Old Earth Theology: A Factor that Explains Inconsistent Belief of Inerrancy Among Florida Southern Baptists

A major shift in thinking seems to be occurring in contemporary evangelical thinking. Southern Baptists overwhelmingly rejected the views of twentienth-century liberal Southern Baptist professors in favor of a literal translation of Genesis. Now, however, this debate may not be so one-sided among Southern Baptists. Within the current evangelical community there is a belief that the age of the earth has no bearing upon the doctrine of inerrancy. A study was conducted in 2013 that reveals belief in the age of the earth is one factor that contributes to the degree to which the doctrine of inerrancy is affirmed. The research revealed that there is a strongly held belief by young-earth creationists and old-earth creationists that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. However, from inside this belief is a debate between the supremacy of the Bible and the supremacy of science.