Marshall Resigns at Southern

by Art Toalston                                                                                         Vol. VII, No. 8, October 1994

Professor Molly Marshall resigned 19 August from the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. A statement released by the Seminary said President Al Mohler undertook "a thorough review of Dr. Molly T. Marshall's published works and transcriptions of oral presentations during the past three years" and "determined that Professor Marshall's stated views are significantly outside the parameters of the Abstract of Principles in several areas." The Abstract is the seminary's doctrinal statement adopted at its founding in 1859.

With her resignation, Mohler was quoted as saying, "It is not proper to elaborate or detail the charges informally through the media." However, the seminary statement noted, "It was made clear to Dr. Marshall and her legal counsel that she had the option of proceeding with formal charges, which would have provided a series of hearings and an opportunity to defend her position; the alternative to such a process was her resignation. Dr. Marshall chose the latter option ..."

Formal charges, the statement said, would have been investigated by a committee of faculty members and trustees, and the recommendation of that committee would have been presented to the Board of Trustees for official action.

Marshall was "thoroughly apprised of the nature of concerns held by the administration," Mohler is quoted as saying. "Absolute specificity and documentation would have come with the issuing of such charges ... Had Dr. Marshall chosen to proceed with the disciplinary process, all these materials would have been thoroughly considered, and she would have had a fair and direct forum for the defense of her views."

Marshall released the text of a four-page letter she wrote to Mohler on 16 August defending her teaching as within the parameters of the Abstract.

According to June memoranda between Marshall and David Dockery, seminary vice president for academic affairs, Marshall's secretary released to media 24 August, Marshall will continue to supervise her doctoral students, will retain use of her office and secretary, and will receive her salary and benefits through July 1996.

"Professor Marshall is a marvelously gifted person and throughout this process there has never been any question of her giftedness or of her ability to relate to colleagues and students," Mohler said. "But the bottom line is this: For a Southern Baptist theological institution that is not enough. We voluntarily teach and serve here on the basis of the Abstract of Principles and other formal commitments. It is not enough that we believe ourselves to be within these commitments if it is the judgment of the president and the board of trustees that one is in violation." [BP]

[Editorial Comment: Surely this experience is distressing for Molly Marshall, and we can all sympathize with her pain. On the other hand, she has long had the reputation of being well outside the mainstream of Southern Baptist belief. In her departure she joins Glenn Hinson and Paul Simmons who left Southern previously. This trio was probably the most visible liberal contingent at Southern. We can anticipate that there will be other faculty and administrators who will choose to leave rather than remain under policies instituted by the conservative trustees and President Al Mohler, but no future departures are likely to be as highly visible as these three. We may be thankful that the seminary is proceeding to turn back to the full authority of God's Word.]