The Legacy of Richard Land

[Big Daddy Weaver]

I've written a somewhat lengthy profile essay on Richard Land and his legacy that is up at Religion Dispatches.



I plan to write some more for the Baptist Studies Bulletin on Land's religious liberty legacy.

I'd like to hear what folks think is Land's legacy. Good or bad, what's been his contribution to American religion & politics and more specifically the SBC over the last 25 years?

[Dave Roberts]

Just a quick response. I think Land did a lot of good in race relations. At the same time, he seemed to confuse his religious liberty assignment with having to take positions opposite that of those organizations from which the SBC had withdrawn funding, probably for political reasons. He certainly has been responsible for pushing the SBC into the Republican Party.

[Sandy]

I think you hit on Land's legacy pretty closely. Ultimately, his political fortunes were tied to his support for the Bushes. He was probably more influential among the right wing politically active evangelicals than he was among Southern Baptists at large.

Land may have played somewhat of a role in moving the SBC toward racial reconciliation, as his close buddies will give him credit for doing. He probably spoiled his legacy in that area with his remarks about the Trayvon Martin case, but that doesn't change the work he did and the results of it up to this point. The claim that Foy Valentine and "progressives" in the SBC laid a foundation and had some influence over it comes from a perspective that is out of touch with the SBC of today, and even with where it was three decades ago. No progressive or leader from before 1979 has the kind of standing needed to influence the denomination on issues like this.

[Stephen Fox]

Weaver is much more precise coverage of Land than Amy Sullivan's piece in New Republic I linked in separate thread, before Aaron posted his thoughts.

What BDW should do, and should encourage the full force of Baylor's Baptist explorations, even in conjunction with Wake Forest, and Curtis Freeman at Duke is either themselves explore or encourage some secular journalist of the likes of Jane Mayer who did the recent piece on Fischer for New Yorker; have them explore deeper into the dark belly of Richard Land.
BDW never mentioned Karl Rove, or the strong likelihood Land worked fist in glove with Karl Rove's designs. BDW does not explore the pungent suggestion of Tom Edsall in his 83 New Politics of Inequality the oil community of Judge Pressler motivated Pressler's designs on the SBC in concert with Jesse Helms and the Bircher Albert Lee Smith.

In regard race, I fear Dave Roberts may be a little naive. Chandler Davidson should be brought back into the conversation to explore the reservations Judge Pressler and his network had with Marney in the 50's when Marney was at Austin; and how Inerrancy was a cover for race politics that quickly morphed into culture war stoked matters in which Land and Rove are joined at the hip to make returns for the oil benefactors that now fund Rove's American Crossroads social welfare group who 22 plus major donors are suspected to be of the far right oil community in and around Houston.

While BDW is to be commended, there is much yet to be examined in the fundamentalist Baptist cabal that goes to the heart of the cancer now eating away at America's Center.

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

Everything is not about growth. I am looking forward to some exhaustive exploration of the intersection of Richard Land and Karl Rove in Judge Pressler and Jesse Helms grand design.

[Tom Parker]

Why was Richard Land not fired for plagiarism? How does this fit in with ethics? It must have something to do with his major part in the "TAKEOVER"

[Sandy]

[Tom Parker]

[Sandy]

[Tom Parker]

Sandy:

Maybe. But when you get 15 months of pay before you retire, it will not appear to many that he was forced to retire.

Remember he is retiring on the 25th anniversary of becoming a big player in the TAKEOVER and ruination of a great denomination--the SBC. [/quote]

The pattern for golden parachutes, given by insider trustee boards to "retiring" denominational executives was a common practice in the SBC prior to 1979, when a very tightly nit mutual admiration society ran the show. In that regard, not a lot has changed, except the names and faces.[/quote]

Sandy, not trying to be difficult, but can you prove the pre--1979 golden parachutes?

[Sandy]

There were several. Grady Cothen announced his retirement from the BSSB well in advance of its effective date, and while moderates still held control of the trustee board. I don't think the details of that package were ever disclosed, but there was somewhat of an issue over the fact that he hadn't really been there long enough for full retirement. Tanner's retirement from the Home Mission Board/NAMB was done in a similar fashion, as was Harold Bennett's. Granted, these were done by trustee boards prior to their switching over from moderate to conservative control, and that may have been a factor, but what Land is doing isn't just common to insiders in the conservative resurgence.

When I was growing up, in a small town in Arizona, attending a small SBC church of about 50 people, we had several pastors who weren't exactly on board with money being spent on executive leadership in the SBC. It was hard for people in a small congregation a thousand miles or more from Nashville to understand why we were sacrificing to give money to the CP when the denomination paid executives who could afford to live in Brentwood.

[Jerry_B]

How he will be remembered by me is probably way different then how in general he will be remembered.

For me he is a blowhard who talked a lot about ethics, but didn't actually do anything of any significance.

In general I think he will be remembered for his involvement in politics. Didn't really do much for to add to SBC life.

As someone appointed to speak to ethics and religious liberty, he was entirely too well liked. He had a position to challenge the SBC, a voice in the wilderness, but instead he decided it would be better to tell you who Jesus wanted you to vote for.

[scottaerwin]

I think he will be remembered for his beautiful hair plugs.

just thoughts,
Scott

[Stephen Fox]

Where You been? How is Knoxville; Did you see Beasts of the Southern Wild. Talked to Todd Heifner today. All the one liners aside, Land was bad for Christendom these last 30 years. Chapter in a major book yet to be written about his collaboration with Rove and Helms and Pressler to downgrade the United States of American let alone the Baptist witness.

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archi ... must_make/