TORONTO — The struggle for the heart of the 53-year-old Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) heated up recently when members voted to challenge the membership of noted theologians Clark Pinnock and John Sanders for violating the inerrancy clause of the ETS constitution. Christian Week reports the vote at last month’s annual meeting here of the ETS was the latest development in a five-year controversy over the concept of open theism, which argues that God is spontaneous — that He can “change His mind.”
Classical theists insist God has complete foreknowledge and never improvises. A vote at the 2001 ETS gathering saw 70 percent of members endorsing a resolution affirming God’s full omniscience.
ETS founding member Roger Nicole said a survey of other surviving charter members revealed unanimous concern that Pinnock and Sanders, who advocate open theism, were promoting positions “incompatible with (biblical) inerrancy.” After an hour of debate in a special meeting, members voted 171 to 137 on the motion against Pinnock and 166 to 143 against Sanders. The matter was referred to the ETS executive committee, which will determine whether the challenges to the theologians’ membership should be voted on next year.
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