Friday, August 18, 2006

Who Is Speaking Unpopular Truth to the Fundamentalist Denomination?

Bob Bixby's post yesterday on Mark Dever's open rebuke of dangerous theology in the SBC cited a great quote from George Whitefield about speaking unpopular truth to one's own denomination about its particular areas of sin and deficiency. I just checked my own copy of Iain Murray's Evangelicalism Divided (Bob's source for the quote), and not at all to my surprise the same quote is underlined and accompanied by a brief note of personal application in the margin.

So what's the answer to the question in the title? It's certainly not a rhetorical question. I can think of several answers and specific examples off the top of my head. I've linked to and/or quoted some of them.

But I'm interested in which sermons, articles, books, or other exhortations have stood out to you. A collective effort might be helpful to many. Links would be great, but don't let any unavailability hold you back.

Thanks in advance. Perhaps after the weekend I'll share the list of what leapt into my mind.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin Bauder's "A Fundamentalism Worth Saving", "Preaching Worth Listening To", and "What Is An Independent Fundamental Baptist Doing Speaking at A Reformed Presbyterian Seminary?" immediately come to mind.

Some of Scott Aniol's entries on music and culture also come to mind, as do several of the posts at Remonstrans.

John Greening and the GARBC's Council of 18 also deserve a mention for their bold reaffirmation of separation.

Thomas Pryde said...

Here are a couple that I wrote in the early days of my blog:


The Besetting Sin of Fundamentalism

Humility Moderating Militancy

http://exfide.com/blog/?p=128

Chris Anderson said...

Mike Harding has been VERY outspoken about the weaknesses of fundamentalism, both regarding bibliology (the version issue) and soteriology.

I think the same can be said about DBTS generally and Dave Doran particularly.

Ben said...

Chris,

I know your statements to be true. Can you point to anything that's been made public--to any specific sermons or articles that might be helpful? Something in Frontline? The DBTS Journal?

g-h,

Thanks. Good suggestions.

Here are some others that came to my mind, in addition to the blogosphere. (Obviously the fundamentalist blogosphere has been full of such truth--and what has masqueraded as truth.)

"Fundamentalism and the Word of God," the video moderated by Dave Doran and produced by the Coalition for the Defense of the Scriptures in 1998. I remember appreciating the fact that so many people came together on this one, even though some of the parties could have let BJU and DBTS take their lumps from the PCC videos. For example, one could easily argue that much of MBBC's constituency would have been inclined to support PCC.

Doug McLachlan's Reclaiming Authentic Fundamentalism

Tim Jordan cuts loose a conversationally-confrontational message every year or two. I heard one from NBBC's Heart Conference in 2003, and his sermon, "A Case for Candor," from the 2006 Leadership Conference in Lansdale was stellar. It was posted on SI, but I think it was lost in the Great Crash of Aught-Six.

Seems like I had something else in mind that is lost for the time being.