The New Calvinism is “Changing the World”

This is true according to Time Magazine.  Time has cataloged the top ’10 Ideas that are changing the world’ for next week’s cover story and they listed, uhem, the ‘New Calvinism’ at number 3!

Here’s the rest of the list:

1. Jobs Are the New Assets
2. Recycling the Suburbs
3. The New Calvinism
4. Reinstating the Interstate
5. Amortality
6. Africa, Business Destination
7. The Rent-a-Country
8. Biobanks
9. Survival Stores
10. Ecological Intelligence

According to Time:

Calvinism is back, and not just musically. John Calvin’s 16th century reply to medieval Catholicism’s buy-your-way-out-of-purgatory excesses is Evangelicalism’s latest success story, complete with an utterly sovereign and micromanaging deity, sinful and puny humanity, and the combination’s logical consequence, predestination: the belief that before time’s dawn, God decided whom he would save (or not), unaffected by any subsequent human action or decision.

Neo-Calvinist ministers and authors don’t operate quite on a Rick Warren scale. But, notes Ted Olsen, a managing editor at Christianity Today, “everyone knows where the energy and the passion are in the Evangelical world” – with the pioneering new-Calvinist John Piper of Minneapolis, Seattle’s pugnacious Mark Driscoll and Albert Mohler, head of the Southern Seminary of the huge Southern Baptist Convention. The Calvinist-flavored ESV Study Bible sold out its first printing, and Reformed blogs like Between Two Worlds are among cyber-Christendom’s hottest links.

If I were Mark Driscoll I probably would not be down with having a disqualifying sin for eldership be used as an adjective to describe me (cf. 1 Tim. 3.3).  At the end of the day, God is sovereign, even over such things as this article.  As he always says, “just something to pray about.”

I am glad that they list Piper, Mohler, the ESV Study Bible and Justin Taylor’s blog.  I think that we will look back one day at these times and praise God for his wisdom, kindness and grace in putting such good resources in our hands to fuel and sustain God-centered growth.

Like the Calvinists, more moderate Evangelicals are exploring cures for the movement’s doctrinal drift, but can’t offer the same blanket assurance. “A lot of young people grew up in a culture of brokenness, divorce, drugs or sexual temptation,” says Collin Hansen, author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists. “They have plenty of friends: what they need is a God.” Mohler says, “The moment someone begins to define God’s [being or actions] biblically, that person is drawn to conclusions that are traditionally classified as Calvinist.”

I tried not to quote the whole article, but it was difficult. Here is the rest of it.

It is exciting today that God is causing folks to notice the impact of the gospel through the church and into the community.  Publicity is good if it brings people into the tent and causes a gospel centered revival.  Wouldn’t it be great if the new evangelical fad was the gospel?

At the same time I know that it is not going to be cool to be a Calvinist forever.  In fact, the reaction to this will probably be people going overboard and sullying the name, confusing the issues and a subsequent swing away from doctrine.  However things go, I am convinced that this is the truth of God and that it should be trumpeted with passion, humility, clarity, and regularity.  May God be pleased to continue to open a door for the Word (Col. 4.3).

Possibly Related posts:

1. Jerry Falwell: Calvinism = Heresy
2. Defending Calvinism by Spurgeon
3. Calvinism is the natural theology written on the heart of the new man
4. Good Days for Affectionate Calvinism…props from Tim Challies
5. Al Mohler, the Calvinist, interviewed by TIME

8 Responses to “The New Calvinism is “Changing the World””

1. Jon says:

   March 12, 2009 at 10:02 pm

   I thought this was an interesting and cool choice. I didn’t feel like the article justified very well how New Calvinism is changing the world. Will be interesting to see if they do follow-up on it.
2. Deborah says:

   March 14, 2009 at 12:11 am

   So interesting. My hubby and I were drawn to Calvinism (or should I say our biblical convictions caused us to draw conclusions traditionally classified as Calvinism) several years ago. We struggled with the ideas and wondered and fretted and studied and prayed. And yet…we couldn’t get away from the clear biblical idea that God is sovereign and Man is sinful.
   It has been WILD to notice God drawing many of our friends in the same manner — and not friends in the same locale or circles. It has just seemed there was a movement of God re-awakening many of us to His power and to wanting to give Him glory.
   So it is amusing to me that the movement is big enough the secular media is picking up on it. That’s just wild. Apparently God isn’t just moving folks I know personally in this direction, eh!?
3. Stay, Stay at Home My Heart says:

   March 14, 2009 at 12:30 am

   [...] (I read about it over at Irish Calvinist.) [...]
4. Toby says:

   March 18, 2009 at 10:14 am

   Is Clavinism the next great church movement in America? In modern American evangelicalism the ideas of Calvinism stand in sharp contrast to the rest of popular church culture. I believe it is because in Calvinism there is a high emphasis on the Word of God (lifting the Word of God to the level of his name). This results in a properly elevated view of God as well as a thurough understanding of the humility of man. This is most exemplafied in the work God does in Christ on the cross for us. So while I am glad to see Calvinism recieving some press coverage, I don’t think we are the one’s who are “moving”, maybe not even growing. I believe that evangelical America is the one who has an ongoing movement away from the Word of God and has left those who cling to it standing alone where we have always been, just a lot more visible than we were before. My hope is that it will cause Christ to be more visible than he was before as the doctrines of Grace become more clearly defined.
   I agree with Erik, the world might be enamored at Calvinism at the present time, but when what we believe of Christ is understood the world will attack us for such belief.

   Toby
5. Toby says:

   March 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm

   I just read the Michael Spencer link. I think it is applicable here.
6. Erik says:

   March 19, 2009 at 9:55 am

   Toby, while many of us are not moving I think a lot of folks are. And this is, no doubt, as you mentioned, a result of God’s grace working in and through these churches. But at the end of the day, “in season and out of season…” right?
7. shepherdsteve says:

   March 23, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   Just read the article from Time and saw the author’s condescending attitude all over it. Clearly this is a piece of work that if fitting of Time magazine. It is written in such a manner that promotes this trend as a fad along the lines of “purpose driven”. How about having the author do some real research on why movements in the church have happened and what has been the different causes. Then look to see why there is a trend along the lines of “calvinistic theology”?
   I realize soundbites are easy and real research takes time.
8. Erik says:

   March 24, 2009 at 1:55 pm

   Not surprising Steve. I hope this ‘fad’ really catches on though.