Calvinism
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A Calvinist’s Hope And Behavior – Participating In God’s Purposes By Faith
The aim of this piece is to identify some key theological differences between Calvinism and Arminianism in order to draw out a few practical benefits of adopting a distinctly Reformed mindset that applies to hope and behavior in the midst of trials. Some initial theological spadework must occur before trying to unearth the practical usefulness Continue reading
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Davenant Hypothetical Universalism Even Denies Its Own Claim Of Efficacy For The Elect
An entailment of the Reformed doctrine of limited atonement is p: If Christ died for S, then S will be saved. Therefore, if p is true, S’ salvation is in some sense guaranteed by Christ’s death on behalf of S. Davenant Hypothetical Universalism (HU) rejects p by affirming that (a) Christ died for all and (b) not all will be saved. Consequently, even Continue reading
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Faith And Justification In The Life Of Infants
In Chapter 14 of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), saving faith is distinguished from believing. This distinction, which has implications with respect to infants and those who might suffer from cognitive impairment, is made plain when the standards teach it is by the grace of faith that the elect are enabled to believe to the Continue reading
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The Reformed Doctrine Of Divine Foreknowledge – A Call For A Coherent And Unified Voice
If the Reformed faith is God’s deposit of the purest doctrine in the 21st century, then being walled in by Reformed confessional theology can keep one believing true doctrine. Thankfully and in God’s kind providence, we have Reformed confessions and catechisms to guide us theologically and provide protection against believing false doctrine. However, merely believing true doctrine and Continue reading
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Lifting The Veil That Covers Molinism’s Necessary Counterfactuals Of Creaturely Freedom
Molinists and Calvinists agree over the soundness of the following argument, where x is a future creaturely choice. 1. Necessarily, if God foreknows x, then x will happen2. God foreknows x3. Therefore, x will happen Molinists and Calvinists even agree that the following argument is not just unsound but invalid: 1. Necessarily, if God foreknows Continue reading
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Molinism vs. Theological Determinism Discussion
Arne Verster graciously hosted me on Apologetics Central to discuss Molinism and Theological Determinism. Continue reading
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An Essential Tenet Of Reformed Theology *Is* Determinism. The Reformed Need To Embrace It.
When it comes to the question of whether Reformed theology entails a principle of determinism, either disagreement abounds among Reformed theologians or else many within the tradition are talking by each other. Perhaps some are in theological agreement over this essential aspect of Reformed theology while expressing themselves in conflicting ways. Perhaps. Regardless, there is Continue reading
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John Davenant, Another Enticement For The “Reformed” (in name only)
If it be denied that Christ died for some persons, it will immediately follow, that such could not be saved, even if they should believe. I can understand Arminians saying such a thing but when those who profess to be Reformed say things like that, more than bad theology is at play. (And by the Continue reading
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5 Point Molinists & Pervasive Confusion
I have been convinced for well over a decade not only that many professing Calvinists are latent Molinists but that most are. Here we find what I believe to be a representative sample of how Calvinists relate free will to the decree of God. The author of the piece earned a Masters in Divinity (minor Continue reading
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The Free Offer Of The Gospel, Not What You’ve Been Told!
Q. What is effectual calling?A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. WSC Q&A 31 Moreover, it Continue reading
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A Robust Depravity – A Return To Calvinism
Total Depravity, as often depicted: In the Reformed tradition, total depravity does not mean utter depravity. We often use the term total as a synonym for utter or for completely, so the notion of total depravity conjures up the idea that every human being is as bad as that person could possibly be… As wicked Continue reading
Philosophical Theology 