Calvinism and especially certain Cavinists get a bad rap these days and, although some of that reputation is deserved, sadly most of our culture’s perceptions are based on stereotypes rather than serious study.
But before I share a few thoughts on that, let me start with a 30,000-foot view.
I’m a Christian in the Protestant tradition who believes wholeheartedly that I share the same faith as my Orthodox and Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. These three branches of Christianity (Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism) all share allegiance to the cross and the Trinitarian faith expressed in the Apostle’s Creed. And, although, I’ve found a home in Presbyterianism, I identify most with those who take a broad view of what it means to be “Reformed” and desire a kinder, gentler Calvinism.
What I mean by a broad view of what it means to be Reformed is that I carry my theology in a way that seeks the honor and glory of God with a special nod to how Calvin, Luther, and other church “Reformers” five hundred years ago carried their faith. To say it differently, I believe that Calvin and others recovered and enhanced a helpful (although certainly not perfect) articulation of the biblical tradition in the areas of justification by grace through faith, the sovereignty of God, the primacy of Christ, preaching, scripture, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I like the term prima scriptura rather than sola scriptura, however, as I affirm first of all what the Bible teaches rather than only what the Bible teaches.
Regarding a kinder, gentler Calvinism, let me give a sample from my favorite writer on this topic. It’s from a chapter where he encourages others to give one of Calvinism’s most controversial doctrines—unconditional election—a second hearing:
“Now, I understand how people can say that God’s selectivity doesn’t seem fair. Why does he choose this person and not that one? Doesn’t this make it seem quite arbitrary? I understand the complaint and I take it seriously. But, frankly, it does not seem to be a complaint that is properly lodged against Calvinism in particular. It is better understood as a complaint about the facts of life. When a non-Calvinist Christian friend asks me how I can believe God favors some people over others, it seems to me sufficient in many cases to simply point to the person’s own life. Let’s say she was born in 1950 in Illinois, and that from her earliest days she was nurtured by the Christian community; they provided her with teachers and books and friends who encouraged her growth in faith. In all of this, her life is much more privileged spiritually than, say, a person her own age who lives, say, in an isolated rural village in North Korea. And when my friend testifies to the grace of God in her life, she has no qualms about thanking the Lord for the special blessings in her life that have been directed her way– blessings that are, in fact, missing in the life of her North Korean counterpart. Has Calvinism invented the notion of divine selectivity, or are we simply acknowledging something that seems to be really there in the way we experience our lives?”
Richard J. Mouw, Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 31.
And here’s an example of a kinder, gentler definition of another of Calvinism’s misused and misunderstood doctines, total depravity:
“The biblical doctrine of ‘total depravity’ means neither that all humans are equally depraved, nor that nobody is capable of any good, but rather that no part of any human person (mind, emotions, will, etc.) has remained untainted by the fall.”[1]
John Stott
Recommendations for further study:
- The Five Points of Calvinism: Documented, Defended, and Defined by Steele and Thomas—a good introductory work; thorough with loads of Scripture; helped me early in my faith journey to understand and embrace the doctrines of grace.
- Calvinism and the Las Vegas Airport by Richard Mouw—Mouw is one of my favorite writers and this book talks honestly about some of the hard edges of Calvinism in a winsome way.
- Saving Calvinism: Expanding the Reformed Tradition by Oliver D. Crisp—advanced but still accessible; if you’ve digested the two books above (or other resources with similar information and perspective), this is a must for those who want to retain a high view of Scripture but still have the freedom to think deeply and have listening conversations. The chapter on “Calvinism and Universalism” is particularly helpful.
[1] Timothy Dudley-Smith, Authentic Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1995), 148.