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DMcFadden · #7 (**permalink**) 11-26-2007, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthias

I'm not sure how do describe it but it, but he seems to paint a very secular picture of Jesus. He also seems to have no understanding of the divinity of Christ. I am actually shocked to hear that he is a Baptist to be honest.

I said he was an American Baptist (ABCUSA). That means anything from KJV-only dispensationalist on the right to Peter Gomes, the openly homosexual chaplain at Harvard, on the left. In the US, there are substantial theological differences between some of the Baptist bodies. The ABC, for example, has several regional judicatories open to gay clergy (cf. TABCOM, Chicago, Rochester, etc. [I only identified by name the ones on record with this postion]), a history of accepting progressive theology (e.g., Harvey Cox), etc. Check out the heritage statement of ABC affiliated Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (http://www.crds.edu/).

While the ABC has a strong presence of conservatives, it is by no means uniform in its theology. One of the core values, "soul liberty" (falsely attributed, IMHO, to Roger Williams), is viewed as preventing any kind of confessional uniformity. That is why so many of the judicatories have active "Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptist" congregations (Find a Welcoming & Affirming Church). It has been a long time since graduates of some ABC schools even needed to believe in the Deity of Christ or the uniqueness of salvation in Christ alone in order to be ordained or remain in good standing (cf. A Voluptuous God: A Christian Heretic Speaks, Celebration of Mystery, Heretics Community Event: Sunday, 9/30 @ 11:30 a.m. - Forbes.com; for official support by the judicatory executive minister for the work of this church, cf. AWAB's Lake Street Church, Evanston, IL, Brings Together Eight Faiths in Day of Harmony at Associational eNewsletter, which cites a Chicago Tribune piece approvingly).