This Week in Calvinism - November 26, 2010

• Dr. Wes Bredenhof reviews the book Letters to a Young Calvinist, by James K. A. Smith.
  
  
• Erik Raymond has discontinued his Irish Calvinist blog and introduced a new one entitled Ordinary Pastor.
  
  
• Robots of Calvinism.
  
  
• Matt Tully has posted part 8 in his series on "Humble Calvinism."
  
  
• Calvinist Matt Fenn responds to Arminian Steve Berg's reaction to Fenn's original post on predestination.
  
  
• The Intrepid Evangelist explains why he has given up Facebook.
  
  
• Beware the Agitated Arminian!

Thanking the Puritans on Thanksgiving

From the First Things blog:

There's little less fashionable today than praising the Puritans, especially for their egalitarian political idealism, their promotion of genuinely humane and liberating learning, and their capacity for enjoyment and human happiness. Praising the Puritans is especially difficult for us because even most of our Protestants have abandoned them. When a European calls us Puritanical we don't say, "yes, thanks a lot, you're right." Instead, we either deny it, saying we're way beyond those days. Or we admit it, saying that, "yes, we should be less capitalistic, less repressed, and more free thinking, just like you." But the truth is that the Puritans remain the chief source of the American difference–our ability to live freely and prosperously without unduly slighting the longings of our souls. It's the Puritans' idealism that made and even makes Americans civilized.

Read the full post here.

This Week in Calvinism - November 19, 2010

• Fred Butler wishes Covenant Theology folks understood a little more about the theology of Dispensationalism. But since it has changed so much in its short 150-year history, maybe he'll cut us some slack.
  
  
• When arguing against total depravity, one should not misinterpret Romans 3:10-11 to mean "there is no one who has done good enough (achieved perfection)." The text is quite clear: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." And let's not forget Romans 14:23, which says that "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
  
  
• So, there is no Calvinist resurgence?
  
  
• Well, maybe there is, despite what the recent Barna survey says.
  
  
• Remember, dear Christian, Satan's schemes always backfire in the end.

Atheist Hymn

This Week in Calvinism - November 12, 2010

• C. H. Spurgeon's take on limited atonement: sufficient for all, efficacious for the elect.
  
  
• Writes Arminian Ken Schenck: "So who cares about Piper, Driscoll, or Mohler?" (Or Spurgeon?) "They blow away with a puff of wind, leaving the rest of us to go on trying to save everyone."
  
  
• What does it mean to say that "God is sovereign"?
  
  
• Jameson Graber concludes his series on Calvin's Institutes with a post on Calvin's view of civil government.
  
  
• Is New Calvinism the new fundamentalism?
  
  
• Dr. Michael Brown debates himself on the issue of Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Dr. Brown himself is a former Calvinist turned Arminian. (Aren't they all?)
  
  
• Do you use Accordance Bible software? There is an update available for The John Piper Manuscript Library.
  
  
• Calvinistic Cartoons enters into the Terrible Twos today. Happy birthday, Eddie!