The book Whosoever Will, the collection of essays from the infamous “Whosoever Will” conference, is officially on sale and the book is on back order.
Let’s be clear : It is absolutely fine with me that these men put on this conference and now are publishing their book. I’m a Southern Baptist, they are free to do what they will.
But, let’s just call a spade a spade. If Tom Ascol, James White, Al Mohler, Matt Chandler, and many other “leading SBC Calvinists” got together to do a conference to promote Calvinism within the SBC and to denounce non-calvinistic theology, they would be called every name in the book and it would be considered “divisive.”
I can hear it now- the very men who did this conference/book and its supports would be irate charging the calvinists with “dividing the SBC.” Yet, anyone who speaks against this conference/book is considered “an angry ‘dortian’ Calvinist.”
The “Whosoever Will” conference/book is considered a good thing for the SBC, but if it was the other way around it would be considered hateful and divisive. In my opinion, both would be great- they are mere expressions of our Baptist freedom. SBC Calvinists should be able to get together to promote Calvinistic theology within the SBC, just as non-calvinists have done.
Part of our Baptist identity is that we have the freedom to do these things. Sadly, we are so insecure and hateful towards one another that when a group exercises their Baptist freedom we act petty by calling each other names and pointing fingers.
All in all, I am glad the “Whosoever Will” conference and book exist… It would also be nice to see a “He Who Believes” conference and book. Oh, the day that both could exist within the SBC without hate and pettiness being involved!