Soul competency

Soul competency is a doctrine specifically articulated in a Southern Baptist context, first by E.Y Mullins in The Axioms of Religion (1908). This view emphasizes that each person (soul) is individually and personally accountable to God and "competent" to relate to God without mediation through other humans or human institutions. It may be properly related to, but not the same as, the doctrine of the Priesthood of all believers. One clue to the significance of The Axioms of Religion by Mullins is found in the sub-title: a new interpretation of the Baptist faith.

The effect of Mullins' emphasis on soul competency has been criticized by some as planting the seeds of experientialism within the Southern Baptist Convention, thus undermining the importance of its founding Baptist theology and biblical doctrine.

Notes

See also

• Priesthood of all believers
• Religious liberty

External links

• Soul Competency (SBC)
• Soul Competency Takes a Vacation, by Michael Clingenpeel
• Mohler criticizes Mullins' influence and doctrine of soul competency, by Mark Wingfield
• The Competency of the Soul Religion, by C. B. Hastings
• Southern Baptists: Facing the Future from the High Ground, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
• E. Y. Mullins: The Axioms of Religion, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (Review)
• Southern Baptists and Their Personal Relationship with Jesus, by David Wayne