In some circles Calvinism unfortunately has a reputation for being sinfully contentious, especially when self-labeled Calvinists are arrogant and when non-Calvinists misunderstand what Calvinism really is.
This 94-page book should help:
John Piper. Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2013.
It’s available as a free PDF.
[Read more…] about Calvinism: Deeply Experiencing God’s Grace
“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21b).
The daughters of two well-known theologians recently died, and both theologians publicly reflected on the tragic events. One is an Arminian, and one is a Calvinist:
(HT: Tony Reinke)
Losing a daughter in the prime of her life must be unimaginably painful! But my jaw dropped when I read what Ben Witherington asserts about Job 1:21 (bullet points added):
For the last several years, I’ve been corresponding with my friends David and Jonny Gibson about a 700-page book they’ve been editing on definite atonement.
During this time, Mark Snoeberger and I have been editing a much smaller debate-book titled Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement: Three Views, with essays and responses by Grant R. Osborne, John S. Hammett, and Carl R. Trueman (B&H, forthcoming).
So I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book for several years:
David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson, eds. From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 703 pp.
It doesn’t disappoint my high expectations. It’s amazing. It’s definitely the most thorough and compelling book describing and defending definite atonement. And best of all, it not only refutes other views and presents strong arguments for definite atonement; it addresses the issue with the right tone. It leads the reader to worship the triune God!
[Read more…] about Definite Atonement in Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective
In 2010, B&H published Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism (ed. David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke). It arose from the 2008 “John 3:16 Conference.”
This book is much better:
Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles, eds. Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy. 
Cape Coral, FL: Founders, 2012. 401 pp.
Here’s the lineup: [Read more…] about Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy
John Piper tweeted of this book, “When this kind of critique and warning come from within a movement, it is a sign of health.”
Greg Dutcher. Killing Calvinism: How to Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology from the Inside. Adelphi, MD: Cruciform, 2012. 111 pp.
Sam Storms compares it to medicine: “Many Calvinists will find reading this book to be a painful experience. But medicine is like that.” [Read more…] about Killing Calvinism
Over twenty men recently honored Tom Nettles with a Festschrift:
Thomas K. Ascol and Nathan A. Finn, eds. Ministry by His Grace and for His Glory: Essays in Honor of Thomas J. Nettles. Cape Coral, FL: Founders, 2011.
They presented the book to Nettles on November 10, 2011 at Southern Seminary, and it releases today.
The book divides into three parts: historical, theological, and practical. You can view the contents and contributors here.
Two new books address a familiar controversy:
[PDF sample] [PDF sample]
(Horton wins hands-down on the more attractive book cover—not to mention the argument!)
Horton’s last chapter is entitled “Calvinism Today: A SWOT Analysis.” Here’s how he introduces it:
We know from daily experience that our greatest strengths can also become our greatest weaknesses.
- Persistence can become stubbornness;
- sympathy can devolve into sentimentality; and
- genuine concern for others sometimes turns into an obsequious craving for approval.
- Remarkable gifts of leadership and creativity can be used for good or ill, depending on the motivation and the goals.
- The same is true of movements, since they are largely the collective activity of people like us.
It has become popular for businesses and organizations to conduct a periodical “SWOT” analysis, [Read more…] about Warning to Calvinists: Don’t Let Your Love for Truth Excuse Factionalism
Paul Kjoss Helseth, “Response to William Lane Craig,” in Four Views on Divine Providence (ed. Dennis W. Jowers; Counterpoints; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 113 (formatting added):
While Reformed believers are persuaded that faithfulness to the God of the Bible requires us to affirm and really believe that God “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11), they acknowledge that many evangelicals find it difficult to swallow what Reformed theologians like Douglas Wilson call “the Godness of God” for reasons having to do with something other than exegesis. [Read more…] about Why Some Reject the Godness of God