Rob Nash Lays it Down on Shorter

[Stephen Fox]

To help refine some of the conversation in regard Shorter College two recent opeds have crossed my Path.
First is Rob Nash in Sunday Rome News Tribune, a featured Opinion piece

http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_ ... d=16290065

And John Pierce had a piece at his blog with 16 comments and counting.

http://www.baptiststoday.org/johndpierc ... rised.html
Baptists Today editor Pierce is active in the comment conversation on this blog post

I noticed in the other Shorter discussion at this site a link from Rome Tribune comparing the routes of Mercer and Shorter. I think that is one of the more noteworthy columns as well.

And finally I have every intention of submitting a letter to Rome News Tribune focussing on Nelson Price and his world as framed by noted SBC Historian Wayne Flynt

[Stephen Fox]

And be sure to google the Betty Zane Morris piece or click on the link at end of the Nash piece; former Shorter Proff in Communications who inaugurated their London Study Program. Column key word: "Heartbroken."

[Ed Pettibone]

[Stephen Fox]

You click on the top link in the first post in this thread; takes you straightaway to his oped in Sunday's Rome, Ga News Tribune

[Stephen Fox]

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

My letter to the Rome News answers the question about Shorter's future hiring and the oxygen current proffs will be allowed to breathe at Shorter.
I wish Sandy coulda been with me that day in March 93 for the Inquisition of Tom Corts. Then again Sandy has to know how Ed Young's hatchet man Jim DeLoach handled Randall Lolley at SEBTS in 87 so it may be unlikely my sentiment has any effect on Sandy, though I am glad he agrees with one of Nash's points.
Here is a testimony from former communications proff at Shorter about how she sees the matter; first hand observation from her which carries lot of water for me about the lens through which to understand Shorter's dilemma

Betty Zane Morris "heartbroken" if EdP Needs to Google

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_s ... at-Shorter?

[Stephen Fox]

http://sbcplodder.blogspot.com/2011/11/ ... orgia.html

[William Thornton]

Nash is a former Shorter employee who is, well, disenchanted with the school's present trajectory. One supposes that he was fully in favor of earlier trustees creating a legal entity to which to transfer all the school's assets thus removing the school from its owners.

Didn't work.

He and other likeminded folks are certainly free to create their own school, accumulate their own assets, and gather students and faculty after their own kind. I wish them well. Shorter wasn't their school.

[Stephen Fox]

Former pastor at FBC Rome, and administrator at Shorter would beg to differ with you, William, I imagine.
Lanier, now deceased, fathered former D.A. for Floyd County, Steve or David Lanier; I think it was Steve.
The Baptists that founded and funded the school, I am convinced were of a different stripe and mindset than the Birch Society inflected Nelson Price, who has now established himself as lifelong special counselor to the President.
For the Novel about Shorter, be sure to investigate the relationship of Shorter Trustee Joy Battles; her sister and Lewis Grizzard. Grizzard was great fan of the daughters Mother, an Auburn fan; and whatever displeasure I may have in this turn of events, I think that courtship of some serendipity.
That said, with me hope you will join in the audience when Carolyn Briggs of Higher Ground discusses her film and the White Ribbon with Steve Oney and Nelson Price.

[Sandy]

I went to a state convention related Baptist college, and had three Bible professors who were the epitome of Southern Baptist doctrinal and theological perspective in the late 1970's. D.C. Martin and J. Niles Puckett were both products of Mississippi College. J. P. Dane was a product of Oklahoma Baptist University and pastored at one of Oklahoma City's principle SBC congregations for several years before becoming a Bible professor. All three men acknowledged the Bible as free of error and completely authoritative and infallible, and taught that to their students. There was plenty of discussion in their classes regarding differing perspectives and interpretations, how certain principles and precepts applied as related to the context of the time in which they were written as opposed to the current culture. It was from them that I came to understand the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary interpretations of the Bible's principles and precepts, and how to discern that from the context. There would never have been any discussion about whether or not Paul had certain prejudices that invalidated his apostolic authority, or his ability to write inspired scripture, or speculation about whether or not his cultural biases and opinions interfered with his ability to discern the Holy Spirits' movement as he wrote authoritatively. We used H. I. Hester's textbooks, the blue Heart of Hebrew History for Old Testament, the maroon "Heart of the New Testament" for New Testament. Hester believed the Bible from Genesis to maps, and I believe he held a belief in the verbal, plenary inspiration of scripture.

If I read Nash correctly, it sounds like he's grieving over a past where students in Baptist colleges and universities determined their own theological perspective first, based on empty, hollow intellect, and then either stretched the text to fit the presupposition, passed it over when they couldn't do anything specific with it, or subjected it to higher criticism in order to invalidate its impact. If that's the case, then I would suggest Nash, and others who are grieving over the same thing, join up with the Jesus Seminar, the Episcopalians or the Unitarians, John Shelby Spong, and Phillip Gulley, they could have some good dialogue, sing Kum Ba Yah, celebrate their diversity and write a couple of books about it. I don't think they're going to get back through the doors of many Southern Baptist colleges and unversities any time soon.

[Stephen Fox]

Sandy:

I hate you see you so out to lunch on your analysis of Nash. Your testimony of your college experience was interesting, but doesn't do justice to the rich tradition of Baptist thought of the era.
Jackson Flanders, Bob Crapps and David Smith, the authors of People of the Covenant that so enraged Pressler are great men and your Unitarian, whatever false option is ridiculous.
I don't know. You've been a part of this board too long to post such a half concocted opinion.
Maybe if you never read it the first time, you should google the Underwood story in Mother Jones of 2004 when Baylor was in disarray.
Or come to Rome Georgia for hands on educational program I suggest for recovering Fundies, or those who want to better themselves in the Adopt a Trustee program I proffer in my letter to the local paper.
Maybe Thornton will come over from Statham and get some too, enlightenment.

[Stephen Fox]

of a Baptist world Nelson Price has declared off bounds for Shorter Students, a world Rob Nash embraces:

http://www.ethicsdaily.com/historic-bap ... -cms-18797

[Stephen Fox]

http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_s ... f-trustees

The above letter is rather long, from a Former Shorter Student now in Orlando Florida. For me at least it lays waste the rationale of my friends Thornton and Sandy on this board.

I can't wait, and Hope while I wait, for them to publish my letter for Broader context of this disaster for the region.

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/1635264 ... =news_page

i THINK mS. Bellew is making a reference to Nelson Price

[Stephen Fox]

[Stephen Fox]

[Stephen Fox]