Yesterday the Westminster Board of Trustees and Faculty held an emergency meeting to decide the fate of OT Prof. Peter Enns’ career at the seminary. The question: whether his book Inspiration and Incarnation is heterodox, and therefore its author worthy of the can (for background info, Brandon Withrow has wonderfully collected the links).
Though the seminary had planned a special chapel gathering next Tuesday to only then divulge the results with the rest of the seminary, already Board Chairman Jack White has passed around the news:
March 27, 2008
Thank you very much for your prayers for the special meeting of the Board of Trustees that was held on March 26 to address the disunity of the faculty regarding the theological issues related to Dr. Peter Enns’ book, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament. After a full day of deliberation, the Board of Trustees took the following action by decisive vote:
“That for the good of the Seminary (Faculty Manual II.4.C.4) Professor Peter Enns be suspended at the close of this school year, that is May 23, 2008 (Constitution Article III, Section 15), and that the Institutional Personnel Committee (IPC) recommend the appropriate process for the Board to consider whether Professor Enns should be terminated from his employment at the Seminary. Further that the IPC present their recommendations to the Board at its meeting in May 2008.”
In order to provide the entire Westminster community with a more complete understanding of the Board’s decision and to offer an opportunity for questions and dialogue, the Chairman and Secretary of the Board will join the President on campus for a special chapel on Tuesday, April 1 at 10:30 am. Students and staff are encouraged to attend and participate. Following that special chapel, they will hold a separate meeting with the faculty.
Our concern is to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and assure a faithful witness for Westminster for years to come. To that end, please pray for everyone involved during the next two months.
Jack White
Chairman of the Board
So I guess the ends justify the means.
 

13 Responses to “Inspiration and Incarceration: Westminster and the Problem of the Old Testament”

  1. Esteban Vázquez Says:
    March 27, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    One of the glories of Westminster was that its Government by Faculty Vote mirrored the Presbyterian system of church government that each Faculty member swears to uphold.
    Yesterday, the Presbyterian character of Westminster Seminary was murdered by its Board of Trustees. This is a new reorganization, not unlike that of Princeton Seminary in the wake of the Auburn Affirmation–but this time, perpetrated by fundamentalist elements. Well, Princeton is dead, and so is Westminster. Long live Old Princeton and Old Westminster!
  2. Matt Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 12:45 am

    Actually, in this case, I think the Enns justifies the means.
  3. A sad day for Westminster (Peter Enns) « Ben Byerly’s Blog Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 2:24 am

    [...] sad day for Westminster (Peter Enns) Peter Enns will be suspended: Conn-versation; Shibboleth; Christianity Today [...]
  4. Anonymous Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 8:32 am

    Esteban,
    We should trust the decision of the board. Afterall, they had a ‘full day of deliberation.’ Clearly they were more informed and theologically sensitive than the faculty, so much so that after their ‘full day of deliberation’ they could overturn the decision of the faculty that came after 2.5 years of discussing things!
  5. c bovell Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 9:25 am

    Anonymous:
    I can understand someone saying, “We SHOULD accept the decision of the board,” but there’s no reason for anyone who disagrees with the board to “trust” the board’s decision. A full day of deliberation is neither here nor there: after a full week of thinking about it, they might still be mistaken.
    Perhaps the sentiment for those who disagree should be: “They have been granted the power to do this; we genuinely wish it were otherwise.”
  6. Ben D. Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 9:27 am

    I am pretty sure anonymous was being sarcastic.
  7. JD Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 9:32 am

    The ends/enns thing is getting pretty old. Pete’s probably heard that joke incessantly since he was 6.
  8. CP Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 9:36 am

    Esteban
    You are laboring under a factual misconception. The Constitution and By-Laws give the Board of Westminster the clear right to hire and fire the President and any member of the teaching staff.
  9. aboulet Says:
    March 28, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    CP: How are you privy to the bylaws and constitution? I am under the impression that they are closed documents to those who are not on the board or faculty.
    Please explain how you came across such information. If you are faculty or board member, that is one thing because you are privy to those documents. If you are not, I would be curious as to how you have gotten a hold of those documents, since you are presenting yourself as having first hand knowledge.
  10. Peter Enns Round-Up « Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth Says:
    March 29, 2008 at 11:10 pm

    [...] comment led me to a post on his blog ’Conn’-versation from his blogging partner, JD, in which he links to Brandon [...]
  11. Enns, bloggers, and explosions « Random Bloggings Says:
    March 30, 2008 at 3:56 pm

    [...] issue of Peter Enns’ suspension (I’m sorry, I ran out of adjectives or other ways to lengthen my already over long [...]
  12. Hit and Run: Peter Enns and blogging | the blog of brandon withrow Says:
    March 31, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    [...] Conn-versation calls Jack White’s statement as a case of believing “the ends justify the means.” [...]
  13. Esteban Vázquez Says:
    April 3, 2008 at 4:19 pm

    Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak:
    “[L]et me state the following: I recognize and affirm that WTS is a faculty run school, particularly so in the theology that it teaches and the curriculum it employs…” (Mr Lillback)
    See here.