Francis Beckwith Resigns from ETS

Francis Beckwith, who just days ago became a Roman Catholic and resigned as President of ETS and as a member of the executive committee, initially stated that he would continue as a member of ETS:

Because I can in good conscience, as a Catholic, affirm the ETS doctrinal statement, I do not intend to resign as a member of ETS.

Last night, however, he decided that it would be in the best interest of the body of Christ to resign.

It is with deep regret that about an hour ago I tendered my resignation as a member of ETS.

Although I firmly believe that I can sign the ETS doctrinal statement in good conscience, my high-profile presence in ETS will likely result in the sort of public conflict that occurred during the debate over the openness view of God and the attempt on the part of some members to oust believers in that view. Because, as I noted in my prior posting on this matter, that I deeply desire a public conversation among Christians about the relationship between Evangelicalism and the Great Tradition, a public debate about my membership status, with all the rancor and stress that typically goes with such disputes, would preempt and poison that important conversation. For this reason, I am resigning as a member of ETS.

Read the whole post.

HT: Justin Taylor

See our previous post: Francis Beckwith, President of ETS, Becomes Roman Catholic.

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