Is Jesus God?

                                                                                                                        Vol. X, No. 9, Nov/Dec 1997

Probably the most heretical book written recently by a (nominally) Southern Baptist is When We Talk about God ... Let’s Be Honest, by R. Kirby Godsey and published by Smyth & Helwys, Macon, Georgia, 1996. (Smyth & Helwys is the publishing house associated with and partially supported by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.) Godsey holds degrees from several schools including New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Averette College, Danville, Virginia.

Kirby Godsey served on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Coordinating Council from 1991 to 1993 and is president of Mercer University, the second largest Southern Baptist state university. In his recent book, When We Talk About God.. Let's Be Honest, Godsey argues that: "The heart of our confession is that Jesus Christ is Lord." (p. 125) However, he also argues that "Jesus is not God" (p. 128); "Jesus did not have to die" (p. 142); discounts the virgin birth as "unimportant" (p.120); and rejects repentance and "accepting Jesus" as "the basis of salvation" (p. 145). Claiming that: "Doctrinal soundness is arrogant theological nonsense," (p. 17) Godsey states: "The simple identification of the Word of God with the Bible is a grave mistake." (p.50) Godsey redefines salvation as "healing for our hurt," (p.151) and states: "universal redemption...finds strong support in Holy Scripture." (p.202) Under the leadership of Kirby Godsey, Mercer was named "the country's ninth best party school" by Playboy magazine. (Newsweek, Oct. 26, 1987, p.79) The CBF is currently housed in the new Mercer School of Theology building in Atlanta, Georgia.

See the related article in the Theology file, “What Is Heresy, Anyway?” Nov/Dec 1997.