Calvinism on the Rise in America?

[brian_custer]

well, what do the “protestants” intend to do about their splintering?

the catholic church fractured in 1054 into two pieces & we’ve not so far been able to repair the damage

meanwhile , the protestants fractured off from Mother Church into 10,000 pieces
how could that possibly be repaired?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Short of rejoining the mother church, I don’t see much of a solution for Protestants.

Also remember the oldest Protestant church is a maximum of 500 years old and a lot of their churches are much younger than that. There’s a very real possibility that a lot of Protestant churches will simply die out.

 

[brian_custer]

where will the followers of the dying or dead splinters go to ?

catholicism? i doubt it

there is so much anti-catholic bigotry in the protestant church

the zombies will just go to pastor bubba’s service, after pastor jim-bob’s congregation goes bankrupt

 

[SuperLuigi]

orthodox Catholicism, non-denominational, atheism. Anything that’s more consistent and not so wishy-washy with the times.

 

[lanman87]

As an Evangelical I can say without doubt that there is a revival of Calvinism in Evangelicalism in the United States. However, the Arminian theology of how someone comes to faith in Christ is still the prevalent doctrine among Evangelicals in the USA. The two largest denomination in the USA hold an Arminian view of how one comes to faith in Christ. (Southern Baptist and United Methodist). Also, almost all pentecostal/charasmatic churches hold an Arminian view of salvation.

Calvinism is making inroads into the Southern Baptist church. Al Molher is the President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his a Calvinist and has hired Calvinist professors. However, the other Southern Baptist Seminaries (I believe there are seven) are still teaching an Arminian slant to salvation theology.

Also, the Presbyterian Church in America is one of the fastest growing denominations in the country. It is socially conservative and strongly Calvinist.

IMO- one of the reasons for the resurgence in Calvinism is the how shallow and minimalist Evangelical churches have become over the past 30 years or so. Most evangelical teaching is “500 miles wide and 2 inches deep”. Calvinism offers an intellectualism that isn’t found in most of the emotion driven evangelical churches.

I came to this board back in the spring, and ironically, my interaction with you good folks and my reading about the reformation has helped me understand Calvinism better and as a result my personal theology has moved toward Calvinism. I haven’t fully embraced Calvinism but as I’ve researched it my objections are started to be answered in both Biblical and intellectual ways.

 

[Wannano]

where will the followers of the dying or dead splinters go to ?

catholicism? i doubt it

there is so much anti-catholic bigotry in the protestant church

the zombies will just go to pastor bubba’s service, after pastor jim-bob’s congregation goes bankrupt

Attitudes like yours certainly do not attract me to Catholicism. Sorry, but it is true.

 

[exnihilo]

Of course America’s roots are in many ways Calvinist.

Are they? In the early days you had the established Church of England. This became the Episcopal Church after the revolt. Calvinism via Presbyterianism would have been brought by the Scots. You did have Calvinism by way of the Puritans in New England. This strangely morphed ultimately into Unitarianism and Universalism. I’m not so sure our roots are Calvinist but it certainly has had an influence, most of it bad, in things like banning Christmas and prohibition.

IMO- one of the reasons for the resurgence in Calvinism is the how shallow and minimalist Evangelical churches have become over the past 30 years or so. Most evangelical teaching is “500 miles wide and 2 inches deep”. Calvinism offers an intellectualism that isn’t found in most of the emotion driven evangelical churches.

I agree. It offers a hard rationalism. It offers a system. I can see why this has appeal as a reaction against recent evangelical doctrine and practice.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I agree. It offers a hard rationalism. It offers a system. I can see why this has appeal as a reaction against recent evangelical doctrine and practice.

Yes, Calvinism or “Reformed theology” has definitely been on the rise for the past 10 years or so. I agree with you and Ianman87 that it appeals to many who enjoy theology and see it as deeper than typical Evanglicalism.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

I came to this board back in the spring, and ironically, my interaction with you good folks and my reading about the reformation has helped me understand Calvinism better and as a result my personal theology has moved toward Calvinism. I haven’t fully embraced Calvinism but as I’ve researched it my objections are started to be answered in both Biblical and intellectual ways.

As an Evangelical, I also gravitated toward Calvinism for a time before becoming Catholic, so I understand the pull. Ultimately, though, I found that the fullness of truth is found in the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Christ. There is certainly much intellectual theology to be found in the Reformed writings, but no matter how elaborate the structure, it cannot stand when its foundation is built on the shifting sands of Sola Scriptura.

Not intending to derail the discussion; just throwing that out there. Hope you continue your search for the truth!

 

[FollowChrist34]

Yes, I am talking about the Puritans of New England when I say our roots are Calvinist. And I agree that the Church of England was also a very predominant force in the early settlements, all 13 colonies. But in New England Puritan values, mores, had a huge influence in the early days of American culture, identity. Hawthorne’s novels (his family was Puritan) are a fascinating study of Puritanism - mixed in criticism and admiration. I have old Boston ancestors - back to like 1660, even earlier I think in a few cases. I was amazed at how crystal clear and thorough New England records are. Church records, property records. The Puritans were very no nonsense, very structured society, with God at the center. It was the Anglicans that wanted the separation of Church and State that emerged in the US constitution, laws of the land. I guess I share Hawthorne’s view. I see things to admire and admonish in the “Calvinists” - who did come from England and Scotland. Also France - Huguenots and the Dutch Reformists who settled heavily in the New York, Long Island area. The French more in the South, but also New York a bit. And, yes, Calvinists are Presbyterians, but also Baptists to my mind, then and now. And today the Baptists are a much stronger force in Evangelicalism than the Presbyterians who fragmented in the 20th century, modern/traditional just like the Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists (and Catholics ). I am often afraid of the zealousness of these Evangelical/Calvinists, and I even question the integrity of their Christianity on occasion, but I admire their religious determination and fortitude, staying power. I do see some of that in American identity - good and bad. Just depends on how the individual American understands/exercises it. A good example is the prolife movement, bad example is prohibition. That is my point.

 

[MT1926]

Presbyterians are Calvinists. So are the “Reformed Churches” (Congregational churches are part of the Reformed Church group) and some (not all) Baptists.

This might have been true at one time and might be still true in some areas. However, I have family members who go to the local Presbyterian church and they are no where close to being Calvinists. The only TULIPS they have are in the landscape. Now we do a a local “Christian church” that pretty much teaches in line with Calvin but don’t really claim to be Calvinists.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This might have been true at one time and might be still true in some areas.

It IS true in some areas. In fact, many areas. My husband’s entire family is primarily Presbyterian. They are Calvinist. The Reformed Presbyterians in their area, more so.

 

[ATraveller]

Do they believe in T.U.L.I.P.?

Some hold all 5 points, some hold 3.

Some will identify as Arminian and some won’t but only 30% of SBC pastors identify as Calvinists.

That’s interesting. The people who I often see representing the SBC are Al Mohler, Russell Moore and David Platt. They’re all Calvinists.

John MacArthur

He is a Calvinist. Unfortunately, he’s a bit anti-Catholic from what I’ve read about him.

non-denominational, megaChurch type Protestants.

The interesting thing is some of those do have Calvinist leanings or are actually part of a denomination but it’s just not obvious.

Examples?

Tim Keller, Francis Chan and John Piper are three that instantly come to mind.

“calvinist” church

Adding to @adamhovey1988 and @Tis_Bearself, it’s a theology that also spans denominations. I’ve mentioned some Southern Baptists are. In Anglican and Methodist denominations, there are Calvinists and they tend to be ‘low church’ I believe.

 

[ltwin]

i thought the puritans are calvinists; or is it the calvinists that are puritans… ?

hard to keep up with the splinters of the protestant church…

Puritans were 16th century Calvinists in the Church of England. They wanted the Anglican Church to go in a more Calvinist, low church, Presbyterian direction. Some Puritans immigrated to America–New England–to be exact. They adopted congregational governance and became the Congregationalists of today.

Presbyterians are Calvinists. So are the “Reformed Churches” (Congregational churches are part of the Reformed Church group) and some (not all) Baptists.

We need to point out though that while all Presbyterian, Reformed and Congregationalist churches started out Calvinist today many are not strongly Calvinistic at all.

Take for example liberalism of the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA). While there are still some Calvinists in PC(USA), much of the denomination is dominated by liberal Protestant theology.

Also, for the Congregationalists, in the US, most Congregationalists merged into the United Church of Christ. The UCC as a whole is not Calvinist–its just liberal mainline Protestant.

 

[ltwin]

In Anglican and Methodist denominations, there are Calvinists and they tend to be ‘low church’ I believe.

Calvinism has always had a presence within Anglicanism. Look at the 39 Articles of Religion and you can see a strong Calvinist influence.

There is a small Calvinist Methodist denomination, originating from the work of George Whitefield in the 18th century, but the largest Methodist denominations are officially Arminian.

 

[ATraveller]

the protestants fractured off from Mother Church into 10,000 pieces

how could that possibly be repaired?

The interesting thing is I’ve read about some collaboration between some Southern Baptist pastors and Presbyterian Church in America pastors and sharing of resources in church planting between them. Some believe there may be a number of congregations that will be ‘bidenominational’ if they don’t already exist.

 

[ltwin]

That’s interesting. The people who I often see representing the SBC are Al Mohler, Russell Moore and David Platt. They’re all Calvinists.

7_Sorrows:

Yeah, this from a LifeWay Research poll (LifeWay is owned by the SBC). See “SBC Pastors Polled on Calvinism and Its Effect”.

 

[ltwin]

This might have been true at one time and might be still true in some areas. However, I have family members who go to the local Presbyterian church and they are no where close to being Calvinists. The only TULIPS they have are in the landscape. Now we do a a local “Christian church” that pretty much teaches in line with Calvin but don’t really claim to be Calvinists.

Mainline Presbyterian churches rejected orthodox Calvinism beginning in the 18th century. It began with a slow transition into orthodox Arminianism and finally into simple liberal Protestantism.

In the US, the non-Calvinist Presbyterians are found in the PC(USA) denomination. Actual Calvinist denominations would be the Presbyterian Church in America, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, and the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

That’s been my impression.
I’ve never met a single person who believes in double predestination

 

[exnihilo]

I think the Calvinist roots were more New England’s roots. The South was, it seems to me, more Anglican and at that more Catholic (despite not having many Catholics), at least in the earlier days.