A couple weeks ago my colleague and office neighbor at Taylor Seminary, Jerry Shepherd, asked me whether he should comment in the blog or simply share his views directly. I opted for the blog exchange. You might think it is a bit strange for two colleagues to be blogging back and forth when their desks […]
election
Calvinism and the Contrast Effect
Let’s begin by identifying two different senses of “glory”. Objective glory: the degree of greatness that an individual exemplifies. Subjective glory: the perception others have of the degree of greatness that an individual exemplifies coupled with an appropriate response to that objective greatness. Our concern here is with Calvinism and its explanation for God’s subjective glory […]
Why Calvinists should be universalists or Arminians
Over the years as I have engaged in extended discussions with Calvinists over election and the divine nature I have often found the same two red herrings being pulled out just as things start to heat up. And so it is in my recent discussion with a Calvinist named Kerry over my critique of another Calvinist (Andrew). Given that I think […]
Why “God hated Esau” is of no use to the Calvinist
Pete asked what a person who believes God is omnibenevolent does with “God hated Esau” (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13). There are a number of complexities in these passages. To begin with, there is the fact that the specific individuals Jacob and Esau serve as symbols representing people groups (Israel and Edom, or more broadly, insider and outsider). Second, there is […]
God’s arbitrary choices and election
I have argued the the implications of the Calvinist view of election is that God’s choice of those who are elect is arbitrary. But what do I mean by “arbitrary”? I mean this: Arbitrary decision: any decision between two or more options where one option is chosen but another option was equally feasible. For example, it is […]
Calvinism and the arbitrary camp director
I have been arguing that on Calvinism God’s bestowal of special, electing love on some creatures and not others is wholly arbitrary. And this is a problem. Tom offers the following Calvinist response: “Why does God choose me and not the other guy? Because through a fool like me, he can bring glory to Himself.” […]
Tigers, Tabbys, and God’s special love for his elect
Who says God has to love everybody equally? (Sentimental Arminians, that’s who.) “Au contraire mon frere” says the Calvinist. There is nothing wrong with God having a general love for all humanity even as he has a special love for his elect. And why shouldn’t it be so? After all, as Linda asks, “Is it […]
The day the Arminian Pride Parade came to Geneva
The Genevans were outraged to learn that the mayor had declared April 1 “Arminian Pride Day.” “Political correctness run amok!” the Calvinists growled. “And right here in our fair city. Why can’t those Arminians just go back in the closet?” Rumor even had it that the Home Depot and Disneyland were both sponsoring the Arminian […]
Hell we go again
Linda responds to my Calvinist critique as follows: “No matter how you slice it, the Bible is clear that many will go to Hell. Is not the real problem is [sic] that many go to Hell, yet God could of made it where all go to Heaven?” Not according to the traditional Arminian free will response. On […]
Do Arminians have the same problem as Calvinists?
Paul Manata offers a response to my article “Calvinism preaches a God of love, and yet…” The response was a tu quoque, an argument form which functions like this: Randal and Paul were walking home from the Barry Manilow concert when Paul was surrounded by a group of growling headbangers who were focused on his […]
Calvinism preaches a God of love, and yet…
The central objection to Calvinism has always been, and will always be, that God’s decision to elect some people to salvation whilst leaving (or electing) others to damnation is inconsistent with the notion of divine love. But Calvinists are not without their rebuttals. One common rejoinder is to argue that our understanding of love is imperfect. It […]
A Reformed voice brings clarity to free will, providence and election
There is no shortage of confusion among the recent wave of “new Calvinists” on the Reformed understanding of free will, providence and election. This became very clear to me a couple years ago when my book Finding God in the Shack was critiqued by popular Reformed blogger Tim Challies for providing a correct outline of the […]
When is chocolate not chocolate, and when is love not love?
Bridezilla was very clear. She asked for a wedding cake made with chocolate and strawberries. The strawberries she got. But the chocolate? Well it seems Bridezilla was not clear enough, for the chef made it with white chocolate. Not an ounce of cacao to be seen (let alone tasted). “That,” snarled Bridezilla, “is not chocolate. […]
God’s (arbitrary?) love revisited
I am working on a couple blog posts on demons for later this week. Should be interesting. In the interim, I’m going to say a bit more about divine love. I argued last week that God’s electing love on the Reformed view is arbitrary. I then added to the mix my lamely-named “Token Choice Claim”: it […]
