Commemorating the battle fought for the inerrancy of Scripture in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Seminary, warned Southern Seminary students that they will face struggles concerning that doctrine in years to come.

"The devil knows that a quiet confidence in the certainty of God's Word is his undoing," Patterson said, during a chapel service at SBTS, Aug. 28.

The leader of the conservative resurgence celebrated that each of the SBC’s six seminaries embraces the doctrine of inerrancy. In a brief anecdote, Patterson credited men and women like the six pastors from Alabama who traveled to Los Angeles in a single Volkswagen Beetle to support the conservative movement at the SBC’s annual meeting in 1981, as the “real heroes of the conservative movement in the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Patterson, however, noted that seminary students should be concerned about the doctrine of inerrancy, so that they may be prepared for looming battles within the convention.

“I perhaps will not live to see a serious attack within the Southern Baptist Convention, but you will,” Patterson said. “And you will have to rethink these things for yourself.”

If a person denies the inerrancy of Scripture, Patterson emphasized, he or she denies the goodness and truthfulness of God. Pointing to Matthew 22, Patterson illustrated the doctrine of inerrancy through Jesus’ encounters with Jewish religious leaders.

Rooting his teaching about inerrancy in the person of Jesus as the Messiah, Patterson used discipleship as a model for believing inerrancy.

“Because Jesus believed that every single word of Scripture was divinely inspired, I’m going to believe that it is the inerrant Word of God,” he said.

Patterson closed his message exhorting Southern students to cherish the Bible.

"I believe in the inerrancy of God’s Word because in all the years I have lived, I have watched its power to transform lives.”

Upon entering chapel, students were provided a copy of Patterson’s The Southern Baptist Conservative Resurgence: The History. The Plan. The Assessment., a collection of articles about the doctrinal struggles in the 20th century.

After chapel, Patterson signed copies of his latest commentary, Revelation in The New American Commentary series, at Lifeway Campus Store on Southern’s campus.

Patterson’s sermon is available here. Patterson’s previous sermons at Southern Seminary are also available online at The Boyce Digital Library (here).

Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. published an essay about Helen Gurley Brown and her contribution to the sexual revolution at The Atlantic website, Aug. 23. Brown, an author and longtime editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, died Aug. 13.

In his essay, “Why the Sexual Revolution Needed a Sexual Revolutionary,” Mohler credits Brown as a major player in the onset of the U.S. sexual revolution of the 1960s.

“When Brown's Sex and the Single Girl hit the bookstores in 1962, it lit a firestorm of controversy,” he writes. “... [She] dared to scandalize the nation, virtually inventing the ‘single girl’ as a cultural category. Brown urged young women to see themselves as empowered by sex, money, and men — but without any need for the traditional commitment to marriage.”

The sexual revolution, according to Mohler, was not an accident. Rather, like any revolution, the actions of an aggregate of individuals contribute to a culture shift over time. In the case of Brown, her persistently provocative writings significantly affected an entire generation.

“Since 1960 we have experienced a moral revolution that has transformed every dimension of American life, and the death of Helen Gurley Brown is a reminder that the sexual revolution did not happen by accident,” Mohler writes. “Like all revolutions, this one required moral revolutionaries.”

He concludes:

She was a living contradiction, who argued that being the single girl was the ideal, but then married; and that married men were fair game for adulterous affairs, but then drew the line at her husband.

The lesson for those who, like me, believe that the sexual revolution represents a moral disaster is that such moral revolutions come like a great tidal surge, led by revolutionaries willing to scandalize mainstream culture, confident that their controversial ideas will one day move into the cultural mainstream. Helen Gurley Brown lived long enough to see it all happen, to mark the 50th anniversary of Sex and the Single Girl and to know that she had played a major role in one of the most significant cultural transformations in human history.

Mohler’s full article is available at The Atlantic website: here.

Southern Seminary will partner with The Gospel Coalition (TGC) to offer up to six hours of transferable graduate or undergraduate credit available to students from Southern Seminary, Boyce College -- Southern’s undergraduate school -- or any evangelical school in conjunction with the 2013 TGC national conference in Orlando, Fla., April 8-10, 2013.

Attendees can take either New Testament 1 or an elective class about the Gospel of Luke, both taught by Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern, in conjunction with the TGC national conference.

They can also take Introduction to Missiology taught by Zane Pratt, dean of the Billy Graham School school of Missions and Evangelism at SBTS, in conjunction with the TGC pre-conference about World Missions,April 6-8, 2013. Registration is now available on the TGC website for these courses, which will include exclusive lectures and events featuring professors, pastors and panel discussions.

The early-bird registration rate for each class is $400. This cost does not include the registration for the TGC conference or pre-conference. To register for the class, select the “Student + Conference Class” rate when registering for the conference at The Gospel Coalition website.

For more information, including course syllabi and FAQ, visit the TGC website. Those with questions should direct them to tgc@sbts.edu

“The local church is God’s plan to attack the gates of hell,” said Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to a special forum, Aug. 16. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the seminary, hosted Page in a discussion of major issues in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

Among the many issues surrounding the convention, Page emphasized that the most important issue is not doctrinal, but rather the relevance of the SBC to the 21st century. He suggested that this methodological divide in the convention could even threaten the growth of Southern Baptist churches in the future.

Page celebrated the consistent desire among Southern Baptists to promote and expand the Great Commission. “I think Southern Baptists have grown weary of slogans and programs, but believe in the power of the gospel.”

Page explained that the Executive Committee is lowering its costs so that more Cooperative Program funds go directly to missions, but noted that the CP still depends on churches giving to support missionaries who are ready to serve. Mohler and Page discussed the challenges of a generation in which there are more missionaries ready to go than the SBC has the resources to send.

Speaking directly to those in attendance, Page encouraged Southern students pursuing church planting to consider ministry in traditional church settings noting that an aging pastoral pool is making it so that some churches aren’t able to find pastors. However, he communicated clearly a vision of healthy churches planting healthy churches.

“We don’t need more churches in America, we need more healthy churches,” Page said, promoting traditional churches and church plants working alongside each other.

Concerning the issue of Calvinism, Page stated that he envisions unity in the convention in spite of differences concerning soteriology.

“I challenge the students and faculty at Southern Seminary to be sensitive to our convention and respect those who may not have the same theological positions you have,” Page said, desiring to “establish a dialogue that is Christ-like and filled with the Spirit of God.”

Page also called for unity around the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, believing it “sufficient to pull people of various soteriological beliefs together strategically and practically.”

He said he hopes the BF&M 2000 continues to promote unity rather than arguments around theological issues.

A full video of Thursday’s forum discussion with Frank Page is available at sbts.edu/resources (here).

The August "Towers" is now on stands and online.

One of my favorite magazines includes a “how to” section. Take anything from achieving a great shave, to buying the right car, to conquering my summer reading list, and the “how to” tells me the best ways to do it. That’s what we want to do in this first “Towers” of the 2012-13 academic year: give you a guide to the best of the fall semester. Inside you’ll find everything from coffee shop recommendations to a campus concert schedule. We also take a look at Southern Seminary’s leaving the business of deferring maintenance.

Inside the August issue, you'll find an interview with Boyce College professor Heath Lambert talking about his new book, Counseling the Hard Cases. And seminary president R. Albert Mohler Jr. talks about the upcoming academic year.

…

Southern Seminary Resources publishes “Towers,” Southern Seminary Magazine and other seminary publications digitally as well as physically. Check out the Resources page for an improved online reading experience.

R. Albert Mohler Jr. is set to appear on CNN's "OutFront" with Erin Burnett, tonight at 7 p.m. Mohler, who is president of Southern Seminary, will discuss same-sex marriage and the recent controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A and its president Dan Cathy.

The controversy began when Cathy revealed to a Baptist newspaper that his views of marriage reflect those of the Christian tradition. To a different media outlet, he disclosed his concern for a generation with the “audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.”

"OutFront" airs on CNN weeknights at 7 p.m.

Earlier in the week, Mohler addressed the Chick-fil-A controversy at CNN.com's Belief Blog.

At CNN’s Belief Blog, R. Albert Mohler Jr. addresses the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A and its president Dan Cathy. Mohler is president of Southern Seminary.

The controversy began when Cathy revealed to a Baptist newspaper that his views of marriage reflect those of the Christian tradition. To a different media outlet, he disclosed his concern for a generation with the “audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.”

Shortly after, city officials in Boston, Chicago and New York publically condemned Cathy’s statements and vowed to oppose the expansion of Chick-fil-A in their respective cities.

“The threats made against Chick-fil-A betray the principle of religious liberty that is enshrined within the U.S. Constitution,” writes Mohler, in Belief Blog's "My Take" column. “Civic officials in some of the nation’s largest and most powerful cities have openly threatened to oppose Chick-fil-A for the singular reason that its president openly spoke of his Christian convictions concerning marriage.”

Mohler warns that these threats could extend to other groups who oppose same-sex marriage, groups with long and important histories in these cities.

“When [New York City Council Speaker Christine] Quinn, one of the most powerful officials in New York, announces, ‘I do not want establishments in my city that hold such discriminatory views,’ is she also threatening the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Jewish synagogues and Islamic mosques?

“They, along with evangelical Christian denominations, openly oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage. Cathy’s statements are completely consistent with his own denomination’s statement of faith and official declarations. He was speaking as a Christian and as a Southern Baptist, and he was speaking as a man who does his best to live and speak as he believes,” Mohler writes.

He concludes by calling the aggressive opposition to Chick-fil-A a sign of the length to which those who oppose the Christian perspective of marriage are willing to take the debate.

“This country is deeply divided over the issue of same-sex marriage, and the controversy over Chick-fil-A is an ominous sign that many of the proponents of same-sex marriage are quite willing to violate religious liberty and to use any and all means to silence and punish any individual or organization that holds the contrary view – a view sustained by the voters in 29 states by constitutional amendments.”

Mohler's entire article, “Chick-fil-A controversy reveals religious liberty under threat” is available at Belief Blog.

Beginning fall 2012, Southern Seminary will offer select courses in a new, more flexible format: hybrid modular courses.

The seminary has offered modular courses in "J-Terms" for several years, enabling students to take a whole course in five days. Hybrid modular courses blend online course lectures and online discussion forums with an intensive on-campus experience.

The result is that now, in only eight days, students can earn up to 13 hours of on-campus course credit. Since more than half of the hours in each course involve face-to-face instruction at Southern’s campus in Louisville, Ky., all 13 hybrid modular hours count as on-campus credit. What this means is that a student can earn all required on-campus hours for a master's degree in only two eight-day segments. Students can earn the remainder of the degree through online courses, at extension centers or at the seminary’s campus in Louisville.

The fall 2012 inaugural offering of hybrid modular courses includes a blend of theology, biblical studies, practical ministry and even one language course.

Courses offered the first half of this fall's hybrid modular week (Oct. 3-6):

• Christian theology I with Bruce Ware;
• Elementary Greek with Rob Plummer;
• Introduction to the New Testament I with Bill Cook; and
• Leadership field education I with Troy Harrison.

Courses offered the second half of this fall's hybrid modular week (Oct. 8-10):

• Theology and practice of leadership with Michael Wilder;
• Introduction to church history I with Shawn Wright;
• Team ministry relations with Troy Temple; and
• Islam and the Christian mission with J. Ryan West.

Hybrid modular on-campus weeks begin on the Wednesday of fall reading days (in fall semester) and spring break (in spring semester) each semester, and they conclude the Wednesday after, respectively. The online component of each course begins and ends at the beginning and end of the semester. Current students interested should register for hybrid courses through their Moodle portal (here). Those not yet enrolled at Southern Seminary, can do so here. When registering, students should look for these courses:

• 27060 MD Christian theology I;
• 22400 MD elementary Greek;
• 22200 MD introduction to the New Testament I;
• 45190 MD leadership field education I;
• 40080 MD theology and practice of leadership;
• 25100 MD introduction to church history I;
• 42210 MD team ministry relations; and
• 32990 MD Islam and the Christian Mission.

On Aug. 23, Southern Seminary will host a daylong conference, Strengthening Your Marriage in Ministry, sponsored by The John and Debbie Bethancourt Lectures for Ministerial Ethics and Family Life.

Conference discussions will explore practical aspects of strengthening marriages and families with special attention given to men and women preparing for gospel ministry.

This free conference is open to all students, student-spouses, faculty and staff of Southern Seminary and Boyce College. Regularly scheduled SBTS and Boyce College classes on Thursday, Aug. 23, will meet in the chapel for the duration of class. Alumni and their spouses will be welcome to attend through our Alumni Academy program. Details on Alumni Academy are available here.

Conference events will take place Thursday, Aug. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Guest speakers will include Dennis Rainey, president and CEO of FamilyLife, C.J. Mahaney, leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for Academic Administration at Southern Seminary, and R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Seminary

Childcare will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for a small fee. Childcare reservations can be made online here, or by contacting the Health and Recreation Center.

Attendees wishing to take advantage of a free lunch from Chick-fil-A must register by scanning their Shield Cards at the August 16 and 21 chapel services. The scan machines will be set up in Alumni Memorial Chapel before and after chapel services.  Students, student-spouses, faculty and staff may also sign up for lunch by stopping by the Office of Event Productions anytime prior to the first day of the event. After August 20, attendees are welcome to register for the lunch but there will be a $2 fee per person.

Students interested in attending the conference may earn course credit by enrolling in course #45910, under the instruction of Randy Stinson, dean of the School of Church Ministries at Southern Seminary. The course itself will last two days (Aug. 23-24) and will satisfy the core course requirements for 35040 Leadership and Family Ministry. While conference attendance is free, enrollment in course #45910 will incur standard tuition and fees.

Russell D. Moore contributes to a discussion about the display of American flags in church sanctuaries in Christianity Today magazine's July-August issue. Moore is senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary.

CT's "Village Green"  opinion forum asks Moore, Douglas Wilson and Lisa Velthouse, "Should Churches Display the American Flag in Their Sanctuaries?" Moore answers, "Fly it responsibly."

While he sympathizes with those who fear the flag's presence could invite the idolatry of  nationalism, Moore suggests that the gospel rightly orients patriotism. He writes:

Patriotism is dangerous, yes, but that's because it's a strong natural affection that's rooted in something good and right. When rightly applied, patriotism is akin to what God commands us to do in showing honor to our father and mother.

When we honor our country, we are recognizing that we are not self-made or self-situated. We are here, placed by God in a particular plot of land because of the sacrifices of forefathers and foremothers we haven't known. We have a responsibility to our neighbors of all faiths for the generations to come. Patriotism can become idolatrous, sure. So can family affection. But the gospel doesn't evaporate family love. It just re-narrates it, and situates it in a right context, in which we seek first the kingdom of God.

The same is true for the flag.

The full forum, including Wilson's response, "Just don't do it," and Velthouse's response, "It's all right by me," is available here.