Will Ga. Gov Nathan Deal lectures at Mercer honor the legacy of George W. Truett

    A few weeks ago Georgia NPR announced Mercer plans to hosts a series of lecture at their Macon and Atlanta campus by recent Governor Nathan Deal. Deal is a Republican and reputed active member of FBC Gainesville, Ga a CBF congregation.
      The CBF is not in the Trump camp, unlike the other high profile from Gainesville, Doug Collins an ordained Southern Baptist minister and a fundamentalist.
      The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is also hardwired to the New Baptist Covenant inaugurated by President Carter and Mercer President Underwood among others. I attended the inaugural meeting in Atlanta in 07 and their hierarchy of political concerns was more weighted toward DACA and other justice issues. Abortion wasn't mentioned much at all.

    So what will Deal bring to the Table in these lectures. Will he come aware of the Book Rough Country about how Fundamentalist Southern Baptists of the Collins stripe shaped the modern Day Republican Party. Does Deal have a clue of what the great Baptist George W. Truett would be thinking were he with us in these days of Donald Trump?

    Wuthnow's Rough Country will help him get a clue.

     Now when it counts with Two US Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia, will Chic Fil A weigh into the conversation. The founder of Chic Fil a, Truett Cathy was named for George W. Truett. Does CFA's celebrated values include an understanding of the legacy of George W. Truett for whom the founder was named.

     The Book Blessings of Business by Furman grad Darren Grem suggests Chic Fil A may not have a fine grip on the legacy of Truett.

     Chet Edwards, a blue dog Democrat who lectures at another Baptist school, Baylor understands. Maybe President Carter can lean on Mercer President Underwood to share an event with Gov Deal in these lectures.

      Mercer history records Truett Cathy with his conservative political leanings as a Trustee of Mercer did come to the support of former Mercer President Godsey when he was on the hot seat. Does Gov Deal have a clue as to  the secular political implications of that moment.

     My friend at Dartmouth, Randall Balmer has written a political biography of Jimmy Carter and his travails with the Southern Baptists. Just a few days ago Balmer picked up on the theme of a Redeemer President in a piece in the Concord Monitor that came to the attention of NPR Here and Now.

     I commend all these resources to Gov Deal. If he is ignorant of these sources, and Underwood is out to lunch or bringing them to his attention, of the CBF Divinity School at the Mercer Atlanta Campus, or the Baugh Institute for Baptist Studies, then I am afraid Deal's lecture will be a waste of time, another exercise in Whistling Dixie!