Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 14:2 (Fall 2023)
Article: Introduction: Baptist Dogmatics
Author: Steven A. McKinion

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Introduction: Baptist Dogmatics

Steven A. McKinion

Christine E. Thornton

&

Keith S. Whitfield

Guest Editors

The current issue of the Southeastern Theological Review (STR) gestures toward a fresh perspective on Baptist theology. Rather than focusing on the distinctive doctrines that set Baptists apart from other Christian traditions, this issue calls Baptist to engage in “dogmatics” as a distinct mode of theologizing and identifies some core Baptist principles for doing theology, aiming to understand and explain the inner logic of being a Baptist. The journey to this new trajectory began in the Summer of 2021 when a group of Baptist theologians convened at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to discuss the possibility of this new approach in Baptist theology. Since then, this group has continued to meet annually, and this issue of STR is one of the first fruits of their ongoing dialogue.

The first article, titled “Toward a Baptist Dogmatics,” is written by the guest editors of this issue and proposes specific markers for a distinctively Baptist approach to confessing and practicing the Christian faith. The term “dogmatics” refers to a particular way of theologizing that explores the theological connections of a tradition. The Baptist dogmatics project delves deeper into facets of Baptist theology that may have been overlooked, going beyond just ecclesiology, which has been (for good reasons) a significant aspect of Baptist identity and theology.

The issue also includes an interview with Timothy George, Emeritus Dean of Beeson Divinity School, who is a prominent theologian and historian among Baptists. The interview offers insights from his vast experience and ecumenical perspectives. Dr. George graciously read an early version of the “Baptist Dogmatic Manifesto,” which will be published in a forthcoming volume, and shared some meaningful reflections that are included in the interview.

Chris Hanna, Professor of Theological Studies at Highlands College, takes up the discussion from where the interview and the lead article left off. Based on his doctoral dissertation research and book Retrieval for the Sake of Renewal, he examines Timothy George’s “Baptist way” of doing theological retrieval within the Great Tradition. This piece builds on the four engagements and historic signposts for a Baptist dogmatics introduced

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by the issue editors in the first article.

The other articles in the journal contribute to the discussion in their own distinct ways. They explore topics such as theological ...