 | ||
The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students "devoted to the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "dedicated to the oral exchange and written expression of theological thought and research".
Contents
History
The society was established in 1949 in response to a "keenly perceived need for interaction and wider dissemination of conservative research on biblical and theological issues." The inaugural meeting was held in Cincinnati and was organized by a committee chaired by Edward R. Dalglish of Gordon Divinity School. The group, representing approximately twenty different institutions and denominations, elected Clarence Bouma of Calvin Seminary as its first president.
Several times during its history, the society has been faced with doctrinal controversy. In the 1970s, members became polarized over the precise definition of "inerrancy" (including questions about literal vs. non-literal language, and the possibility of scribal errors). In 1983, the society voted to expel Robert Gundry for his views on the historicity of some of the events in the Gospel of Matthew. In 2003, the society was divided over whether to expel Clark Pinnock and John Sanders for their beliefs about open theism. In 2007, Francis Beckwith resigned as president following his decision to be received into full communion in the Catholic Church. In 2008, Ray Van Neste and Dennis Burk introduced a proposal to further expand the doctrinal statement to include eleven points; the motion ultimately failed.
Doctrine
When it was initially formed, the society had a single doctrinal basis - biblical inerrancy. Thus, the original doctrinal statement was limited to one sentence: "The Bible alone and the Bible in its entirety is the word of God written, and therefore inerrant in the autographs." However, it was amended in 1990 to require Trinitarian belief, and now includes a second sentence: "God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory."
Membership
Full, voting membership is available to anyone with a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree or its equivalent, and who subscribe to the above doctrinal statements. Interested evangelicals who do not have such a degree can apply for associate membership, but do not have voting rights. There is also a student membership. Members are not limited to specific denominational or theological traditions, and not required to be affiliated with particular schools or seminaries. The number of full members in 2010 was nearly 4,200.
Journal
The society produces a quarterly journal which contains scholarly articles and book reviews from various evangelical perspectives. First published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, it subsequently was changed in 1969 to the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (JETS).