FUNDAMENTALISM VS. EDUCATION

Some Baptist colleges and universities are seeking independence from the Southern Baptist Convention. As the national Convention (and its state affiliates) has moved increasingly to the right it has exerted more and more control over curricula and faculty.

During The Sage's tenure at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, we saw so many fine educators, including president Russell Dilday, pushed out of their positions because the right-wingers insisted that they toe a dogmatic, fundamentalist line that made no provisions for academic freedom or intellectual curiosity.

David W. Key, director of Baptist Studies at the Candler School of Theology at Emory, put it more starkly. "The real underlying issue is that fundamentalism in the Southern Baptist form is incompatible with higher education," Professor Key said. "In fundamentalism, you have all the truths. In education, you're searching for truths."

Hat tip to Dr. Bruce.

Tags: Southern Baptists, academic freedom, fundamentalism