Ed Stetzer released a post today called “Top Religion Stories of 2011 according to Huffpo.” According to the Huffington Post, the top 11 stories of the year in the world of religion are:
- The Muslim Spring
- The Dalai Lama Steps Down
- Mormons in Politics
- The Muslims Are Coming, The Muslims Are Coming
- The End of the World
- Presbyterians Acknowledge Gays and Lesbians Can Be Ministers
- The Struggle for the Soul of Yoga
- A Jewish American-Israeli Rift?
- Occupy Faith
- The New Mass
- Interfaith Secularists
While there are still two and a half weeks left in the year, and there is a possibility for some big breaking story to come to the forefront during the Yuletide season, I spent some time today going back through the year at SBC Voices to try to figure out what our big stories were for 2011.
A Problem
The first issue I faced was how to rank the issues. Did we look at the posts that received the most comments? Do we look at the issues that came up over and over again?
Most Active Posts
You can get some idea what topics were hottest this year looking at the most commented posts. There were 18 posts that received over 200 comments. Here is a list of those.
1. Genesis 3: Temptation, the Fall, and Gender Roles (Dave Miller) 574 Comments
2. Immigration and the Gospel – the SBC’s Real Controversy (Dave Miller) 360 comments
3. Al Mohler’s Response to Peter Lumpkins: The Complete Video (Dave Miller) 359 comments
4. Why I’m wary of Calvinists (by William Thornton) 303 comments
5. Theistic Evolution–Legitimate Belief System or Cheating? (Actually, It Is Worse Than That) (Anthony Russo) 286 comments
6. What Produces Faith? (Mike Bergman) 286 comments
7. Why Is That Christian Dressed Up Like a Psychic? (Jared Moore) 273 comments
8. The Appeal of Calvinism to Young Pastors (Brandon Smith) 272 comments
9. What I like about Calvinists (William Thornton) 271 comments
10. You Can’t Make This Stuff Up (William Thornton) 263 comments
11. Alcohol, SBC Senior Pastors & Laity: Surprisingly Different (Jared Moore) 258 Comments
12. It’s Time to Retire the KJV (Dave Miller) 237 Comments
NOTE: While this only got 237 comments, I would recommend that if you do not want to become “public enemy #1” on certain fundamentalist blogs and forums, do not call for the retirement of the KJV. Those folks are SERIOUS!
13. Young, Southern Baptist, and Self-Important? (Alan Pearce) 217 comments
14. Mark Driscoll “Sees Things” – I See the Rise of SES* in the SBC (Supernaturalism Embarrassment Syndrome) (Dave Miller) 217 Comments
Had to add this one after the fact. Mark Driscoll is always good for a lively discussion these days!
15. Are Churches with Female Pastors Southern Baptist? (Dave Miller) 206 comments
16. Calvinist Identity Issues: What Is a Calvinist? (Dave Miller) 204 comments
17. Latest Research Backs up Bible about Booze (David Worley) 203 comments
18. The ??? Baptist Convention: Considering Bryant Wright’s Task Force Recommendation (Dave Miller) 201 comments
19. Should Christians Express Their Political Views? (Anthony Russo) 200 comments
Special note: I want to make it clear that I do not equate quality of article or importance of article with number of hits or number of comments. In fact, I think the really important articles we post that deal with spiritual issues get very few (disappointingly few) hits. This is a measurement of interest and emotion – the things that get people commenting and arguing.
The Issues that Define SBC Voices Blogging
There are several issues that get the blood boiling here at SBC Voices. They are not in any particular order.
1) Calvinism: The undisputed reigning champion of Baptist Blogging is Calvinism. Case closed. As I looked back through the year’s posts, it was the most common topic (we had plenty of articles on all sides) and the one that drew the most consistent attention.
2) Alcohol Consumption: We did not have as many posts on alcohol as we did on Calvinism, but the passions were pretty high and the discussion of alcohol often “spilled” (pun intended) over onto other posts often leaving them staggering (pun intended again).
3) Gender Issues: this is an issue that won’t go away. One association disfellowshipped a church for having a woman pastor. The top post in terms of comments was an examination of this issue. My opinion is that those who hold to the biblical view of gender issues are going to be more and more of a minority even in the Christian world and subject to greater and greater attacks – from within the church.
4) Homosexuality: Another issue that isn’t going away. Most of what I said about gender issues is also true here. Look at the firestorm created by Mohler’s biblical and reasoned expression of a Christian approach to homosexuals that goes beyond ostracism.
5) Politics and Patriotism in the church: Another hot-button issue. Should churches participate in politics? Should we honor America in our worship services Memorial Day weekend or July 4th?
6) Traditionalism vs “cultural relevance”: Does the future of the SBC depend on us holding to those traditions that made us great or must we change and remake ourselves to “speak the language” of this new culture. Brad Whitt’s article really pushed this to the forefront, but I think it is one of the fundamental issues that drives SBC life. The GCR. The name-change. These are issues that root in the traditionalist vs contemporary divide. And if anyone mentions “Mark Driscoll” – watch the comment stream light up!
7) Human Origins: Did God make the world? Did he do so in 7 days relatively recently or over billions of years? Young Earth Creationism vs. Old Earth Creationism vs Theistic Evolution. How does the Bible and science relate? This is a fundamentally important argument. One can argue that many of our debates are “tempests in a tea pot” but not so with the issue of creation.
8.) Racial Reconciliation and the SBC: Dwight Mckissic’s motion at the 201o Annual Meeting, the EC response to that and the subsequent EC statement at the 2011 SBC was a hot topic leading up to the Annual Meeting this year. I think real progress is being made, but time will tell. If Fred Luters is elected as SBC president this year, a giant leap forward will be made.
9) Dealing with Illegal Immigration: The most contentious moments of the SBC probably revolved around the discussion of the resolution on illegal immigration. A sharp divide was evident between those who wanted to uphold law and order and those who focused on what they called “a gospel-driven approach.” Both sides made a reasonable point and the issue isn’t going away any time soon.
10) The SBC and its future: We all (well, most of us) want to see it succeed. We often have very different ideas about how that will happen. Obviously, this subject has a lot of crossover with Calvinist issue, traditionalist issues and others.
Events that Motivated SBC Blogging in 2011
Here are some specific events that took place this year that defined the SBC and Baptist blogging (at least at SBC Voices). Again, I’m not taking the time to rank these.
1) SBC Name-change Task Force
If I were ranking these, this one would be a clear #1. Bryant Wright appointing a task force to study changing the name of the SBC was an earth-shattering event, both in terms of process and purpose. Many criticized the process itself, one blogger going so far as to call it “tyranny.” We’ve had several posts on the advisability of the name-change. When the task force brings its report in February, this will jump to the forefront again.
2) Brad Whitt’s Post “Young, Southern Baptist…and Irrelevant?“
This was a well-written anthem for the SBC traditionalist movement. And there can be little doubt that it set off a huge debate in the SBC. While I’m not in sync with everything he said, I think he said it well.
3) Rob Bell and Hell
This was a huge issue in Baptist blogging as a whole, but surprisingly it was not a huge issue here at SBC Voices. It is still an important discussion.
4) Association Excludes Calvinist Church from Fellowship
At its annual meeting, October 17-18, the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky voted 104-9 to deny fellowship to the Pleasant Valley Community Church based on the perception that it would not fellowship well with the association – primarily, according to reports, because of the Calvinism of the church. You can imagine how this stoked the fires of debate!
5) Association Disfellowships Church with Female Pastor
On July 26, just two weeks after the Flat Rock Baptist Chruch of Mount Airy hired a female pastor, Bailey Nelson, the Surry Baptist Association in North Carolina expelled the church from its membership.
6) SBC Executive Committee Race Study
The SBC’s EC presented a very encouraging set of ten recommendations on how to foster greater ethnic diversity. It received overwhelming support. If they will follow these recommendations, things will improve in the SBC in this regard.
7) SBC Immigration Issue.
The most hotly debated issue at the SBC Annual Meeting was the immigration motion. I’ve already mentioned this above.
Here’s the resolution.
Here’s the video of the entire discussion.
8.) Tom Elliff elected IMB President
This was a shocker to many of us. After Jerry Rankin retired, there was an extended search, the search committee finally recommended long time SBC pastor, missionary and IMB employee Tom Elliff, who was not on the radar in most discussions of the subject.
As surprising as the choice was, it also seems to be shaping up as a very good one!
9) The Pastor’s Conference, TD Jakes, and Modalism.
When Jamar Jones, from TD Jakes’ church was invited to help with worship at the Pastor’s Conference in Phoenix, another firestorm ensued. Is TD Jakes a modalist? (Unclear. He says he is not and others support him, but he uses language commonly regarded as modalist in his doctrinal statement.) Does that mean that Jamar Jones should not play the piano at the pastor’s conference? It was a big issue for a short time. Vance Pitman ended up leading a fantastic Pastor’s Conference but Jamar Jones backed out of it, not wanting to cause controversy.
10) Dr. Jerry Nash, “Hold the Hearse, I Have an Idea!“
Dr. Nash, the Director of Missions at the ironically-named “Harmony Baptist Association” in Northern Florida created a brouhaha when he invited those who did not share his traditionalist perspective (ie Calvinists) to leave the convention.
10a) The Emergence of SBC Today under Dr. Steve Lemke
Dr. Steve Lemke who is now the force behind the blog “SBC Today” has turned that blog into one of the SBC’s best. Many of the prominent blogs in the SBC have been on the Calvinist and more contemporary side of things. SBC Today was inactive for some time and then returned under Dr. Lemke’s direction to become an articulate voice for the more traditional and generally non-Calvinist side of SBC debates. It is a must-read blog regardless of your perspective.
I debated on whether to include the Nash article as #10, but based on the response here, it had to be included. I did not want to leave anyone to think that that kind of venomous article was normal at SBC Today.
Dr. Lemke’s four part series on “The Shot Heard Round the SBC” was one of the best templates for a positive SBC future you are going to see. The first article is here. The rest are linked on that site.
Even though I often disagree with SBC Today, it is a model for what reasoned debate should look like among Southern Baptists.
So, now its your turn. What were the issues and events that stuck in your mind for 2011?
Did I miss anything? (Of course I did). What do you think were the two or three most important issues? Most important events?
My opinion is that those who hold to the biblical view of gender issues are going to be more and more of a minority even in the Christian world and subject to greater and greater attacks – from within the church..
I would disagree that your view is Biblical, which is the reason for the debate, rightfully so, and the so called attacks as you put it. I hope it is discussed. You call it attacks. Good grief Dave. It should be discussed Biblically, which it’s been more a verse here and there than it is Biblical.
As for SBC Today “being the greatest blog around” I’ll bite my tongue on that as well except to say I disagree. I believe it to be divisive.
Debbie, I’m afraid your hermeneutics on the gender issue are as accurate as your interpretation of my statements about SBC Today.
Sorry, had to go there. Merry Christmas anyway!
Dave: I trust the Holy Spirit will lead to the Truth of the scripture no matter what the truth is so I’ve never been worried.
But Dave, when The Debbie hath spoken, the discussion is over. What comes out of her mouth becomes truth when it leaves her lips. You should know that by now. Get with the program dude.
Man they really need to invent a sarcasm font.
Nice list. Happy to have contributed three of the top ten (and I’m still wary of some calvinists).
I’ll be looking for a check in the mail.
I appreciate SBCV. I don’t put SBC Today in my top tier of blogs, sorry, although I like some of their stuff.
The check is in the mail, William.
Debbie,
Dave didn’t say that SBC Today was the “greatest blog around”, he said it was “one of the SBC’s best”.
As far as calling SBC Today divisive, I’d say a lot of blogs are divisive because these are hot button issues. SBC voices is divisive, due to no fault of Dave’s, it’s just the subjects we discuss are pretty intense. Wade’s blog, your blog, watchdog are all divisive as well. No one visits my blog but if they did I’m sure it would be divisive.
I think some define “divisive” as “disagreeing with me and preconceived ideas” and unity as “agreeing with me.” I often disagree with SBC Today’s posts, but since that post I mentioned above, they have been well-written, well-argued, and reasoned.
the word ‘divisive’ is now being used everywhere to prevent people from bringing up controversial topics that need to be explored in hopes of resolving problems . . .
the person who raises the issue is pounced upon and labeled ‘divisive’, so that any hopes of a productive discussion is squelched
this new use of the word ‘divisive’ is a manipulative technique that ‘controls’ what is supposed to be ‘safe’ to talk about rather than discussions where fixed ideas may find some challenging when explored . . .
Well, let’s put it this way Christiane, I can’t wait to see who they target next year after the Convention and the year after that and the year after that……
Debbie,
the important thing is that there are people who try to talk to one another, and there are people who will listen;
and there are those with the patience to seek to understand, even a little bit better than they did before,
what it is that is important to someone else.
As long as that is allowed to continue, progress will be made, by all concerned, for all concerned.
cheer up, DEBBIE, it will likely all get worse before it gets better, but it will get better
don’t give up hope 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBg_gNxiFWc&feature=related
Your comments here are incredibly unfair. Have you read the site since Dr. Lemke took it over? They’ve pretty much stayed away from attacks. Try to find the last article that was targeted at any person. They write advocacy article.
Who’s really the negative one in these blogs? Who’s being negative now?
David
Yes, I read the site quite frequently. I also read the comments which at times is quite different than the author’s posts. The comment section is sometimes where the author is most honest.
Bob Hadley who has contributed to SBCToday says this on another blog:
If Southern Baptists in the pew do not rise up and do something soon about the influence of Calvinism in this convention, we WILL be in serious trouble and I am not so sure “WILL” is the proper word to be using.
It is as if Calvinism is being flaunted in our faces by promoting these guys and some are basically saying… there is nothing you can do about it and it is looking as if they may be right.
Grateful to be in His Grip!
I am negative and I wish I weren’t being negative, but reality dictates the negativity.
It is incredibly unfair to hold SBC Today responsible for one commenter. Bob Hadley comments here as well – clearly he is somewhat rabidly anti-Calvinist. But that doesn’t mean his viewpoint should be censored.
I have to agree. I don’t recall them attacking anyone.
I think SBC Today clearly sees themselves as a corrective to the pro-Calvinist wing of the SBC blogosphere. I’ve been trying to get someone over there to tell me if that is one of their objectives, but to no avail. I think the articles in general are quite good. I’m not sure I agree about “reasoned debate” when it comes to the comments section.
As for Voices, I think you’ve hit all the ones I would have listed. I will say this, by and large people do not know how to dialog in the comments (or perhaps are simply unwilling). Perhaps we can do better in 2012.
I don’t read the comments much at SBC Today – mostly the articles. I don’t speak for Dr. Lemke, but I think that he (and most of the writers) come from the non-Calvinist side of things, but I’m not sure that they would say that their purpose is to fight Calvinism.
Dave: You could be right. I can’t help noticing that a lot of posts featuring “theological terminology” are essentially refutations of Calvinism, and that a very high number of “top blog posts of the week” feature refutations of Calvinism.
Which is fine by me. I was just looking for information from them.
Yeah, I think the point is that there should be blogs advocating all sides. If you look at the top few SBC blogs at Technorati, they are overwhelmingly Calvinist-leaning. Having a blog that advocates a different viewpoint in a biblically-reasoned way is a good thing.
I think the best post is yet to come. it will be so powerful in content and scope that it will span two years.
It will be posted 01-09-12. The post will begin thusly:
“Well Sports Fans, they did it again. That makes 14 times for the….”
That will be in 2012 and I think we can all hope it won’t become reality.
I think that there were many stories in the news this year about faith, (or sometimes the lack of it) . . .
the one that affected me the most occurred in February, when I saw an interview on Fox News to do with Muslims. . . it was about this:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/18/churches-open-doors-muslim-worship/
this story helped me to understand the thinking of many Southern Baptist people, and it helped me to comprehend the meaning of ‘exclusive’ in a way that I had not understood before.
I’m not sure why it didn’t make the Huf Po ‘list’ of important stories, or even if was at all considered. I think the story’s importance is in what has to say about American Christianity, and how some Christians see things so differently from others, in a way that affects how they relate to people of another faith and ethnicity.
To me, it seemed like a story that was just beginning, and that there was more to come.
Actually, all Christians recognize that muslims worship a false god who is not God, the Father of Jesus Christ. Therefore, when a church offers to allow muslims to use their facilities to worship the false god, Allah, they prove that they are not a Christian church. Of course, one of those churches was Methodist, so that kinda goes without saying.
I am afraid that Christiane is right here, Joe. Horrifyingly so. I am afraid that interfaith cooperation is going to rise. (Of course, if you have a biblical eschatology – ie. premil pretrib – the whole ecumenical movement is a fulfillment of prophecy).
But fundamentally, more and more people will be willing to sacrifice biblical truth for interfaith cooperation.
Ecumenism is part and parcel of our future. Unfortunately.
Dave: Do you think the reaction would be different if they had let Jews use their facilities?
Oh, I know she’s right and you’re right–that ecumenism (if I even spelled that right) is on the rise exponentially. I know that sort of thing is coming. I’m not disputing that. I was just taking the opportunity to mock her beliefs that muslims and Christians worship the sam God and that muslims will be accepted by God on account of their nicey-ness and their sincerity of faith in islam. Just getting a little dig in on her and her beliefs is all.
In every (each and every one without exception) nation whose government is under Islamic control, Christians are persecuted. If this nation came under Islamic control the churches who opened their doors to Islamic worshippers would be closed down, each and every one. To think otherwise is to have your head in the sand.
Fortunately I am not premil so call me having my head in the sand, or getting tired of people thinking we are in control and not God. I’ve heard these predictions since I was a kid. I grow weary of end time predictions and predictions of things happening that usually do not happen.
I do know that all of our infighting is causing our vision to be directed more at each other and defending our turf than it is watching for other religiions taking over if that is indeed true.
The good news is that one day, we’ll all be premill – at the Rapture! It will be such a blessing.
This gives great incite into the year ahead. Thanks for posting this!
“. . . [T]he discussion of alcohol often “spilled” (pun intended) over onto other posts often leaving them staggering (pun intended again).”
No matter what people are arguing about, I’ll always come back for the puns. http://i.imgur.com/RIoa7.jpg
Note: This post was revised when the recent post on Driscoll/Supernaturalism went over 200 comments (though an inordinate amount of those comments had to do with football).
And again, the post is revised to reflect the latest Calvinism discussion that went over 200 comments. That means that over 1/3 of our posts that went over 200 comments were Calvinism related. Surprised, anyone?