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The Organization and Its Purpose: The National Association of the Baptist Professors of Religion was founded in 1981, though more informal groups of Baptist Professors existed from time to time prior to that date. Then, as now, the organization (both nationally and regionally) serves primarily as a vehicle for intellectual dialogue and mutual support among Baptist professors of religion. Originally, most members taught at colleges related to Baptist state conventions in the southern U.S. Another, smaller group of members was affiliated with Southern Baptist Convention seminaries . But the membership was never exclusive. Over the years a growing variety of persons teaching at quite diverse institutions has participated both as members of the NABPR and through its programs and its publication, Perspectives in Religious Studies. Today the greatest percentage of the membership is still employed by the colleges that are or were formerly affiliated with Baptist state conventions, but there is a great diversity of Baptists and nonBaptists in the ranks as well as persons teaching at state schools or other private colleges. The organization has no official ties with the Southern Baptist Convention or any other Baptist denominational body. The stated purposes of the Southeastern Regional association are "(1) the consideration of literature, movements, and ideas developing in the field of religion, (2) the promotion of quality teaching in the field of religion, (3) the development of cooperation and correlation of curricula among various schools concerned with teaching religion, and (4) the promotion of fellowship among teachers of religion."
This site is maintained by Helen Lee
Turner.
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