The Demise of Seminary Education

by   Russell Dilday                                                                                                                                    Vol. VII, No. 2, February 1994

[Dr. Russell Dilday is President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. The following is condensed from his column in the January/February 1994 issue of Southwestern News. The seminaries named are all Methodist schools. Bold print added for emphasis.]

In an article in a Methodist periodical, Thomas C. Oden, professor at Drew University Theological School, speaks broken-heartedly of the "demise of the seminary" brought on in his opinion by a surrender to modernity.

In a companion article in the same magazine, Riley Case, a Methodist pastor in Indiana, writes: "The School of Theology at Claremont: Chung Hyung-Kyung, an Asian theologian who integrates Buddhism, Shamanism, Taoism, and Confucianism into a new Asian understanding of Christianity, receives a creative ministry award. Drew University, the Theological School: Communion is offered in the name of Sophia, goddess of wisdom. [For more on this see the companion article, "Goddess Worship"' in this Banner.] Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Professor Rosemary Radford Ruether writes liturgies for women that celebrate the cycles of the moon. Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University: A seminar on witchcraft is held during Women's Week.

Welcome to United Methodist seminaries, where what has historically been called paganism is now celebrated as diversity and multi-culturalism... as Dante put it: “Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark. For the straightforward pathway had been lost."

Since 1908, Southwestern Seminary has been blessed with faculty who bring to their task first rank scholarship wedded to an unashamed commitment to the Scriptures and to our Southern Baptist theological tradition. Long before our convention political conflicts called attention to the importance of doctrinal orthodoxy, Southwestern's faculty members had positioned themselves firmly as constructive biblical conservatives. Each teacher has given an unreserved and written commitment to carry out his or her vocation "in accordance with and not contrary to" the Baptist Faith and Message. And the administration, equally committed to that tradition, has kept the institution on course across these 85 years.

[Editorial Comment: The Banner congratulates Dr. Dilday upon these pertinent remarks. Of course, the Banner's purpose is not to cast stones at the Methodists. Rather it is (1) to point out how successful neo-paganism has been in infiltrating that once-great and evangelical denomination, (2) to recall that the process had begun in SBC seminaries, and (3) to praise God for His turning the SBC back to the authority of His Word over the last 15 or so years.]