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A La Carte (3/30)
- 03/30/10
- 10
Calvinism Is Back - The once-daily format of A La Carte means that I’m sometimes late on the news. I’m betting this article has already been posted on 8,000 different blogs. Nevertheless, here it is again. This is from the Christian Science Monitor: “In America’s Christian faith, a surprising comeback of rock-ribbed Calvinism is challenging the Jesus-is-your-buddy gospel of modern evangelism.”
Buried for 27 Days - The Telegraph has an article on a man who survived being buried for 27 days after the earthquake in Haiti.
Christian Book Award Finalists - The ECPA has announced the list of this year’s Christian Book Award finalists. I don’t know how to react to the news that The American Patriot’s Bible has been nominated in the Bibles category.
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Comments (10)
RE: The Christian Book Awards - ditto. Looking at the books shortlisted in each category in general, it seems pretty random.
Calvinisms Comeback - It is encouraging to me to see so many young people embracing a more serious and God centered theology . Both my sons (age 20 and 16) see the doctrines of grace , as articulated in Calvin’s Institutes , as logical and full of truth pulled directly from the Bible. As my oldest son said, it satisfies ones hunger for content and challenges you to grow in knowledge of the living God. It is God centered and Chris exulting.Where will it be in 10 years or so , I don’t know but when I hear of younger men and women taking their sin serious , having a thirst for God’s glory , it is hopeful for the sad state of Christianity in the US and Canada . Plus with the influence of young preachers like Driscoll, Matt Chandler etc.. they are also coming into contact with writings and ministry of Piper,Keller,Horton,White,Horton and of course the awesome R.C Sproul. It is encouraging .
An Emergent acquaintance of mine believes that Christianity is headed “somewhere very bad” because many his age are leaning more towards Calvinism.
I don’t know how it could possibly be bad to get back to a foundation of Scriptural truth. ;)
I’m cool with the Calvinism comeback. I just hope that it causes the hypers to back down and learn a little love. How many churches have imploded because of their insistence on ‘being right’?
David, Red Letter Believers, “Salt and Light,” http://www.RedLetterBelievers.com
Re Christian Book Awards, is that really the best they could find in the category of Bible Reference & Study? It looks more like the ones they thought would most benefit from an additional promotional effort. If there weren’t books that better met their own criteria, we’re all in trouble.
I found the Calvinism article to be quiet encouraging.
The book award finalists is strange. Surely better books came out this year than the ones that were selected.
I haven’t looked specifically at the Patriot Bible myself, so I have to be careful — but the very title and idea makes me wince. This brand of faith is HUGE in parts of my family and it causes more dissension, division, and just outright nonsensical distraction from the truth of the gospel than you’d care to believe. I wish I could transcribe here some of the amazing conversations overheard at family reunions between the patriots, the Christians, and the non-Christian “spiritual” folks…or maybe I’m glad I can’t even recreate it. Oy.
Half way through the Calvinism article — so happy to see this resurgence. I remember being a little surprised when Time listed “the new Calvinists” as one of the top influences affecting the culture today…but it’s seeming more and more real now. Could this also mean that “Deeds not Creeds” is on the outs and “Deeds Because of Creeds” is on the rise? I saw this discussed well in an article this week — I’ll try to find it again and post for anyone interested. It was a fantastic write-up on works and evangelism as a result of an outpouring of genuine thanks over the grace we’ve been shown as opposed to a replacement for the preaching of the Word or a means of salvation.
I’m cool with the Calvinism comeback. I just hope that it causes the hypers to back down and learn a little love. How many churches have imploded because of their insistence on ‘being right’?
My guess is that there would be relatively few. I could be wrong, but I’ve often felt like hypercalvinists are far more the exception than the rule. From the perspective of most non-Calvinists we’re all hypers. But from within I think very few truly are.
Good grief. I haven’t seen a worse collection of books for finalists. This is the best we can come up with? Lord, have mercy.
I read a lot. (not as much as you, Mr. Challies, but quite a bit, and many of the books you recommend) I’ve only read 3 on that list and one that is currently on loan from the library.
How do they come up with their selection? I believe I agreed with much more last year, if it’s the same organization that chose the ESV Study Bible as Book of the Year)
I’m not intrigued by most of their selections this year.