SEBTS Hires Karen Swallow Prior to Teach at SBC Seminary

Update: several friends complained to us about the source of this article. They view the source as inflammatory and dishonest. The original headline implied that Karen Swallow Prior is not against abortion, when in fact she is actively pro-life. Her choice of words in the following quote seem unfortunate at best and perhaps supports the abortionists agenda to some degree:

“Rallying for the defunding of Planned Parenthood isn’t inflammatory rhetoric; it’s political engagement. Videos depicting the self-damning words and actions of Planned Parenthood officials isn’t yellow journalism; it’s investigative reporting. On the other hand, referring to abortion providers as “abortion ghouls,” clinic volunteers and workers as “deathscorts” or “bloodworkers,” and women who obtain abortions as “murderers” is worse than inflammatory: it is unchristlike. Calling legal abortion “murder” when it isn’t (it is, to our shame, lawful) is to say what isn’t true, at least in a civil (not church) context.”

Notice that she lumps in “Calling legal abortion ‘murder’…” with her rebuke of the rhetoric about “abortion ghouls” etc. She seems to hide behind the legalistic definition that since abortion is legal, it isn’t murder. That seems disengenuous at best.

In addition, her support of so-called “gay Christians” at the Revoice Conference is troubling. The photo included with the article (above) is from that Conference, I believe. I’ve linked to some other sources in my comment below that outline some of these positions.

As I said in the comment, I don’t know much about Karen Prior, but it seems to me that she is not as conservative as one could wish. Her hiring by Southeastern should at least make us wonder a bit about the position of Southeastern, in spite of others associated with the school who have good reputations.

We considered pulling this post entirely, but I thought it might be better to change the headline and replace the content with this commentary. We had never heard of Pulpit and Pen before this episode, we accept the rebuke of those who disdain it, but we also want to point out the news about this hiring. We aren’t making any conclusions about Southeastern, but it is true they are in a different ecclesiastical orbit than we are and we tend to be questioning in general about the direction they and the rest of the SBC is heading. Take this for what it is, a news item, and let’s leave it at that.

— Don Johnson