L. Russ Bush, III: Lover of Christ, Champion of the Bible, Family Man

L. Russ Bush ("Dr. Bush" to everyone who studied under him) was one of Southern Baptists' most distinguished philosophers. He taught at Southwestern Seminary from 1973-1989, and served as Academic Dean at Southeastern Seminary from 1989-2006. From 2006 until his death on January 22, 2008, Dr. Bush served as Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture at Southeastern.

Dr. Bush was the author of several books, including Handbook of Christian Philosophy, Classical Readings in Christian Apologetics, and The Advancement. His most important book, Baptists and the Bible, co-authored with Dr. Tom Nettles, laid the intellectual foundation for the conservative resurgence in the SBC during the 1980s and 1990s.

I took Dr. Bush for my first philosophy courses at Southeastern, and a fire was lit inside me. He was my Ph.D. advisor from 2004 until his death.

He started a blog in 2005 entitled "The Burning Bush" (get it?!) and wrote several intriguing and insightful posts until 2007. From time to time, I will post his writings. In this post, entitled "Movies on My Mind," Dr. Bush discusses the profound nature of the written word of God, in contrast to portrayals of biblical passages in movies and video. As always, Dr. Bush's insights are sharp, beautiful, and enormously valuable. Enjoy!