Calvinism: Its Tenets and Impact in the South and in the World

Calvinism in the South Calvinism Calvinism is an interconnection of beliefs and influences adopted by many denominations, and creeds (Bowen 2014). It was first known as the reformed theology, produced by the Protestant Movement started by Martin Luther in the 16th century. It sought to alter or reform the perspectives of the Roman Catholic Church in explaining the basis for man's salvation through the sovereignty of God (CARM 2014).

Since then, it became known as Calvinism after the name and works of John Calvin, a French theologian and Protestant reformer (Christianity Guide 2014, Wilson 2004). Calvin belonged to the second-generation of reformed theologians, along with Heinrich Bullinger, Wolfgang Musculus, Peter Martyr Vermigii and Andreas Hyperius. First-general theologians included Huldrych Zwingli, Martin Bucer, Wolfgang Capito, John Oecolampadius and Guillaume Farel. These first-generation theologians came from different academic disciplines but soon their thoughts and beliefs cohered with the Scripture as the primary source of authority.

The doctrine of the reformed churches then took a separate direction from Luther's under the influence of many writers and reformers. When Calvin eventually gained fame in association with these reformed church, their entire doctrine became known as Calvinism It covers all the doctrines and practices of the reformed churches. Its strongest doctrines are predestination and election (Bowen, CARM, Wikipedia 2014). John Calvin was the most eminent among the many writers and reformers of the Reformed Church.

He was a French theologian and Protestant reformer of the 16th century (Slick 2014, Bowen 2014, Christianity Guide 2014, Wilson 2004). He was first a lawyer and later a pastor in Geneva, Switzerland. He wrote commentaries on the various books of the Bible. But he is best known for his work, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion," on Christian theology he published at the young age of 26. It was revised a number of times in his lifetime. It even had a French version.

His polemical and pastoral works, contributions to confessional documents for churches and numerous commentaries on the Bible created a direct influence on Protestantism (Slick, Bowen, Christianity Guide, Wilson). Calvin's influence spread far and wide. His main practice was in Geneva but his works brought his ideas to other parts of Europe (Christianity Guide 2014, Bowen 2014). These included Scotland, the Netherlands, parts of Germany, France, Hungary and Poland. Most of the initial settlers in the Mid-Atlantic and New England were Calvinists.

The first successful European colonizers of South Africa were Dutch Calvinists from the start of the 17th century. Calvinist settlers were also the biggest populations in Sierra Leona. And among the largest communities established in Korea and Nigeria by missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries were Calvinists (Christianity Guide, Bowen). The central principles of Calvinism are soteriology and the regulative principle of worship (CARM 2014, Slick 2014), Wilson 2004). Soteriology is the doctrine of salvation, which states that man cannot do anything or add anything to himself in order to obtain salvation.

Only God can initiate man's salvation in every stage and aspect of it. This includes the infusion of faith and man's very decision to follow Christ. This doctrine was created and codified during the Synod of Dori in 1618-1619. Calvinism is also alternately called Augustiniaism because of the centrality of soteriology drawn from St. Augustine's argument with Pelagius, the British month. It entirely opposes the doctrine of decisionism by Charles Finney and his fellow dissenters.

Calvinism leans heavily on the perpetual goodness of the original creation as well as the total uselessness of ma's endeavors. It underscores the sense of frustration in the entire creation because of sin. It concludes that salvation is then is the sole work of God and not the product of man's works (CARM, Slick, Wilson). God chooses to deal mercifully rather than justly with man.

Although it would be perfectly just for God to condemn man to ruin because of sin, He chooses to show mercy but only to some chosen individuals for His own glory (Slick 2014, Wilson 2004). Man's willingness, his faith or any virtue he may have practiced well cannot earn him salvation. He is saved only when God, out of His mercy, is one of those chosen. Even his belief or faith and obedience as a result of faith are not his doing but only God's gift to him.

It is entirely a matter of grace. This, according to Calvinism, is how God saves sinners. Calvinists stress the doctrine of grace strongly in order to enliven the church on the extent of God's saving love towards those who could or would not obey him. At the same time, the emphasis on grace was strongly taught in order destroy pride and self-reliance and trust God instead.

Calvinism taught sanctification to mean a sustained trust in God to cleanse and empower the Christian's depraved heart from the power of forgiven sin, thus increase Christian joy (Slick, Wilson). Calvinism states that the plan of God goes unhampered in every situation of life, despite seeming contradictions (Slick 2014, Wilson 2004). He is not only the Creator but is also the preserver and overseer of every detail in His creation. Thus, everything depends on God.

The consciousness of it does not occur only with acts of piety, such as when a person prays or contemplates. This absolute dependence on God pervades even the most mundane activities of man. In a word, the Calvinist views all of life as the Christian religion itself (Slick, Wilson). The five points of Calvinism insure the salvation of the chosen despite the unrighteousness of the rest (CARM 2014, Bowen 2014). They also constitute the differences Calvinism has from Arminianism.

These are total depravity or inability, unconditional election, Limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. By total depravity or inability, Calvinism means that man, by nature, is not inclined to love God with all his heart, mind, soul or strength. Instead, by nature, he tends to serve his own interests and reject God's rule. This disables him from obeying God and getting saved. Unconditional election means that God chooses those whom He will save by grace from eternity.

Others cannot be saved by anything else, such as by the practice or virtue, merit or faith. The election or selection is based unconditionally upon His mercy. Limited atonement is also called particular redemption or definite atonement. It means that the death of Christ on the Cross will erase the penalty only of those whom God chooses from eternity. Christ's atoning death is limited to them. It is also definite and particular and as certain to come to those already chosen.

Irresistible or efficacious grace is sent to those God specifically chooses at His chosen time. It is irresistible or efficacious in that it will overcome the resistance, if any, of these chosen ones. By this grace, they will heed the call of the gospel and receive the salvation by faith in Christ. And perseverance or preservation of the saints means that a chosen person who has been saved will persevere and never come to damnation. He cannot be condemned any more.

He is called a saint, or someone set apart by God and who may not be exceptionally holy or someone canonized or already in heaven (CARM, Bowen). Calvinism teaches that God alone chooses who will be saved. 2. Calvinism and Southern Religion and Southern Culture The two largest Christian evangelical organizations in America today are the Southern Baptists and the Free-Will Baptists (Dishman 2014). They have common beliefs but they evolved from separate and different original theological movements. These beliefs differ in the matters concerning salvation, grace and fellowship.

The Baptists of the 17th century belonged to the Arminian movement, which upheld human free will and free choice. But a movement with members who held Calvinist beliefs, surfaced. They argued for God's exclusive prerogative to choose who will be saved. Neither of these groups believed or practiced infant baptism, which distinguished them from other Christian sects. Southern Baptist churches grew out of European Calvinist movements (Dishman).

All Baptists are Protestants who, like mother other Christians, believe in the Divine Trinity and the meritorious death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Dishman 2014). All Baptist groups practice immersion baptism for persons who are old enough to learn and to know how to practice the Christian faith. Both Southern Baptists and Free-Will Baptists believe that man must trust in Jesus Christ as his personal savior in order to obtain eternal life. But they again differ on how man should accept Christ.

Southern Baptists uphold the Calvinist principle that once a person is saved, he is always saved. This means that such person is forgiven by God even if he sins. On the other hand, Free-will Baptists, who uphold Arminian beliefs, maintain that a believer who is saved is still free to commit apostasy by rejecting his faith. He needs to persist in following Christ in order to preserve salvation. And they differ again on the age-old Christian practice of foot washing.

Southern Baptists today no longer perform this practice unlike those in early times. Free-will Baptists, in comparison, continue the practice. They contend that Jesus commanded believers to do so as an act of fellowship and humility (Dishman) Primitive Baptists emerged in the southeastern United States in the early 19th century but they attribute their origins to the New Testament rather than John Calvin (Wikipedia 2014).

They do not practice infant baptism or acknowledge the term "Calvinist." But they subscribe to the five points of Calvinism and openly reject the doctrine of Arminians. They are intensely conservative about their faith. One of their branches, the Primitive Baptist Universalist church of the central Appalachian region formulated its own Trinitarian Universalist theology, derived from the sovereign grace doctrine of Calvinist theology. They do not play musical instruments during worship but sing a cappella.

They contend that the New Testament does not command the use of musical instruments but only singing. They also consider attendance at Sunday schools as unscriptural because it deprives parents the right to provide religious instruction to their children. Children are, however, expected to attend at least part of the church service. And they view theological seminaries as unscriptural as well. Neither does the New Testament sanction it nor did Christ or His apostles set the example for them (Wikipedia).

Southern Baptists are now divided over the traditional teachings of John Calvin (Horton 2013). The main issues are on who can be saved, the need for evangelism, and gender roles. Calvinism traditionally and basically differs from traditional Baptist theology, particularly on the doctrine or matter of salvation. Approximately 30% of Southern Baptist pastors consider their churches Calvinist but 60% of them are apprehensive over the impact of Calvinism on their convention. The more traditional Baptists argue that if salvation is predetermined, and Jesus died only for the elect, then evangelism is useless.

About 80% of them expressed this view in a poll (Horton). New Calvinist pastors and speakers were also criticized for their Calvinist interpretation of gender roles (Horton 2013). Calvinism emphasizes that wives should submit to their husbands graciously and that women are banned from the pulpit. Certain Calvinist traditions have allowed clerical involvement for women and recognize gender equality, new Calvinists oppose the practices as violating God's ordained roles and place for men and women in the family, church and society.

The Baptist Faith & Message of 2000 recognizes a form of "complemenarianism" wherein men and women are equal but perform different roles. It has been argued by a female Southern Baptist and doctoral candidate that this "comlementarianism" should not apply to all areas of human life as the Neo-Calvinists maintain (Horton). Patton 1986 Calvinism teaches that God alone chooses who will be saved and that their salvation is pre-determined (Patton 1986). This renders man passive and without responsibility whatsoever.

An argument was raised that man must be able to do something to earn salvation by his own works rather than by grace. On the whole, members of the Restoration Movement and "pioneer" preachers have kept to the strict enforcement of Calvinist doctrines. But in the latter part of the century, charges of Calvinism, shades of Calvinism and neo-Calvinism have caused a rift among these brethren. Doubt and uneasiness crept in and led to divisions (Patton). A tide of opposition began to brew.

Decades ago, some leaders among the brethren turned from an extremely conservative stand after being exposed to the influence of ecumenical circles (Patton 1986). One f then, Carl Ketcherside, commented that it was quite possible for the children of God to be scattered among various sects and may be pious individuals who may walk "the golden streets (Mission Messenger 1958 as qtd in Patton). The other leader, Leroy Garrett, formally agreed to the comment.

Their published reasoning created an impact on those who were already disenchanted and discouraged by the divisions then occurring in connection with differences in interpretations over Calvinist principles. They urged for fellowship among all brethren whatever their differences. One other leader who was influenced by the comments of Ketcherside and Garrett was Edward Fudge, who later spearheaded the Grace Fellowship movement. The three and others combined their perspectives on gospel and doctrine. They believed that the Gospel is only about Christ, His divinity, mission, death, burial, resurrection and glorification.

They concluded that whoever believed in Christ would be saved by the gospel of His grace. They did not view as essential to salvation the full understanding and observance of his teachings. They advocated that as long as faith in Christ dwells in the heart, which leads to sincere effort at pleasing God and repentance of recognized or known sins, a person need not be concerned with the cumbersome or confusing detailed instructions. God's grace will take care of such human failures and inadvertence (Patton).

This theory limits the Christian's obligations (Patton 1986). The worship and service of God would and should reduce his responsibility for faithfulness. His security then must rest entirely on the grace pf God. He would then be relieved from extremely heavy concern for personal responsibility. Many verses and lines in the Scriptures show that this teaching is without basis and false. The refusal to abide by the doctrine of Christ breaks the bond with the Father and the Son.

Those who teach that the Gospel and doctrine are different are teaching false doctrine. They simply want to be relieved of the responsibility to completely obey and remain faithful to God (Patton). An automatic and continuous cleansing by the blood of Christ was preached as the solution for dedicated Christians who sin unknowingly, carelessly or out of momentary weakness (Patton 1986). This continuous cleansing should be based, not on repentance but on the person's relationship and devotion to Christ.

This preaching is consistent with the Calvinistic theory on the security of the believer. A reinforcing comment is that, while a Christian may leave God's grace, it is quite improbable. From the day of his baptism, a person never really loses his relationship with God. He who is in the light of God is continually saved. When they sin, their sin is charged to the sacrifice of Christ Who already paid for his debt. As long as he is.