Fox's Narrative in The Exiled Generation
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:53 pm
My copy of The Exiled Generations: Legacies of the Southern Baptist Convention Holy War arrived about two weeks ago, but with the weather being as it is, and the school schedule changing daily, I didn't get into it immediately. Stephen's entry was the first one I read.
It's largely an account of his ouster from the Collinsville Baptist Church, with commentary on the denominational-political perspective that he insists got him ousted. It includes his version of the conflict with his pastor, the involvement of the church's deacons, and a mention of his involvement here at Bl.com which was being read by some of the church members, including, according to him, the pastor's wife. It sets up his position, on the "moderate" side of the conflict, with his normal name dropping and connections to leaders on that side of the SBC, along with touting his educational background against a characterization of the church and its leadership as "small town Alabama" in contrast.
What I get from the narrative is that Stephen believed that if he could only use his Furman education and his own experience as a background, he could "educate" the membership of the Collinsville church to the point where they would accept his premises, and add their support to the voices of those who were trying to prevent a fundamentalist takeover of the SBC. That same theme is echoed by several of the other excerpts I've read up to this point as well, that moderates were educated scholars, and as such, were entitled to convention leadership, while the uneducated fundies were not. Marshall Frady, Will Campbell, Will Willimon, Deitrich Boenhoffer, Carlyle Marney and Molly Marshall are among the name drops. There are hints that at least some of the difficulty involved conservative vs. liberal politics.
As I read through the book, realizing that it is written by the "second generation" children of individuals who once held power and influence, along with some of the better, high dollar denominational jobs, I get a clear sense of entitlement from them. Some are upset that when their parent lost their prominent, powerful position, they lost a chance at getting a job themselves without having to rely on their own credentials or compete with other people whose parents were not as influential, or as well placed. Stephen, at least, doesn't resort to the level of whining that some of the narrative authors do. Others show a level of contempt in criticizing the education and intelligence of those who moved the SBC in a more conservative direction, as well as for the members of the churches that accepted the need for change, and helped bring it about.
It's largely an account of his ouster from the Collinsville Baptist Church, with commentary on the denominational-political perspective that he insists got him ousted. It includes his version of the conflict with his pastor, the involvement of the church's deacons, and a mention of his involvement here at Bl.com which was being read by some of the church members, including, according to him, the pastor's wife. It sets up his position, on the "moderate" side of the conflict, with his normal name dropping and connections to leaders on that side of the SBC, along with touting his educational background against a characterization of the church and its leadership as "small town Alabama" in contrast.
What I get from the narrative is that Stephen believed that if he could only use his Furman education and his own experience as a background, he could "educate" the membership of the Collinsville church to the point where they would accept his premises, and add their support to the voices of those who were trying to prevent a fundamentalist takeover of the SBC. That same theme is echoed by several of the other excerpts I've read up to this point as well, that moderates were educated scholars, and as such, were entitled to convention leadership, while the uneducated fundies were not. Marshall Frady, Will Campbell, Will Willimon, Deitrich Boenhoffer, Carlyle Marney and Molly Marshall are among the name drops. There are hints that at least some of the difficulty involved conservative vs. liberal politics.
As I read through the book, realizing that it is written by the "second generation" children of individuals who once held power and influence, along with some of the better, high dollar denominational jobs, I get a clear sense of entitlement from them. Some are upset that when their parent lost their prominent, powerful position, they lost a chance at getting a job themselves without having to rely on their own credentials or compete with other people whose parents were not as influential, or as well placed. Stephen, at least, doesn't resort to the level of whining that some of the narrative authors do. Others show a level of contempt in criticizing the education and intelligence of those who moved the SBC in a more conservative direction, as well as for the members of the churches that accepted the need for change, and helped bring it about.