REVIEW OF “THE NEW SBC: Fundamentalism’s Impact on the Southern Baptist Convention”
By Grady C. Cothen

Reprinted permission of Baptists Today

By David R. Currie,
Coordinator, Texas Baptists Committed

The power of Grady Cothen’s book is that it is so intensely personal. While he may have tried to write an objective account of the impact of “takeover of the SBC,” the fact is he cannot do so. He was too intimately involved in the Southern Baptist Convention for too many years to write as a bystander.

Grady Cothen was president of Oklahoma Baptist University, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and president of the Sunday School Board. He spent his ministry within the “Baptist system” and therefore writes as a man who watched that which he was part of building being torn down. The pain is evident in his writing.

This is not a weakness, but rather the strength of the book. Southern Baptist Convention leadership today does not cherish, value, or follow our historic Baptist principles and practices. We are a divided people who have lost our focus on the Great Commission. “What might have been” is gone forever. For Grady Cothen, this is intensely personal and painful. He writes on page 23: “The fundamentalist capture of the Southern Baptist Convention set the stage for a most difficult period in my life. It introduced a personal nightmare that would last for the rest of my life. These people who were so efficient and ruthless were not in the tradition of Baptists as I knew them.”

I would suggest that there are three major emphasis to the book that are very valuable for traditional Baptists.

First, is his emphasis throughout that conservative Christianity and fundamentalism are not one and the same. Dr. Cothen is a traditional Baptist, very conservative theologically. He believes all the fundamentals of the faith. He is not a fundamentalist. There is a huge difference. He writes: “Note that this religion of ‘conservatism’ bears little resemblance to conservative biblical theology, though it claims to be at one with it.”

He agonizes over the fact that the world now cannot distinguish between fundamentalism and conservative Christianity and the impact this has on our Baptist witness. He writes: “The aggressive modern movement to defend the Bible by its so-called friends has done more damage than all of its enemies.” (page 31) He further adds: “One of the serious consequences for the SBC is that it has aroused the ire of multitudes and seriously affected our ability to witness to unbelievers.” (Page 46)

Especially insightful is his chapter on the firing of Russell Dilday. He concludes this chapter by writing: “Now, conservative Christianity is once again lumped with fundamentalism. The growing opposition of ‘the religious right’ on every side is reinforced in its belief that all conservatives fall in the category of fundamentalism.” (page 120)

Second, is his deep commitment to religious liberty. Through this reviewer’s years of denominational work, I have found that traditional Baptists are most passionate about religious liberty. In fact, I would go so far as to say that while traditional Baptists feel strongly about the authority of scripture without a creed, local church autonomy, and the priesthood of all believers, the strongest passions revolve around religious liberty.

Whether they view themselves as Democrats, Republicans, or independents, like “high church” worship or old-time Gospel hymns, want an evangelistic sermon every Sunday or like the Gospel message applied to real life situations, all traditional Baptists are passionate about religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

While Cothen devotes a specific chapter to the topic, “Church-State and the Culture War,” he mentions religious liberty and how SBC leaders have abandoned the traditional Baptist position concerning church-state separation in every chapter. He writes of “A New Ecumenism” in chapter 4, where Southern Baptists now cooperate around political “causes and personalities similar to themselves.”

He continues: “For thoughtful and knowledgeable people in the SBC, the politicization of the denomination could only lead to conflict and division. Many of them thought they could envision a public departure from our traditional idea of church-state separation. They did not imagine enough conflict and division, however. From the beginning, it was difficult to determine whether these new cooperative efforts were ecumenical religion or organized partisan politics. If ecumenical, they did not deal with mainstream Christianity. If political, they did depart drastically from our historic positions.” (pages 57-58)

Third, is the recurring comment throughout the book that the SBC is no longer Baptist. Cothen does not use those specific words, but comments regularly to that effect. A few examples:

“Like popcorn jumping in every direction, incidents that are unbaptistic and unscriptural have sprung up around the Baptist World.” (page 15)

“The idea that someone should interpret scripture for everyone else, with penalties for those who do not subscribe, was totally foreign to everything I believed about the Bible. The idea of churches being intimidated by actions of a larger body was anathema. The concept of the pastor ruling the church was laughable — given the deacons and church members I had known and loved and with whom I had served.” (pages 22-23)

“Fundamentalism has brought to the denomination a new approach to polity, mission giving, and free exercise of religious faith.” (page 66)

“Clearly, Southern Baptists are moving in directions that have been rejected by previous leaders and generations.” (page 73)

“We are treated now to the use of denominational power — direct or implied — to repress dissent, control the press, criticize state conventions and by implication threaten them, control relationships of seminaries to their alumi, exile dissenters, and submit to political acts by leadership or be labeled disloyal. The list of requirements for fellowship are foreign to the history and traditions of Baptists. To truly valid, any religious decision must be free, uncoerced, unfettered, and unlimited by human interference and authority.” (page 78)

“Some national and state leaders assume that they know what is a good Southern Baptist and what is best for one. They believe they have a right to dictate religious practices and can withhold position, prestige, or recognition. These ideas are contrary to Baptist polity and doctrine. If such leaders are permitted to define loyalty and assert a right to dictate how churches do missions in order to remain “loyal Southern Baptists,” we have surrendered our priesthood — we have already lost our denomination.” (page 81)

Many other examples could be cited, but you get the point. The Southern Baptist Convention today rejects the foundations of Baptist polity and practice.

The ultimate strength of Cothen’s book may be the questions left in the readers mind after finishing it. Cothen never states the question bluntly, but I was left asking myself the following question. “Can I be a real, traditional Southern Baptist and continue to support the Southern Baptist Convention?” For me, the answer is no. To support the current SBC is to make a mockery my Baptist heritage. Commitment to Christ, and the memory of my Baptist ancestors will not permit me to do so.

Another question left in my mind is the future of state conventions. Cothen writes on page 122: “State executive directors probably were the only ones who could have harnessed enough following and votes to curb the fundamentalist takeover.... Many, if not most, of the leaders hoped in vain that the controversy would remain on a national level and not invade their domain...

Since peace was felt to be essential to the proper functioning of the body politic, many state directors privately complained about the course of the denomination but did not organize to confront it.”

Now the issue is whether state conventions can be saved. And once again the state executive directors are crucial to that outcome. This reviewer believes that most state conventions could be saved today if state executive directors would stand up and be counted. If they abandon their role as leaders in the name of peace, they will allow their states to fall one by one to this same unBaptistic and unbiblical movement. Many mistakenly view their position as requiring neutrality. This is not the case. They should be fair and inclusive of all Baptists in their state, urging Baptists to cooperate around our historic practices of cooperation, but they should not be neutral. They should stand and be counted for what is Biblical and Baptist, while reaching out to include all perspectives.

By denouncing the fundamentalist takeover for what it is, unBaptist and unbiblical, state leaders would lose some fundamentalist support in their states, but better to lose some support than the entire state convention and its ministries and institutions. Strong action would also energize traditional Baptists, start a convention wide dialogue on Baptist polity, and possibly bring about healing and renewal.

Cothen’s book reminds us that things are not normal and to pretend they are is as unhealthy as a dysfunctional family that never confronts an abusive parent and never deals with the problem. Everyone ends up damaged and no one finds healing because the problem is never confronted. It’s swept under the rug.

Cothen’s book tries to bring the mess out in the open. If we struggle with the questions his book raises, we may be healed — if not to reunite — to move forward at peace with ourselves and our ministries.

August/September 1995