...Introduction Christianity has been a subject of much debate and controversy for many years. There have been many theologians who have studied Christianity and created doctrine of their own interpretation of Scripture. The doctrines that have caused much debate and have been argued for centuries would be Calvinism and Arminianism. There has been opposing views by churches and other theologians that has caused much controversy over these two doctrines. Calvinism is based on the theological beliefs and teachings by John Calvin and Arminianism is based on the views of Jacobus Arminius. Arminius was once a strict Calvinist who studied under John Calvin and later studies led him to doubt and reject many of the Calvinistic doctrines. To label oneself as either a Calvinist or Arminianist would need to fully understand each of their doctrines. PART ONE Calvinism ”The theological system of John Calvin and his followers marked by strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, the depravity of humankind, and the doctrine of predestination.” -Merriam-Webster Dictionary John Calvin was a great reformation theologian who lived from 1509-1564. “The system of Calvinism adheres to a very high view of scripture and seeks to derive its theological formulations based solely on God’s word. It focuses on God’s sovereignty, stating that God is able and willing by virtue of his omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, to do whatever He desires with His creation. It also maintains that within the...
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...Calvinism and Arminianism Abel Bermea, Jr. Liberty University ENG /101 August 29, 2006 The purpose of this paper is to compare two theological positions, namely Calvinism and Arminianism. These are two positions on either side of the debate concerning free will and predestination. There are those who believe that we have the free will to love/obey God or hate/deny him, and there are those who believe that God, in his sovereignty, has predetermined who will be saved and who will not be saved and neither group is willing to budge. Both sides claim to have the support of Scripture, and both have specific verses they will undoubtedly point to as an "I told you so." The problem is that both sides appear, on some levels at least, to be right. The question that can be answered from a comparison of these two views is this: Which one of these positions offers the more sensible, biblical account? Let’s look at a simple syllogism that sums up the argument of the Arminian (free will advocate). Premise 1: God desires that all men be saved. Premise 2: All men are not saved. Conclusion: Man, by exercising his will, has interfered with God's desire. Calvinists agree with the first premise, and even the second premise. But they come to a very different conclusion. Here is what the Calvinist argues: Premise 1: God desires that all men be saved. Premise 2: All men are not saved. Conclusion: It is not God's chief desire that all men be saved; he has another desire which is stronger, and...
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...Calvinism and Arminianism The purpose of this paper is to compare two theological positions, namely Calvinism and Arminianism. These are two positions on either side of the extreme concerning free will and predestination. There are those who believe that we have the free will to love and obey God or deny God, and there are those who believe that God, in his sovereignty, has predetermined who will be saved or who will not be saved and neither group is willing to budge. Both sides claim to have the support of Scripture, and both have specific verses that are twisted and manipulated to show support and reasoning. The problem is that both sides appear, on some levels at least, to be right. The question that can be answered from a comparison of these two views is this: What are the basic differences between Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, their relation to theology, biblical evidence and worldviews? This research paper covers the five key points or articles of Calvinism and Arminianism, as well as, the history, view of God and biblical evidence or support for each position. History The history of Calvinism and Arminianism dates back to the 16th century, where a man named John Calvin was born in 1509. John Calvin was a son of a lawyer and born in Noyon, France where he developed a love for theology and literature. In 1523 he went to the University of Paris where he studied theology, yet in 1528 he went to Orleans and a year later Bourges to study law. With Calvin’s...
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...Introduction Theologian Jacobus Arminius introduced the world to Arminianism. The founder of Calvinism was named John Calvin. Under John Calvin was a student named Jacobus Arminius. While being a Calvinist, Arminius read the book of Romans in the Bible, this caused him to doubt his belief in Calvinism. Being a Calvinist, Arminius emphasized predestination and the sovereignty of the supreme authority and the ever loving grace of God. Arminianists do not believe in predestination or affirmation of free will. Calvinism Theological Definition: Calvinism Calvin’s Theological definition is as follows: 1). Man is born of sin, and sin has touched every single part of the body, the soul, the mind, and the emotions. This is called total depravity. 2). God chooses the chosen few by the intention of His will, this is Unconditional Election. 3). Christ bore and even died for the chosen few, and only the chosen few, this is Limited Atonement. 4). God calls to his chosen few and for them to ignore His calling is impossible, this is Irresistible Grace. 5). According to Calvinism, one cannot lose their salvation, this is called Preservation of the Saints. Calvinism...
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...THE PROVIDENCE DEBATE: 10/08/2013 201340 FALL 2013 THEO 350-B05 INSTRUCTOR: DR. RICHARD LUMADUE STUDENT: CAROL J MOZEE THE PROVIDENCE DEBATE: 10/08/2013 201340 FALL 2013 THEO 350-B05 INSTRUCTOR: DR. RICHARD LUMADUE STUDENT: CAROL J MOZEE The Providence Debate: Personally why should there be a debate about God, and his where about and how and what he can and can’t do? Who is in control? God is! I know to some people this may not be an appropriate way to start this research paper, but it is what it is and I feel sad that this is how the world thinks and appreciate our God, our Father and Friend. It’s all in defining everything, and not just seeing God’s work and taking, God’s word and believing in God for whom he is. Defining God’s Providence, all things happens according to God’s Sovereign Will, “ God is in control. Romans 8:28 “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. When one defines God’s providence it is referring to the way God governs the world. Does God really sit on His throne and dictate or rule the world? It is not surprising that there is some disagreement in the evangelical world concerning the control of God, His dealing with salvation especially as affected by Jesus and the freewill of mankind. Some theologians think that the three are in contradictory of each other. Are they really in conflict with each other’s or can all three exist in...
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...HISTORY OF CRC I attend a church with the denomination of CRC. The CRC technically came from the Netherlands. But we can’t really be called a Dutch because there are members from all over ethnic areas from Koreans to Hispanics to mosaic. The early church was one in body, one single denomination. But soon views began to change and the church eventually split in two. The Eastern and the Western churches. In 1517 the Protestant Reformation spit the Roman church into several new branches. Among these new branches came the Lutheran church, guided under Martin Luther. Another branch broke off influenced by a different man, this man was Ulrich Zwingli and then later it became John Calvin. This branch was typically referred to as “Presbyterian” or “Reformed”. Reformed churches were very prosperous in the Netherlands and eventually some of these Dutch Reformed people migrated over to the United States, and began the Christian Reformed Church in North America in the year 1857. GREAT HISTORY John Calvin is a very very important person in the Christian Reformed Church’s history. “In a nutshell, these all center on the sovereignty of God. The biblical teachings of predestination and election give us comfort because they assure us that no one and nothing, not even our own bad choices, can snatch us out of God's hand. And the realization that God owns all of creation and continues to assert his rule over it gives us a sure hope for the future.” (crna.org) His teachings spread...
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...Theology 104 Reflection Paper J Lynch Liberty University For my two topics I chose Pentecostalism and Calvinism. While most would write a paper to demolish the foundation on one of these two topics, I will share my life experience with both while providing an equal foundation for each. Please note that I do believe there is only one correct understanding of God’s Word and character; however the Bible shows evidence that God will use all for his purpose in understanding both faith and Christ’s saving grace. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Pentecostals mostly lean toward the Arminian perspective, which I believe is consistent with the Pentecostal character. I will list their five points and some supporting verses. Human Free Will, Power over their own will (1 Corinthians 7:37); Conditional Election, Election is according to God’s foreknowing (1 Peter 1:1-2); Universal Atonement, Any is welcome to come to Christ (Matthew 11:28-30); Resistible Grace, Not all who hear will believe (Romans10:16); and Fall from Grace, Romans 11:17-24. My childhood was anything but wholesome and I knew great terror until the day God delivered me into a better life. I was born and raised a Romanichal “gypsy,” until I was later adopted at age 15. In that culture if you are successful, eventually you will end up as a preacher. Looking back I can see the logic behind...
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...Max Weber “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” Max Webers “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” is an analysis as to the relationship between the emergence of the spirit of capitalism in the west and the ethics of Calvinism. He argues that Calvinism catalysed this creation of the capitalist spirit. His study arose when he asked himself why capitalism had emerged out of Western Europe before anywhere else in the world, even though the economic conditions seemed identical in many of these places. In this essay I will argue that this relationship between the two isn’t as paramount as Weber suggests, and in fact may be completely arbitrary. I believe this for a number of reasons including the distorting effect Webers use of a “ideal type” has and the fact that some areas where Calvinism was practiced heavily Capitalism developed a lot later in, while others with no Calvinist beliefs still did develop Capitalism. Weber starts his analyse looking at the intrinsic relationship between religion and business. He emphasises how sect membership is a sign that you are trustworthy and will be a good business partner, as admission to one of these congregations only happens after a careful probation, where your conduct, back to early childhood, is assessed and checked for any kind of frivolity. Admission therefore is a guarantee of the moral qualities of someone, it is a badge of honour showing you have those qualities that are required in business matters...
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...Calvinism is based on scriptures but also relates to man-made beliefs of God. Presbyterians believe that Jesus died on the cross for the salvation of predestined people that God had chosen; which contradicts the Bible. Calvinism is known for the main points of T.U.L.I.P. which is an acronym for Total Wickedness, Unconditional Election, Limited Punishment, Irresistible Grace, and Persistence of the Saints. Total wickedness is the fact that sin affects a person’s whole body, pertaining to the heart, mind, soul, and emotions. Unconditional election is the election of God based on the good intents a person has based on God’s word without attention to the virtue that person has. Limited atonement refers to the Presbyterians belief that Jesus only died for the elected people God had chosen for salvation. Irresistible grace is whoever He chooses to be elected...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of religion to social change. (18 marks) Weber found that religion could cause social change, such as the Calvinism and capitalism. The Calvinists believed in predestination, so God had already chosen the elect to go to heaven and the individuals who hadn’t, could not do anything to change that. They believed that God was far above and beyond this words and greater than any mortal, that no human could possibly claim to know his will. This left the Calvinists feeling an ‘unprecedented inner loneliness’. When this is combined with the doctrine of predestination, this created a salvation panic amongst the Calvinists. They also believed in asceticism; self-discipline and self-denial. Refraining from a life of luxury. So, instead of spending a lot of money, they put money back into their business. And they believed in the idea of a vocation or calling. Before Calvinism, the idea of a religious vocation (a calling to serve God) meant renouncing everyday life to join a convent or monastery. Weber called this otherworldly asceticism. Calvinists knew God’s plan for humanity, which came from the Bible and it revealed that that they were put on Earth to do glorify God’s name by our work. So, for the Calvinists, this meant constant, methodical work in an occupation and not a monastery. However, work could not earn salvation; this was simply...
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...7 Sandy Creek Tradition………………………………………………………………………..10 Southern Baptist Convention………………………………………………………………..12 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...15 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………...17 Introduction While Arminians have through the years attempted to lay claims of exclusivity that theirs is the primary soteriological doctrine of the Southern Baptist Convention, history demonstrates otherwise and these assertions have a revisionist inflection that is in opposition to the autonomous nature of Southern Baptist congregations. It is not this papers intent to engage in the pros or cons of any given doctrine as it pertains to soteriology, but instead illustrate that what is seen by some as a modern incursion of Calvinism upon the Southern Baptist scene is in fact not without precedent and has a long standing tradition among many of this denominations most ardent practitioners. The Southern Baptist Convention is no stranger to controversy having in its 169 year history been at the center of disputes that have unfortunately at times led to division among its members and guided its course for generations. From the more recent inerrancy debates of the twentieth century to the schism of nineteenth century Landmarkism, Southern Baptists have shown themselves passionate about...
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...other people or governments. In today’s religious views, freedom teaches us the facts of God’s plan for salvation that every individual person has a choice to make, to either accept or reject God’s gift of salvation (Bennet (2009) http://www.freewill-predestination.com). Christians today see life towards destiny. We live and die after we live our lives. Fate is usually a predetermined course of events beyond our control. Whatever happens, happens, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Destination has its course. The Bible teaches man that we were created to make moral choices and that he is responsible for those choices. Everyone has their own story towards their life towards their predestination. According to Calvinism, the Good News of the Gospel said “God only loves and saves those whom He choose to love and save. Everyone else God...
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...ORIGINAL SIN: DO ALL INFANTS GO TO HEAVEN? Harold Wayne Yeager, Jr. (ID# 24582631) THEO 525 LUO (fall 2012) Systematic Theology I October 10, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Statement……..…………………………………………………………………………1 Introduction……...…...…………………………………………………………………………1 A Look Into The Past……...……………………………………………………………………2 Roman Catholic View………..…………………………………………………………………3 Lutheran View…….…………………………………………………………………………….4 Reformed View………………………………………………………………………………….5 Biblical Perspective……...……………………………………………………..……………….8 A Special Application of Atonement...………………………………………………………….9 A Modern Look………………………………………………………………………………..10 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….10 Thesis Statement It is the intent of this paper to show that children who die in infancy, regardless of the beliefs of their parents, are given salvation and therefore spend eternity in heaven. Original sin is still present, but God, being free and independent of us, freely chooses to save infants who are not capable of making a choice to commit their lives to Christ. Introduction Infant salvation is a complex issue, sometimes controversial and a topic of much debate within Christendom. The issue of infant salvation first arose with the institution of infant baptism, done so that infants who died would be baptized, and thus saved in case of death. Though that debate has subsided in recent years, it is not due to a...
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...liking the way there was more freedom instead of being restricted by rules of traditional society. (B) Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess the contribution of religion to social change? There are many ways in which religion may have contributed to social change, but there is however the argument that religion tries to keep society the same by conservative force. Most religions have some sort of conservative force that it sticks to, for example keeping to traditional beliefs such as monogamy, attending church on a Sunday, opposing to divorce, contraception, cohabitation and abortion and also sticking to the nuclear family way of life where the male is the sole breadwinner. Weber argues that the religion beliefs of Calvinism helped to bring about major social change specifically the...
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...1. Appeal of Calvinism o They held important geographic areas and were heavily represented among the more powerful segments of French society o 2/5 of French aristocracy joined * They hoped to establish within France a principle of territorial sovereignty akin to the Peace of Augsburg * Calvinism served the forces of political decentralization. Calvinist conversations among powerful aristocrats as a means to achieve political goals o John Calvin and Theodore Beza saw this as a means to advance their cause o Beza converted Jeanne d‘Albert, the mother of the future Henry IV o The prince of Condé was converted by his Calvinist wife in 1558 o Calvinist religious convictions proved useful to their political goals Two main reasons to become a Calvinist with something to gain from the other o Religious Resistance made Calvinism a possible religion in Catholic France Secular/political reasons cast suspicion on religious intent Wanted to spread Calvinism, the religion As she had earlier sought Protestant support when Guise power threatened to subdue the monarchy, she now sought Guise support as Protestant influence grew. 1. Protestant Resistance Theory * Protestant leaders view on resistance against the emperor: o Luther: * approved resistance to the emperor after the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 o Calvin: * Condemned wilful disobedience and rebellion against lawfully constituted governments as un-Christian...
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