Signs of Being a Calvinist
Amy Scott wrote a great post entitled: “Top 10 Reasons You Should Have Known I Was a Calvinist.” I thought that it would be fun to add my own. I like her 10 reasons, so mine will be 11 through 20.
11. As soon as I hear the word “Catholic” the discussion is over.
12. I won’t like any sermon unless the preacher says some kind of reformed buzz word.
13. I love talking about words like amyraldianism, supralapsarianism, and the like.
14. I have a soteriological proof text list.
15. I label anything not reformed as “ecumenical.”
16. I feel it necessary to constantly make everyone define what “free will” means. (I even debate others about it.)
17. I actually mention Calvinism by name in my testimony.
18. I like James White.
19. I’m the guy who brings the party down by mentioning the “p” word.
…and the last reason why you should’ve known I was a Calvinist…
20. My “heresy” section in my bookshelf contains books by Arminians defending Arminianism.
pretty funny, although Amy’s 1–10 are pretty good too.
Very funny! When I was in college, my friends and I would turn heresy books upside-down on our bookshelves to tell them apart from the good ones.
11. As soon as I hear the word â??Catholicâ? the discussion is over.
What a shame… but typical of the fundamentalists and TULIP protestants I’ve known. The great irony is that this is part of the very attitude that helps so many people find their way home to Rome… so, from the standpoint of a convert to the one full church, all I can say is “keep it up!” ;)
Uh…ya.
I am very Reformed but I don’t like James White. I think he is a heretic. He certainly throws the word around a lot so I think I aught to as well. And what do you mean, “As soon as I hear the word â??Catholicâ? the discussion is over.” I am Reformed and Catholic. I am a Reformed Catholic. The Heidelberg Catechism uses the word in in this way.
Q22: What, then, is necessary for a Christian to believe?
A22: All that is promised us in the Gospel, which the articles of our CATHOLIC, undoubted Christian faith teach us in summary.
Calvinists who think that the essence of Calvinism is synominous with the 5 points and the solas are mistaken and put a bad face on Reformed theology and churches to the rest of Christendom. The Reformers rejected the church in Rome because they had despised and abandoned our undoubted catholic faith passed down to us from the apostles.
The misconception that you ca call your self “Reformed” or “Calvinist” just because you hold to the 5 points causes some Baptists to think they are Reformed. They most certainly are not!
Uh…you know that the reformers were against everything regarding Catholic soteriology right (the whole sola fide thing).
I have written in length what I believe one must adhere to to be “reformed.”
Regarding Catholic soteriology, I am sure you mean the “Roman Catholic Church” not the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church soteriology. The Reformers stood against the Roman soteriological abuses such as semi-plagiarism and indulgences. However, each of them, especially Luther, Calvin, and Cramner were very concerned to keep the unity and catholicity of the Church and took seriously the charge of schism. They insisted until the end that they were not establishing a new church but reforming the Catholic Church. To that end, those who are truly Reformed are also Catholic as I have demonstrated from the Reformed Catechism.
Reformed Catholicism
One must ask themselves, would Calvin worship at my church? Probably not. We dishonor both his genius and commitment to the Church if we turn our back on the great tradition passed on to us from our fathers. By no means did Calvin think that the Church was born the say he put pen to paper. We shouldn’t think that we “invented” Christianity in the 16th century either.
I know that your list was mostly a joke and from reading more of what you have written I can see you have a broader grasp of what it means to be “Reformed.” My primary concern is when people think they can call themselves “Reformed” simply for the sake of believing the 5 solas or the 5 point of Calvinism. There is more to being Reformed than that, and you are approaching that with the post you sent me to. Covenant Theology is vital and part of that is Covenant Baptism. That is why I am very reticent to apply the name “Reformed” to Baptists. They would most certainly by Particular Baptists, not General Baptists, and certainly not Reformed.