There is a theological debate simmering in the blogosphere about Calvinists and Calvinism. Debate is a good thing. It can help bring us to consensus, and that would be good for Christianity.
Let’s start with the definitions: Spurgeon’s Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace; Arminianism from the Elwell Evangelical Dictionary, and Calvinism, Arminianism and the Word of God by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel.
On the Reformed side of the debate, visit: Adrian Warnack: Calling All Arminian Prayers; Alpha and Omega Ministries: HyperCalvinism; The JollyBlogger: In Defense of Internet Calvinists; The Irvins: The Flaw in Evangelism (Broken link, active June 15, 2005), For Whom Did Christ Die; Is Calvinism Inconsistent (Broken link, active June 15, 2005); Can Calvinism Be Taught, and many others (browse around).
On the other side of the debate, visit: The Internet Monk: Why I’m Not Like You; Ilona at True Grit: Implications (Broken link, active June 15, 2005), and also Covenants and Counterpoints, and more (browse around); The Bible Archive: Rockin’ With Russ (a collection of articles on each of the five points of Calvinism) (Broken link, active June 15, 2005).
These essays are just a start. Following the links on these pages and looking around a bit will take you to more. I should put the obligatory disclaimer in here: linking to these essays does not indicate my agreement with them. I am researching the debate as well. I am posting the links as a service for others who have questions (or answers) and who would like to follow the debate.
Any of these essays would make good practice material for your rhetoric stage student. Identify and research the points made, identify the logic and the use of Scripture, and support or refute the claims.
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Update: Thanks to Jen for recommending Debating Calvinism in the comments. Thanks to Kim for recommending PyroManiac’s overview of the Internet debate in Quick and Dirty Calvinism. (Please post in the comments if anyone has more great recommendations.)
I also find this debate intriguing. I recently read "Debating Calvinism" by James White and Dave Hunt (published by Multnomah). It was put together extremely well and made for a very fascinating read.
thanks for listing the other resources; i'll have to check those out.
🙂 jen
I would recommend this article as well.
http://phillipjohnson.blogspot.com/2005/06/quick-and-dirty-calvinism.html
This is an ongoing debate and I appreciate the resources listed. I have alot of friends who were on one side and are now switching to the other so its great to have more resources to read up on.
Spunky
And I hate the terms “Calvinism” and “Arminianism!” : ) It seems that when I came up on a different side of those who pointed to Calvinism as the way, I was called an Arminian. So I looked that up, and studied those points, and I didn’t agree with all of those either!
Well, I’ll be looking at this in my blog as well. In fact, you can look at my study on Ephesians 1, which I am in the middle of right now.
This is a good article, though I don’t believe everything he believes either. He does bring up some good points.
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/openhse/calvinism.html
Dave Hunt’s book “What Love is This” is very good, though the Calvinists have screamed many things against it. It has its flaws, but Dave brings out many good points that deserve being looked at. Just reading “Debating Calvinism” doesn’t get you all his good points.
Here’s another link:
(The Five Points of Calvinism: Weighed and Found Wanting by George Bryson)
http://calvarychapel.com/library/bryson-george/books/fpocwafw.htm
Oh, there’s a lot to say on this topic. But I’ll stop here. I actually want to give tons of time to studying and discussing this, but will have to wait until my children are grown I’m afraid. And the Lord shall have returned by then, I believe.
Thanks,
Deb