I thought since I’m going to begin blogging again on ‘EC’ that providing a rationale as an opener would be a good way to do that.

Why not just ‘Evangelical Christian’? Why “Calvinist?” That’s a good question. My preference is always to go with plain ole’ “Christian,” that’s what I am, and that’s what you are if you have a faith alone relationship with Jesus Christ. Of course within the category of Christian there is an array of distinguishing markers that parses this Christian ‘tradition’ from that Christian ‘tradition’; we’re all still Christians, we’re all still brothers and sisters in Christ (if indeed Christ is the starting point). Nevertheless, it is the ‘distinguishing markers’ that makes this blog decidely Calvinist, and not Lutheran for example.

This blog’s approach is Calvinist because it traces its heritage, its rootage to the developing loci (or theological places or points) set forth by John Calvin. EC follows, primarily the Scottish strain of Calvinism as developed most decidely by none other than John Knox and his lineage that followed him within the burgeoning theology of what we are calling ‘Evangelical Calvinism’ (think of folks like: Hugh Binning, Jonathan Fraser of Brea, John McLeod Campbell, T. F. Torrance, et al). We take seriously the reading of the New Testament and then John Calvin’s development of what has been called the unio mystica (or mystical union); the vicarious humanity of Christ; the Scotist doctrine of God; and much more.

These are just a few reasons why this blog is called ‘The Evangelical Calvinist’; it is not because we think that if you don’t agree, point for point, that you aren’t a Christian. Instead, if you disagree with certain salient points represented here; then you might just be a Lutheran Christian, a Federal Calvinist Christian, an Anglican Christian (albeit these guys could go a multitude of ways ;-), etc. My desire is not to dis-fellowship, or become schismatic from other Christians; rather it is to highlight what I think most faithfully captures some fundamental truths reflected in Christ’s life as revealed in scripture.

I hope you find the aims of this blog, the rationale, if you will, amenable to your own approach (whether you agree or disagree with the premises of this blog); and that we can engage each other in the Christian love that we all share through the primacy of Christ’s life for us, and that we then share by the Holy Spirit one for the other.