Changes

By 1955 the SBC counted 8,200,000 members, and were baptising an average 1,000 new members a day.  The 30,000 affiliated churches reached 24 states, but were still heavily concentrated in the South. Local churches were worth $1.2 billion, up from $276 million in 1945. Yearly contributions reached $305 million.  Sunday school membership was 6,400,000. The denomination supported 30 colleges and universities, 22 junior colleges, six seminaries, eight academies and four Bible schools. Most were still small and the total enrollment was only 50,080. They ran 33 hospitals and 23 magazines.<ref>"The Oldtime Religion," [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,893230,00.html ''Time'' Dec. 05, 1955] </ref>

By 1955 the SBC counted 8,200,000 members, and were baptising an average 1,000 new members a day.  The 30,000 affiliated churches reached 24 states, but were still heavily concentrated in the South. Local churches were worth $1.2 billion, up from $276 million in 1945. Yearly contributions reached $305 million.  Sunday school membership was 6,400,000. The denomination supported 30 colleges and universities, 22 junior colleges, six seminaries, eight academies and four Bible schools. Most were still small and the total enrollment was only 50,080. They ran 33 hospitals and 23 magazines.<ref>"The Oldtime Religion," [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,893230,00.html ''Time'' Dec. 05, 1955] </ref>

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Baptist theology has slowly changed since the formation of the SBC in 1845, but at no time was there ever a monolithic set of Baptist beliefs. Baptist theology has the primary goal of being faithful to the Bible, and it has been influenced by many trends in theology and general American culture. Race relations, for example, affected Baptist theology. Southern Baptist theology has been part of historic Christian orthodoxy, yet it has exhibited diversity on some issues, including Calvinism-Arminianism, conservatism-progressivism, and the millennium.  In the theological conflicts of the 1980s and 1990s both sides have claimed historical foundations for their positions. Early Baptist theologians like James Boyce were heavily influenced by Princeton theologians and their theories of biblical inerrancy. In the twentieth century leaders like E. Y. Mullins did not speak of inerrancy but tended to emphasize the infallibility of the Bible's religious message.<ref> Paul Basden, ''Has Our Theology Changed? Southern Baptist Thought since 1845.'' (1994)</ref>

== THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ==''' ==</big>

 

Calvinist themes of predestination faded away as revivalism pushed Baptists in an [[Arminian]] direction. Anti-Catholicism--a powerful force in the 1920s--faded away after the election of [[John F. Kennedy]] in 1960 ended fears of a Vatican takeover of the U.S., and the emergence of the abortion issue in the 1970s saw prominent Baptists form an infromal political alliance with the Catholic bishops. There have also been changes in the theology of such topics as the Bible, predestination, the atonement, perseverance and apostasy, the Christian life, the church, church leaders, the priesthood of all believers, the millennium, philosophy of religion, Christian ethics, and religious liberty. On the other hand, there had been little or no change regarding God, the Trinity, Jesus Christ, sin, and the ordinances.<ref> Paul Basden, ''Has Our Theology Changed? Southern Baptist Thought since 1845.'' (1994)</ref>

 

===Landmarkism===

===Landmarkism===