Southern Baptist traditionalism

{{Short description|Theological view within Southern Baptists}}

Southern Baptist traditionalism, also called Traditional Southern Baptist soteriology{{Cite book |last1=Allen |first1=David L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvscDQAAQBAJ |title=Anyone Can Be Saved: A Defense of "Traditional" Southern Baptist Soteriology |last2=Hankins |first2=Eric |last3=Harwood |first3=Adam |date=2016-09-15 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-4982-8515-5 |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Hankins |first=Eric |date=2012 |title=A Statement Of The Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding Of God's Plan Of Salvation |url=https://www.galaxie.com/article/jbtm09-2-04 |url-status=live |journal=Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry |volume=9 |issue=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411075503/https://www.galaxie.com/article/jbtm09-2-04 |archive-date=2021-04-11 |access-date=2024-03-23}}{{Cite web |title=Statement on Calvinism draws approval, criticism • Biblical Recorder |url=https://www.brnow.org/news/Statement-on-Calvinism-draws-approval-criticism/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Biblical Recorder |language=en-US}}, Traditionalism{{Cite web |date=2012-05-31 |title=I Am A Traditionalist |url=https://sbcvoices.com/i-am-a-traditionalist/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=SBC Voices |language=en-US}}{{Cite book |last=Flowers |first=Leighton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Iis9MQAACAAJ |title=The Potter's Promise: A Biblical Defense of Traditional Soteriology |date=2017-01-20 |publisher=Trinity Academic Press |isbn=978-0-692-56184-3 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last1=Humphreys |first1=Fisher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEjWAAAACAAJ |title=God So Loved the World: Traditional Baptists and Calvinism |last2=Robertson |first2=Paul E. |date=2000 |publisher=Insight Press |isbn=978-0-914520-42-9 |language=en}} or Provisionism{{Cite web |title=In upcoming debate, former Calvinist brings 'provisionism' to clash with skillful White |url=https://afn.net//church/2024/03/04/in-upcoming-debate-former-calvinist-brings-provisionism-to-clash-with-skillful-white/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308135653/https://afn.net/church/2024/03/04/in-upcoming-debate-former-calvinist-brings-provisionism-to-clash-with-skillful-white/ |archive-date=2024-03-08 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=American Family News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-04 |title=Do People Have Free Will? Why Calvinism Falls Short, Provisionism With Dr. Leighton Flowers And Slaveck Moraru {{!}} Christianity Culture |url=https://christianityculture.com/do-people-have-free-will-why-calvinism-falls-short/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716081524/https://christianityculture.com/do-people-have-free-will-why-calvinism-falls-short/ |archive-date=2023-07-16 |access-date=2024-03-23 |language=en-US}}{{Cite book |last=Holmes |first=Brian S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uCz6DwAAQBAJ&dq=Provisionism+Baptist&pg=PT140 |title=The Empowered Christian Road Map: A Guide for Evangelicals: 8 Key Principles for Unswerving Faith, Laser-Focused Direction, and a Life Driven by Purpose and Action |date=2020-08-31 |publisher=MPowered Christian Publishing |isbn=978-1-7352423-3-0 |language=en}} are terms used to refer to the view of salvation commonly held within the Southern Baptist Convention. This view aligns neither with Classical Arminianism or Calvinism as it is distinguished from Arminianism by denying the Arminian doctrine of prevenient grace and the plausibility of losing one's salvation by teaching eternal security, while it differs from Calvinism by affirming libertarian free will and due to a denial of unconditional election.{{Cite book |last=Flowers |first=Leighton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPQ2wwEACAAJ |title=God's Provision for All: A Defense of God's Goodness |date=2019-03-05 |publisher=Trinity Academic Press |isbn=978-1-7328963-0-7 |language=en}} The view thus teaches that every man is able to respond positively to God's provision for mankind without a necessary internal change of man's nature happening prior to conversion, viewing the work of the Spirit through the preaching of the gospel as sufficient to enable a person to respond to positively to God.{{Cite book |last1=Humphreys |first1=Fisher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEjWAAAACAAJ |title=God So Loved the World: Traditional Baptists and Calvinism |last2=Robertson |first2=Paul E. |date=2000 |publisher=Insight Press |isbn=978-0-914520-42-9 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Southern Baptists and God's Plan of Salvation - Credo Magazine |url=https://credomag.com/2012/06/southern-baptists-and-gods-plan-of-salvation/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=credomag.com/ |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324215718/https://credomag.com/2012/06/southern-baptists-and-gods-plan-of-salvation/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Wilkin |first=Bob |date=2024-03-06 |title=Is Provisionism the Same as Focused Free Grace? – Grace Evangelical Society |url=https://faithalone.org/blog/is-provisionism-the-same-as-focused-free-grace/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |language=en-US}}

The terminology of it being "Traditional" Southern Baptist soteriology has been criticized due to there already being Calvinist influences within the Southern Baptist Convention early on within its development.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-01 |title=Exclusive Claims on Traditional Southern Baptist Soteriology? |url=https://sbcvoices.com/exclusive-claims-on-traditional-southern-baptist-soteriology/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=SBC Voices |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209044210/https://sbcvoices.com/exclusive-claims-on-traditional-southern-baptist-soteriology/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=jamzth |date=2012-06-01 |title=Response to "A Statement of Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God's Plan of Salvation." Part 3 |url=https://founders.org/articles/response-to-a-statement-of-traditional-southern-baptist-understanding-of-gods-plan-of-salvation-part-3/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Founders Ministries |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127202028/https://founders.org/articles/response-to-a-statement-of-traditional-southern-baptist-understanding-of-gods-plan-of-salvation-part-3/ |url-status=live }} However, advocates of the view such as David L. Allen have argued that even though there has always been a Calvinist presence within the SBC, the majority have historically rejected it.{{Cite book |last1=Allen |first1=David L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WE5QDQAAQBAJ |title=Anyone Can Be Saved: A Defense of "Traditional" Southern Baptist Soteriology |last2=Hankins |first2=Eric |last3=Harwood |first3=Adam |date=2016-09-15 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-4982-8516-2 |language=en}}