Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

[ChristGraceText]

Hello gentlemen,

I'm taking a hard look at Southern to pursue a M.DIV. I am currently attending a classical dispensational institution for my M.A. I made a similar biography post in the "Wading Pool", but I've had roughly 7 years of dispensational teaching but over the last three years God has been revealing to me in His Word a more Reformed working and I now hold all 5 points of Calvinism and see the Covenants of Works, Grace, Redemption as Biblical. That being said, with the background I have, would Southern be a good step for me?

What are the pros and cons and perhaps some first hand testimony that some of you men have of the school.

Thank you in advance

Grace and Peace

 

[rbcbob]

SBTS is a good seminary. Under Dr Mohler it has been turned around from the swamp of liberalism that characterized it in the decades prior to his presidency. SBTS is solidly Calvinistic, but not Confessional. There continues to be an influx of young men who have not been soberly vetted and who have the dimmest grasp of why they are there. Nevertheless, for a doctrinally strong man who has a clear goal in mind the studies offered there can be very profitably used to attain a high degree of learning.

 

[Scottish Lass]

You'll also find a few solid, Bible-believing churches here, too. Several of us on the board live in the area; let us know if you want to take a tour of the campus, city, etc.

 

[reaganmarsh]

As RBCBob said, they are Calvinistic but not confessional -- at least not in the sense of RBS or MCTS. They adhere strongly to the Abstract of Principles, which is (according to Tom Nettles) roughly 85-90% based on the 1689 London Confession. Every professor must sign the document and agree to teach in both the letter and spirit of the thing, with "no private understandings." Dr. Mohler actually used that confessional argument as grounds to remove the liberal professors in the 90's.

So perhaps SBTS could best be described as quasi-confessional. In my classes, each teacher took pains to show how the Abstract "weighed in" on or guided whatever subject we were discussing, as appropriate. Many of them also specifically grounded their teaching in the BFM and 1689 LBC. But the Abstract allows for "4 points" or "5 points" (if you read the language), and it was intentionally written as such -- so be advised. Also, it's not a "covenantal" school. If anything, NCT is the major influence in that department (i.e., Drs. Schreiner, Wellum, etc.)

Overall: an excellent school, with excellent teachers. It's challenging. We greatly profited from our time there. It launched me toward confessing the 1689 and embracing CT.

Hope this helps.