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Non-Calvinist theologians?

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bjonson

New Member
Most people are NOT Arminian in evangelicalism today, in my humble opinion, so let's not assume labels.

Can we please focus on the opening post? There are plenty of other forums to debate the issue.
 

Scott J

Active Member
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I am not sure that "most" people in evangelicalism today have a deep enough theology to rightly discern whether they are one or the other. I'm not trying to be mean but evangelicals often seem to be pretty shallow today.

I would probably disagree with your conclusion as well. I think most evangelicals are default arminians having been taught that man's decision is primary in salvation.
 

IveyLeaguer

New Member
I won't hijack the thread, but I must respond.

Originally posted by Scott J:
I am a calvinist because after reading scripture it appears to be the best system for accounting for the whole of scripture...
Therein lies the problem with Calvinism. It seeks a SYSTEM for God's handiwork to fit into so it is more understandble to the ways of the fallen human mind. The thing is, 90% or something like that fits quite nicely. The rest is hammered in through forced intellectualization.

Originally posted by Scott J:
As far as people who are neither, there are people who have not studied the issue enough to align themselves with one or the other ...
This one really amuses me. No doubt that most people have not studied out the issue, but the notion that a regenerate Christian who is not a 5 pt. Calvinist must, by definition, be Arminian is ridiculous. [A point, BTW, which I don't care to debate - I've already been round and round with Pastor Larry (who is one of my favorite posters, as are you) on this point, only to end up right back where we started.]


As to the OP, there are some excellent non-Calvinist theologians but most of the ones I know of are not Arminian.
 

Scott J

Active Member
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Originally posted by IveyLeaguer:
I won't hijack the thread, but I must respond.

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Scott J:
I am a calvinist because after reading scripture it appears to be the best system for accounting for the whole of scripture...
Therein lies the problem with Calvinism. It seeks a SYSTEM for God's handiwork to fit into so it is more understandble to the ways of the fallen human mind. The thing is, 90% or something like that fits quite nicely. The rest is hammered in through forced intellectualization.</font>[/QUOTE] I don't "hammer" anything having previously stated that some of Calvin's explanations were unsatisfactory.

As I said, I believe TULIP best accommodates what scripture says... not all points with equal ease but I know of none that cannot be dealt with through comparison with the overall context of scripture.

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Scott J:
As far as people who are neither, there are people who have not studied the issue enough to align themselves with one or the other ...
This one really amuses me. No doubt that most people have not studied out the issue, but the notion that a regenerate Christian who is not a 5 pt. Calvinist must, by definition, be Arminian is ridiculous. [A point, BTW, which I don't care to debate - I've already been round and round with Pastor Larry (who is one of my favorite posters, as are you) on this point, only to end up right back where we started.]</font>[/QUOTE]
OK... and thanks.
 

NateT

Member
Nate,

Perhaps the "Calvinism" that we see debated on this website is often a caricature...

Brian
Brian, that is very likely. However, I wasn't persuaded/disuaded by anything said on the board. I was probably persuaded by the Calvinistic theologians I was reading


William Lane Craig might be considered non-Calvinistic and/or J.P. Moreland. I don't know, I haven't read thm. I know they're "philosophers" and not technically "theologians" but one friend who leans more to the arminian side is greatly influenced by these two.
 

Helen

<img src =/Helen2.gif>
Originally posted by Scott J:
Though I am sure that folks on both sides might object to one thing or another... this seems to be a fair representation of the two camps:

http://christianity.about.com/od/denominations/a/calvinarminian.htm

Helen, Other than the last point, what would you object to in the arminian position.
It's a fair question, Scott. And I am not going to give a quick and dirty response. I have copied off, from that website, the five points of each and will give a response to each of the five points for each side, probably tomorrow. I have started the response, but I don't have time to do it all today.

God bless.
 

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Originally posted by NateT:

A couple questions 1) Was D.L. Moody a "theologian" 2) Was he Calvinistic? I'm fairly sure the answer to #2 is no, because I thought he said you could lose your salvation.
Moody was definitely not Calvinistic, though I've never heard that he believed he could lose your salvation. R. A. Torrey (who I believe someone has already mentioned), on the other hand, was a close associate of Moody's and definitely not a Calvinist and definitely a theologian, though more in the popular mode than the professional mode.

I, too, feel to be simplistic the suggestion on this thread that one must be either Calvinist or Arminian or he hasn't studied the issues. It is entirely possible to come out somewhere in the middle after studying all the verses, reading the theologians and discussing it in the college or seminary dorm--or the Baptist Board. :D ;)
 

bjonson

New Member
Originally posted by Scott J:
I am not sure that "most" people in evangelicalism today have a deep enough theology to rightly discern whether they are one or the other. I'm not trying to be mean but evangelicals often seem to be pretty shallow today.

I would probably disagree with your conclusion as well. I think most evangelicals are default arminians having been taught that man's decision is primary in salvation.
Hi Scott,

Thank you for reminding me of an error. I was confusing Arminias with Pelagius. I do think most evangelicals are Arminian in their basic views today...

I think "semi-Pelagian" works.
 

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Charles Finney is one Arminian who wrote a systematic theology. There have been others--Jacob Arminius, for example! :D

Henry Theissen was a very solid evangelical theologian (not "shallow"--quit with that already, okay, Scott J?) who stood somewhere in the middle. His Lectures in Systematic Theology has been a standard textbook for many years. I would recommend it to anyone as a starting place for studying systematic theology.

Others who are non-Calvinist on the modern scene (though these may have been mentioned) include Charles Ryrie, Zane Hodges and Leon Morris.
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drfuss

New Member
IMHO, there is a problem with definitions in the above posts. Apparently, some Calvinists define anyone who is not a Calvinist as an Arminian regardless of what the belief is on this issue. I do not consider myself a Calvinist and I do not believe a Christian can lose their salvation. I believe a Christian can make a decision to stop trusting Christ alone as savior and by this decision forfits his salvation. Works and performance have nothing to do with it. Too many times the term 'losing your salvation' is interpreted as something that happened that your are not aware. I am eternally secure as long as I continue to trust Christ as my Savior.
I think most non-calvinist, evangelistic demoninations believe as I do. Many Calvinists think Christians in these demoninations do not know if they are saved or not, which of course is false. These denominations usually do not consider themselves Arminian, but somewhere in between.
 

DeadMan

New Member
Originally posted by bjonson:
Thank you for the replies so far...

Helen, I am not interested in anyone's opinion on the validity of Calvinism, I only asked for non-Calvinistic theologians.
I've not been around here for very long but it has become apparent to me that, regardless of the question, if you mention Calvin, Calvinism, etc. you're gonna get lots of opinions from both sides!
 

exscentric

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Sure you could have resisted, but you'd rather let that old nature get the best of you and - and - and ....


Well, I deserved that
thumbs.gif


I still think he was one of them guys no matter if I cain't spell!
 
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