The Reclamation of Theological Integrity: L. Russ Bush III and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1989–1992

Abstract

This paper seeks to argue that the life and work of L. Russ Bush III (1944–2008) made a significant contribution in the return of the Southern Baptist Convention to its theologically conservative heritage specifically in the early reformation of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary from theological liberalism. That is, through Bush's published works, his role as professor and academic dean at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his general and faithful involvement in the work of the Southern Baptist Convention and broader evangelicalism, Bush influenced many and witnessed the transformation of a seminary and the reformation of a denomination. This paper will show that Bush's efforts during 1989–1992 to reestablish the theological integrity of the seminary by reclaiming the seminary's longstanding confessional heritage served to maintain a standard that ultimately preserved the seminary and prepared the way for future exponential growth under the next administration.