History
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.
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