40 Questions about Calvinism - Softcover

Wright, Shawn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0825442311 ISBN 13: 9780825442315

Verlag: KREGEL PUBN, 2019

Inhaltsangabe

In 40 Questions About Calvinism, church historian Shawn Wright tackles many issues about the theological system known as Calvinism. Taking an irenic approach, Wright explains the key doctrines while also contrasting them with Arminianism. The accessible format allows readers to easily look up topics they're most interested in, including:

• What is the difference between Calvinism and the Reformed tradition?
• Does God love all people?
• What is predestination?
• Did Jesus die for the sins of the whole world?
• Can people resist the Holy Spirit?
• Do Calvinists practice evangelism and missions?

For Calvinists or those seeking to understand Calvinism better, 40 Questions About Calvinism helps readers understand the key terms, issues, and debates of this highly influential theological viewpoint.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Shawn D. Wright is professor of church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a pastor at Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

40 Questions About Calvinism

By Shawn D. Wright, Benjamin L. Merkle

Kregel Publications

Copyright © 2019 Shawn D. Wright
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8254-4231-5

Contents

Introduction, 9, 
Part 1: Introductory Questions, 
Section A: General Questions, 
1. What Is the Difference between "Calvinism" and the "Reformed Tradition"?, 17, 
2. What Are the Five Points of Calvinism?, 25, 
3. What Truths Is Calvinism Trying to Protect?, 33, 
4. How Should We Respond to God's Revelation?, 39, 
Section B: Questions about God's Character, 
5. Does God Love All People?, 47, 
6. What Is God's Grace?, 53, 
7. Is the Arminian Doctrine of Prevenient Grace Biblical?, 59, 
Section C: Questions about Human Responsibility, 
8. What Is Human Freedom according to Arminianism?, 67, 
9. What Is Human Freedom according to Calvinism?, 75, 
10. What Is Compatibilism?, 83, 
11. Does the Bible Teach Compatibilism? (Part 1), 89, 
12. Does the Bible Teach Compatibilism? (Part 2), 95, 
Section D: Historical Questions, 
13. Who Was John Calvin and What Did He Believe?, 103, 
14. Were There "Calvinists" before Calvin?, 109, 
15. Who Was Jacob Arminius and What Did He Believe?, 115, 
16. What Did the Synod of Dort Teach? (Part 1), 123, 
17. What Did the Synod of Dort Teach? (Part 2), 129, 
Part 2: Questions about Salvation, 
Section A: Humanity's Sin and the Necessity of Divine Intervention, 
18. How Sinful Are People?, 137, 
19. What Is Predestination according to Calvinism?, 143, 
20. What Does the Bible Teach about Election and Predestination?, 151, 
21. Is Election Unconditional?, 157, 
22. Is Predestination Fair?, 163, 
Section B: The Extent of Christ's Atonement, 
23. Did Jesus Die for the Sins of the Whole World?, 173, 
24. Does the Bible Teach Definite Atonement? (Part 1), 181, 
25. Does the Bible Teach Definite Atonement? (Part 2), 187, 
26. Does Substitutionary Atonement Imply Particular Redemption?, 195, 
Section C: God's Powerful Grace and His Preservation of His People, 
27. Is God's Grace Effective?, 205, 
28. Can People Resist the Holy Spirit?, 211, 
29. What Is Regeneration?, 217, 
30. Will Christians Persevere in the Faith?, 223, 
Part 3: Additional Theological Questions, 
31. What Is Hyper-Calvinism?, 231, 
32. If God Is Sovereign, Is He Responsible for Evil?, 237, 
33. What Is the "Order of the Decrees"?, 243, 
34. Does God Have Two "Wills"?, 251, 
Part 4: Practical Questions, 
35. Why Pray If God Has Ordained All Things?, 261, 
36. Do Calvinists Practice Evangelism and Missions?, 267, 
37. Can Calvinists Freely and Genuinely Offer the Gospel to All People?, 273, 
38. Do Calvinists Pursue Personal Holiness?, 279, 
39. Does Calvinism Lead to Doubts about Assurance of Salvation?, 285, 
40. Do the Questions in This Book Matter?, 291, 
Select Bibliography, 297, 
Scripture Index, 299, 

CHAPTER 1

QUESTION 1 What Is the Difference between "Calvinism" and the "Reformed Tradition"?

Since "Calvinism" is an easily misunderstood term, we need to define it carefully, especially distinguishing it from "Reformed," a word with broader connotations than "Calvinism." Calvinism is a movement set on recovering the Bible's understanding of the relationship between a sovereign God and responsible sinners. It spans many centuries and has been affirmed by pastors and theologians from a variety of church backgrounds.

"Reformed" vs. "Calvinist"

We need to clarify two essential words: "Reformed" and "Calvinist." Philip Benedict notes that the followers of John Calvin did not prefer the latter term. Instead, they styled "themselves variously the evangelical, reformed, evangelical reformed, or reformed Catholic church, the term reformed emerging as the most common label" in the latter part of the sixteenth century. "Reformed," then, has a historically rooted genesis. These churchmen sought to distinguish themselves from both Catholics and Lutherans.

"Reformed" often has connotations that are beyond the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism over soteriology. John R. de Witt, for example, identifies seven key distinctive markers of the Reformed tradition. First, it stresses not only the truthfulness of Scripture but also that the Bible must be followed in its entirety. Second, God is completely sovereign. The Reformed tradition insists that "nothing can stop or retard the progress of the gathering of his elect people, the building of his church, the coming of his kingdom." Third, God's grace towards his elect children is invincible. Fourth, Christians must submit to Jesus as Lord, not just hold on to him as Savior. We can't have the latter apart from the former. Fifth, there is a distinction between biblical law and gospel. Fundamentally, the law teaches us how God desires for his children to live. Sixth, God has given his people the "cultural mandate" so that the church would impact society for God's glory (see Gen. 1:28). Seventh, the Reformed tradition has a distinct view of pastoral ministry "and of the life of the church in relation to it," which is marked by a particular form of church order.

I. John Hesselink similarly offers five "characteristics and distinctive emphases" of the Reformed tradition. First, it is God-centered, especially in its emphasis that God has to sovereignly make sinners willing to come to Christ. Second, it bases life and ministry on Scripture. Third, it teaches that doctrine must impact how one lives. Fourth, it develops a particular view of the individual Christian's relationship to the surrounding culture such that the believer should seek to glorify God in every facet of his or her life, whether he or she is called to be a bricklayer or a missionary. Finally, it has a particular view of the church, most commonly seen in Presbyterian ecclesiology, with its emphasis on both teaching elders and ruling elders and their particular relationship to the congregation.

Both de Witt and Hesselink alert us to the fact that "Reformed" is about more than just how one comes to be saved by Jesus. It involves worldview distinctives and the cultural mandate (which we will not address in this book). It also has much to do with a particular vision of what the church is. According to Benedict, "At its core was the conviction that God's holy word made clear the form of worship expected from his children. ... The gratitude they owed [God] in return should inspire them to serve him in all their deeds, to worship in the manner he had decreed, and to shun all false devotion and idolatry." In other words, part of "being Reformed" is that one follows the "regulative principle," which is simply the belief that God in Scripture has regulated both how the church is to be organized and how the church is to worship him. In this way, the Reformed were different from Lutherans who assumed that as long as their worship practices were not clearly prohibited biblically, it fine to use them in their liturgy. "Reformed," in part then, has to do with one's vision of the church and worship.

Richard Muller made a similar point in critiquing the notion of a "Reformed Baptist." Even though such a Baptist's soteriology might be orthodox, that individual fails to see it as part of a larger complex of ideas that are antithetical to his or her Baptist identity. Reformed Baptists are out of line, for example, with the Reformed confessions, which

are carefully embodied patterns of teaching, drawn...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: KREGEL PUBN
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2019
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0825442311
• ISBN 13: 9780825442315
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 304
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar