book. A great history of SBTS. An even greater detailing of the spread of liberalism in a Christian institution, and how theological orthodoxy was ultimately revived in it by the simple faithfulness of men and the grace of God.

[Lauren Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed history of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Some parts were very interesting.

[Caroline Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My expectations were definitely exceeded. This book is far more interesting than it looks! Only reason it’s 4 stars is because it was just so long. Some days I never thought it would end😵‍💫🫨

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a friend who once told me that he went to Southern Seminary in the 1980's "during the Honeycutt years," he then proceeded to tell me that this was "before Mohler came and fired everybody." History is a curious thing sometimes - especially when the outcomes of history are still relatively fresh. After this exchange, I realized that Southern Seminary's story was worth looking into more fully.

This book is an incredibly fascinating read about the often times tenuous history of Southern Seminary. Wills does a great job of showing the political and theological landscape that has shaped Southern Baptist's flagship seminary. Though at times kind of laborious, this was a really great read.

(As an aside, I really hope that there will be a book that will more fully chronicle Mohler's transition and the conservative resurgence. While this would be a difficult task from this vantage point in history, I would still love to have a place that chronicles all the legends and stories in one place.)

[David Saxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, fascinating book
Wills carefully and clearly documents the transition from a conservative, Calvinistic school under Boyce and Broadus to a progressive, liberal school in the 20th century. For three quarters of a century, liberal faculty claimed to be teaching in accordance with Boyce's Abstract of Principles although they clearly reinterpreted it in accordance to their own whims. Their dishonesty was frankly breathtaking. Fortunately, the book carries the story forward to the conservative takeover under Mohler, giving the book a joyful ending.
I warmly recommend this read.

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In 1976 Noel Wesley Hollyfield Jr. completed a Th.M. thesis at Southern Seminary analyzing the persistence of traditional orthodoxy among the seminary's students. His survey of Southern students revealed that barely half of M.Div. students believed in the historical accuracy of the biblical miracles, including the virgin birth and the account of Jesus walking on water. Barely one-third of Ph.D. students believed in them. Between 20 and 30 percent of M.Div. students were uncertain of the deity of Christ and the existence of God. Nearly 40 percent of Ph.D. students had the same doubts... Conservatives repeatedly cited the statistics of Hollyfield's thesis as prima facie evidence of the spread of liberalism in the Southern Baptist Convention."
- Gregory Wills

At first glance, you would probably think that reading the history of a theological institution would be drier than the Sahara desert. However, Wills has produced an incredibly well written history of the SBC's flagship seminary. This is no dry history, but rather a moving and thoughtful narrative of the pivotal institution in the SBC's history. Now, I will say that having attended and graduated from Southern certainly helped me appreciate the narrative more. But if you even have a general interest in the theological formation and movement of the SBC, you would appreciate this book.

If you are liberal leaning, this will probably be a disappointing read towards the end. If you are an orthodox protestant committed to an evangelical and conservative reading of Scripture, then you will likely be thankful at the beginning, depressed through the middle, and overjoyed at the end. The simple reality is the history of Southern Seminary is a rocky one. The seminary started as thoroughly committed to the authority of Scripture and the proclamation of the gospel. It was Calvinistic in its theology and existed to train pastors and missionaries. But by the beginning of the 20th century, all had been thrown off course: theological liberalism was in full force and central tenets of the faith were denied by the faculty. It's not until the 80's and 90's when the SBC won the "Battle for the Bible" and were able to take back their seminaries for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. This book shined a light on new truths of just how bad things were at Southern in the 20th and made me all the more thankful for the conservative resurgence. Highly recommended.

[Kaitlyn Pindak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though he could have interwoven his own bias of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s history, Greg Wills does a fantastic job of given an in-depth, objective summation of the origin, history, and recent events that have brought SBTS to where it is today. Wills has certainly showed a breadth of understanding from deep research and a great ability to write the history in detail enough to give a deep dive of understanding yet not lose the reader. I am glad to have read this account of SBTS history.

Also, I love that as I read this book, it is in this year of 2023 that it has been 30 years since R. Albert Mohler became president of SBTS, also establishing the undergraduate program of Boyce Collective under his leadership. Reading this book for Eric Smith’s Southern Baptist Heritage and Mission class made me that much more thankful to be here at SBTS.


Here is a quote from an interview of Eric Smith with Al Mohler as Mohler reflects on the conservative resurgence throughout the 1980s through the early 2000s in the SBC, specifically SBTS:

“If you are going to say no to theological liberalism, it’s going to take a robust theology to answer liberalism… It’s not just fixing this doctrine and that doctrine. I just say to students, you just need to see that what God has allowed us a far more comprehensive theological recovery otherwise I would not be sitting here and Southern Seminary would not be what it is. I just look back with absolute amazement not only that it happened but that the Lord allowed me to witness it.”


And so I’ll unashamedly interweave my opinion in saying that I feel very privileged to be here at this time in history where I get to learn under this leadership. And, specifically this semester, (at which it has been exactly 30 years since Mohler came) to learn about the legacy of the conservative remaking of Southern, taken it back to the core, biblical values upon which this institution was founded. Praise the Lord for his grace in how he restores and keeps. History is messy, but it’s a constant reminder that Christ receives and sustains sinful, messy men (and women) only through the bloody sacrifice and his resurrection!

4.5/5 🌟

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Southern Seminary has a rich history as the first academic theological voice for Southern Baptists. Like the Southern Baptist Convention it has had its swings from conservatism to liberalism to conservatism once again. Wills does a respectable job of going into detail of the different views held by faculty, presidents, and trustees. However, this book is not exhaustive in regard to that subject. This book is also dated as it is missing the last decade of the Southern Seminary. One of the things that Wills highlights is the use of the Abstract of Principles that was used by the founders of Southern Seminary in 1859 to hire faculty. The entire history of the school is centered on the interpretation of this confession and this is something that Wills focuses on heavily. If you are looking for a broad history of Southern Seminary, then this would be a great place to start. The resources used in this are great places to start for further understanding of what has been held by professors, president, and trustees.

[Pig Rieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know." - Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭2‬-‭3‬

The history of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is the story of an institution that struggled to come into existence and yet grew, experienced a century of decay to the point of death, and then shockingly came to life again. Greg Wills extensive, thorough, and engaging account of it is masterful. There are times when history can be dry, but Wills does a tremendous job of moving the narrative along while still giving rigorous attention to the details. For anyone interested in the school, this book is an irreplaceable account of institution.

[David King · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history was pretty interesting, although I wish it had included something about Boyce College. It was quite interesting to learn how long the seminary was under the sway of moderates. Mohler has talked about writing a memoir which would be a welcome addition to this volume.
While the history was compelling, the writing was uneven at best. Many paragraphs ended with the topic sentence for the following paragraph. And too many sections felt like the paragraphs were only loosely connected. Remember the ‘research’ papers you wrote as a junior higher? The ones where you wrote your research on notecards, then organized them, and then wrote your rough draft by copying the notecards onto your paper? That’s what a lot of the book read like.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From its beginning in 1859, all faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary have been contractually obligated to "teach in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Abstract of Principles." This book is not just a history of Southern Seminary, but a history of how the seminary has related to the Abstract from its beginning until now. Some like Boyce, Broadus, and Mohler have taken the Abstract extremely seriously, while some others, for all intents and purposes, have ignored it. This book details how and why this occurred. It's for this reason, I believe a good subtitle would be "A Vindication of Boyce and the Abstract."

[James Ruley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-research book by Wills details the founding and development of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Wills spends substantial time discussing Southern’s various presidents and the doctrinal/practical challenges they faced over the years. In many ways, Wills presents Southern as a microcosm for Southern Baptists: beginning with their Calvinist heritage, tracing the battles with modernism, and chronicling the modern conservative resurgence. As a Southern Baptist, I’m thankful for this book’s clear, well-reassigned historical accounting that helps me understand where my denomination came from.

[JT Goodart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so I went on a journey with this book. First of all, it’s a book I never would have read had it not been required for class. I found most of the writing to be circular and unnecessarily dragged out, and found myself thinking that the majority of the book could have easily been condensed or restructured more linearly. I did not enjoy the vast majority of it. However, I really enjoyed seeing Boyce’s vision for starting the seminary and how the founding four fought for that vision, and I got oddly sentimental at the end reading about how Mohler successfully restored that vision. It did make me thankful for the current faculty and state of Southern. So, all in all, a journey.

[Victor Gamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a history of the leading seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. Will's engaging style makes it a page-turner. The book also deserves praise for its high degree of accuracy. Included in the work are the darker side of Southern's history, including cases of abuse of pastoral authority and ethical problems. Wills' work is very enlightening in answering the question of who Southern Baptists are and how they came to be that way.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and dramatic history of the seminary, from its orthodox, calvinistic founding, its slow capitulation to liberalism, and its dramatic return to orthodoxy with the Conservative resurgence in the 1980s and '90s. Very readable, thoroughly researched. I found it very instructive of how the slow capitulation to relativism and personalized interpretation of scripture can happen.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history that displays God’s grace in preserving this school through civil war, recession, and infiltration of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. May the Lord continue preserve the school’s primary mission: to equip pastors to preach, teach, and lead churches in faithful discipleship, evangelism, and missions.

[Nick birri · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is one book that I’ve read cover to cover that I was the MOST shocked by out if EVERY book I’ve EVER read… here it is. Probably not interesting for most other people. But man, somehow, this book is absolutely sick. A great history of southern.

[Brady Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is exceedingly that a niche academic history of an institution reads like a political thriller, but Greg Wills produced an eminently readable history of SBTS. Thank God for the courage and vision of James Boyce and for the courage and leadership of Albert Mohler. I am grateful

[John Rimmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kind of book only a history-lover...and a Baptist one at that...would enjoy. Read during my time attending the SBTS (online) I enjoyed it very much.

[Ben Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Easily in my Top 5 that I’ve read while at Southern Seminary for an M.Div. The story is invigorating.