This Week in Calvinism - December 12, 2015

• In an item I had missed last week, The National's Chris Bambery wrote an article comparing Scotland's 17th century Calvinists to modern Islamic terrorists (Daesh/ISIS): "But for all their heroism and sacrifice they were fighting for a land ruled by the Presbyterian elect – with no room for unbelievers. Their dream for Scotland was not so far from Daesh's for its Caliphate."
  
  
• Some of Bambery's readers voiced their frustration with the article.
  
  
• To get in the last word, Bambery responded to their responses:

  Lastly, I am not going to debate theology with my critics but in response I cannot resist quoting a man from Fettercairn, Kincardine, who was threatened with excommunication in 1748.
  
  He responded: “What care I? The Pope of Rome excommunicates you every year ... and what the waur are ye o' that?”

  
  
• Speaking of comparing Calvinists to terrorists, Andreas Whittam Smith believes the turmoil in the Middle East is no worse than what happened in Europe during the "era of Calvinism."
  
  
• Leighton Flowers thinks he has found a quandary in compatibilism: if God has ordained all things according to his unchangeable decree, then is he not restraining his own unchangeable decree every time he restrains evil?
  
  
• William Birch writes, "If God has decreed sin and evil, from before the world was created, then God is the worse (sic) sinner in the known universe." The only alternative I see is that God was powerless to prevent sin and evil from entering into the world. Which means what? That we have to choose between an evil God or a weak God?

Why atheists are so frustrated

If I had to sum up, in a nutshell, why atheists always seem so frustrated, it would be this: Atheists live in a constant state of cognitive dissonance. How else can you describe a person who believes he has no beliefs, and that his denial of truth is true?

Case in point:

Predestination

(from Adam4d.com)

This Week in Calvinism - December 11, 2015

• Regarding 2 Peter 3:9, Jordan Cooper writes, "God's saving will embraces all of his creation. We thus affirm the Calvinistic belief monergism, while simultaneously affirming the Arminian commitment to universal grace."
  
  
• Calvinism obliterated? No, not really. It's the same arguments we've all heard before, but at least he puts a little effort into it.
  
  
• Unlike this KJV-only Baptist preacher. He attempts to refute Calvinism by showing that our doctrine "is a bunch of garbage. It's a bunch of hogwash for a bunch of lazy people that don't want to do anything for God."
  
  
• Tim Challies shares his top books of 2015.
  
  
• James White responds to Steve Hays's accusations regarding Islam. Looking back several years at how Mr. Hays was so gung ho about waging war in the Middle East and torturing Muslims in the name of "national security," I find myself less than sympathetic to his position.

This Week in Calvinism - December 4, 2015

• A member of a Pentacostal theology group on Facebook asks:

  One problem with both arminianism and Calvinism is that one believes a loving God created man knowing most would burn in the lake of fire and the other believes he chooses people to burn eternally on the lake of fire. BUT what if the torment wasn't eternal? What if the JWs are right on that? What if it is the destruction of the being?

  Or what if the Calvinists are right about compatibilism?
  
  
• Devin Logan of Newsmax lists three ways in which Calvinism has influenced American capitalism: 1) success as an indicator of character, 2) capitalist work ethic, and 3) mass incarceration. I'm surprised he didn't mention burning heretics at the stake.
  
  
• Plunge your mind into the ocean of God's sovereignty.
  
  
• Four steps toward joy in repentance.
  
  
• Quiet time doesn't earn God's grace.
  
  
• In a follow-up comment to his article about confronting the lunatic fringe of evangelicalism, Roger Olson clarifies that he does not "consider Calvinists our evangelical lunatic fringe." Whew! What a relief!

This Week in Calvinism - November 27, 2015

• Joel Tay thinks we should ease up on cage-stage Calvinists: "The zeal of those who are passionate about the gospel and the sovereignty of God is something to be commended and even encouraged." I have no doubt that some may be truly zealous for the gospel, but what may seem like zeal in many new Calvinists is little more than intellectual bravado. The trick is in knowing the difference.
  
  
• Austin Wartner preaches against Calvinism from John 3:16. Yeah, nothing new here. Same straw man arguments and confusion about what Calvinism actually teaches.
  
  
• Richard Bushey explains how Job answers the central objection to Calvinism.
  
  
• In the latest audio edition of The Berean Call newsletter, T. A. McMahon discusses the enigma of Calvinism in light of the fact that Augustine was a Catholic: "I cannot comprehend how any Bible-believing Christian can possible accept Calvin's view of predestination and God's sovereignty, which he took primarily from the writings of Saint Augustine."
  
  
• Jack Cottrell attempts to refute the Calvinistic interpretation of John 6:65, saying that there is a difference between how Jesus called the 12 disciples and how he calls men to salvation. And, because "we know that Judas defied and frustrated this desire (will) of Jesus," the Calvinistic interpretation can't possibly be correct.
  
  
• Gearing up for Christmas? Here are some new titles from Desiring God.
  
  
• This week's Free Stuff Fridays over at Challies.com is sponsored by CBD Reformed.

This Week in Calvinism - November 20, 2015

• Why am I always suspicious of those who claim to have "a more balanced view" than Calvinism or Arminianism?
  
  
• "Rev." Celia Hastings believes many people find Calvin's theology "abstract and confusing." She writes:

  Perhaps the Bible's message of sin and salvation is easier to understand in shepherding terms. From this view the prophet Isaiah describes original sin: "All of us, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us goes our own way." A sheep goes its own way to its own peril. When a sheep falls on its back it is helpless to get up on its own. Left alone it will die within hours. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, searches for the fallen ones and restores them – and even gives his life for the sheep. Jesus' self-giving love shows the way to the great unity and peace of original Shalom.

  So, Jesus died on the cross simply to show the way to peace? How about first looking at what Jesus had to say about who his sheep are? John 10:25-29 comes to mind.
  
  
• Steve Sewell goes after Calvinism's "unsound interpretation" of John 6.
  
  
• Let me get this straight. If we don't want to be labeled as liberals, then we must accept that true Calvinism is kinism. I am always saddened when racism rears its ugly head within Calvinist circles. It would be wise to steer clear of any group that says, "We affirm that all men, of every race, ethnicity, and tribe, are created in the image of God. However..."
  
  
• Tim Challies recommends a great way to get to know the book of Romans.

This Week in Calvinism - November 13, 2015

• Sam Waldron completes his series "21 Misunderstandings of Calvinism."
  
  
• According to Greg Boyd, Calvinism misses the point about salvation:

  The Father "draws" people (or not) in response to their hearts. If a human heart is unwilling, however, it is hardened to God's leading and comes under the influence of Satan.
  
  God wants all to be saved and is working in every human heart to get each person to accept the Gospel. But people can and do resist God's influence and thwart his will for their lives (see e.g. Lk 7:30). When a heart has been successfully opened, however, God goes further and "draws" that person to Jesus Christ.

  Sounds a lot to me like Boyd is saying man is ultimately in control of his own salvation.
  
  
• Phillip Holmes discusses the mind-blowing grace of God.
  
  
• Andrew, of Beyond Calvinism, attempts to dismantle the Calvinist interpretation of Romans 9.
  
  
• Arminian William Birch sees a waning of Calvinism, which has historically seen periods of ebb and flow: "Arminianism, on the other hand, is not burdened with popularity and decline. Arminian theology, the theology of the early Church fathers, carries a perpetual flow, constantly, invariably present within the Church."
  
  
• On a "Radio Free Geneva" episode of The Dividing Line, James White responds to a sermon by Pastor Ronnie W. Rogers at Truett-McConnell College. Rogers's points are fleshed out in more detail here and here.
  
  
• Todd Still, dean of Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary, doesn't want to see Calvinism dividing Baptist churches.

This Week in Calvinism - November 6, 2015

• Sam Waldron is already up to points 11, 12, and 13 of his series "21 Misunderstandings of Calvinism."
  
  
• A sermon series on the five fruits of Calvinism.
  
  
• Roger Olson takes issue with the idea that Arminians don't preach a "complete gospel":

  All true, historical, classical Arminians, Arminians of the heart, whole heartily affirm that salvation is a free gift of God that cannot be earned or merited. Preaching that it must be freely accepted "by faith" (trust in Christ Jesus) and that it can be freely rejected, does nothing to lessen the completeness of the "by grace through faith" heart of the gospel—Calvinist objections notwithstanding.

  
  
• Author Joshua Guthman discusses his book about the Primitive Baptists.
  
  
• Get your Reformed gear at MissionalWear.com

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This Week in Calvinism - October 30, 2015

• A.J. Castellitto comments on the liberal captivity of the Presbyterian Church: "Ultimately, the fallout and eventual schism was not born out of a debate between Calvinism and Arminianism, or the like; but rather, a humanistic rationalization of scriptures."
  
  
• Sam Waldron has begun a series of blog posts titled "21 Misunderstandings of Calvinism." Be sure to check back often for updates.
  
  
• Five points for all our fears.
  
  
• Available on Amazon.com: 12 classic works by John Calvin for free.
  
  
• Also available for free: The Bondage of the Will: A Modern English Abridgment.
  
  
• And don't forget all that free stuff from Tim Challies.

The story behind one of America's most endearing photographs

I've lived in Minnesota most of my life, and although I grew up seeing various versions of this iconic photograph, I never knew of its Minnesota origin:

Eric Enstrom was a Swedish American photographer who lived and worked in the mining town of Bovey. Around 1920 (some accounts date the event to 1918), an itinerant salesman named Charles Wilden visited his studio. Impressed by what he recognized as kindness in the man's face, Enstrom asked Wilden to pose for a picture. He had Wilden clasp his hands and bow his head, as in prayer, while seated at a table with an arrangement of household objects, including a book, a loaf of bread, and a bowl of soup. He called the photograph "Grace."

Enstrom composed "Grace" to represent survival in the face of hardship. He later connected it to World War I and the heavy toll the trenches of Europe had taken on American lives, as well as the rationing faced by Minnesotans on the home front. In a 1961 interview, he explained his intention to capture an image that would inspire thankfulness in people who had endured privations during the war. By highlighting Wilden's devout posture and humble surroundings, he aimed to evoke the spirit of religious faith, thankfulness, and humility he associated with many of the newly arrived European immigrants to Minnesota.

Read the full article here.

This Week in Calvinism - October 23, 2015

• Dr. Rick Patrick has posted part 2 of his series on "Youth Targeted Calvinism."
  
  
• Some jokes, courtesy of the Nicene Nerd. Not all of them are about Calvinism.
  
  
• Christians never graduate from the gospel.
  
  
• Joyless Christianity? It's dangerous.
  
  
• A Reformed edition of Free Stuff Fridays over at Challies.com

This Week in Calvinism - October 16, 2015

• Do you have "adult onset Calvinism"? Know the early warning signs.
  
  
• Robert Pate has his mind made up: "It is not humanly possible to have faith in the mean, cruel, unjust, unrighteous God of Calvinism."
  
  
• As David Murray points out, there's more to Calvinism than TULIP.
  
  
• Murray also notes that there's more to the doctrines of grace than the doctrines of grace.
  
  
• He discusses three ways in which the doctrines of grace can be presented...
  
  
• ...and addresses five major distortions of Calvinism.
  
  
• Hip-hop artist Trip Lee talks about his journey towards the doctrines of grace.

The Onion pretty much nails total depravity

Billy Mumy stars as the depraved Anthony
Fremont in "It's a Good Life," one of the
best episodes of The Twilight Zone.

The Onion is at its most brilliant when it treads that fine line between satire and reality. This article on children being "unrepentant sociopaths" is one such example. Here's an excerpt:

According to renowned child psychologist Dr. Pritha Singh, author of Born Without Souls, diagnosing preadolecents as sociopaths is primarily a theoretical interest, as the disorder is considered untreatable.

“We’ve tried behavior modification therapies, but children actually learn from our techniques and become even more adept at manipulating others while concealing their shameless misanthropy,” Singh said. “Sadly, experience has taught us there is little hope for rehabilitation.”

“Just look at the way most adults act,” Singh added.

Of course, all unregenerate human beings are unrepentant sociopaths, which makes the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives all the more amazing.

This Week in Calvinism - October 9, 2015

• Former Calvinist Austin Fischer, writing a guest post on Roger Olson's blog, admits that monergism may be true, but it isn't necesary:

  Because when one realizes every creature—not to mention space-time itself!!!—is sustained, nanosecond by nanosecond, by the wild and unconditioned generosity of God, monergism is simply unnecessary. It might still be true, but it is not necessary. The infinite God, Being behind all being, does not need monergism to protect his glory.

  
  
• In response to a question about Lutheranism, Calvinism, and the Renaissance, a teacher writes:

  The Reformation remains one of the most important developments in history, and its occurrence during the years of the Renaissance was no accident. Luther and Calvin did not so much respond to the challenges of the Renaissance as they exploited it for their own purposes, irrespective of how one views the split of the Church into two major halves.

  
  
• Jamaican journalist Ian Boyne finds Calvinism to be "intellectually revolting and repulsive," especially the belief that the unsaved will suffer eternal, conscious torment: "Calvinists, particularly, have no qualms about teaching the doctrine of an ever-burning hell. In fact, they would be quite offended at my temerity in questioning this 'clear biblical truth.'" Offended? No. Saddened? Yes.
  
  
• Joel Beeke, president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, thinks evangelicals today would do well to learn from the Reformers and Puritans: "They consistently aim to apply the Word of God to the heart, and yet do so by illuminating the mind and addressing the conscience with the claims of truth."
  
  
• Can a sound biblical theology be maintained without Calvinism? Dr. Tom Nettles writes, "Though the human heart can pervert any system of thought, the non-Calvinist system in its emphasis on heightening human autonomy and diminishing divine efficiency creates wider berths for deception about the character of salvation."
  
  
• "As a very young Christian," writes Mark Shea, "I had just had my first taste of the destructive power of Calvinism and its cold diagrammatic god that might or might not love you depending on whether he felt like capriciously damning you."