I am really excited to announce that I along with others are involved in producing a book that will be introducing Evangelical Calvinism to the masses. Quite a few months ago, Dr. Myk Habets contacted me via email and asked if I would like to co-edit/author a multi-author book on the tenents of what we are calling Evangelical Calvinism (along with Thomas Torrance who coins this nomenclature in his book “Scottish Theology”); I was taken back, and very excited to say the least. Since then there has been some work put in to securing a publisher (which we have, Wipf & Stock) , and finding authors willing and able to contribute to such work. That work has been done, much and most by Myk; and we are atΒ the stage of research, writing, and eventually, editing. I just wanted to alert all the readers here to this intriguing rather original set of essays that will be compiled in advancing and “robusting” what Reformation Studies and Theology represents.
We have a broad array of scholars contributing to this book: some seasoned, some seasoned in between, and some less seasoned; but a line-up of authors who are worthy for this task, set a hand. The book’s aim is to introduce the Christian church, in general, and the Reformed tradition, in particular to another oft overlooked lineage or strain of developing Calvinism that took place right alongside what we know as Calvinism today (i.e. Federal/Classic/Covenant). It is our belief that there is a rich rich untapped heritage within the heralded halls of Calvinism that we want to tap; we want people to realize that there is a development within the constraints of Calvinism that we believe is much more theologically rich, or more straightforward in ways that areΒ Evangelical, Biblical, and Calvinist (by tradition).
Now let me share some of the rudiments of our early outline; providing provisional chapter titles and the actual authors who will be contributing to this book:
Introduction: Defining Evangelical Calvinism: 10 Theses. Myk Habets and Robert Grow
Part 1: Historical Theology
Chapter 1: Calvin, Calvinism, and Calvinisms: Finding a Place at the Table. Robert Grow
Chapter 2: Confessing the Faith. Andrew Purves
Chapter 3: The Phylogeny of Calvinism. Charles Partee
Chapter 4: The Depth Dimension of the Faith: A Prolegomena to Evangelical Calvinism. Adam Nigh
Part 2: Systematic Theology
Chapter 5: Theology Proper According to Evangelical Calvinism. Gannon Murphy
Chapter 6: The Doctrine of Election According to Evangelical Calvinism. Myk Habets
Chapter 7: The Vicarious Humanity of Christ According to Evangelical Calvinism. Jason Goroncy
Chapter 8: Union with Christ According to Evangelical Calvinism. Marcus Johnson
Part 3: Applied Theology
Chapter 9: Worship According to Evangelical Calvinism. Scott Kirkland
Chapter 10: Prayer: Up and Down. John C McDowell
Conclusion: Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda: The Future of Evangelical Calvinism. Myk Habets and Robert Grow
I hope you all find this intriguing, you can expect its publication sometime in 2011. What do you think, does this pique your interest; what do all of you readers think about the possibility of Calvinism encompassing something as blossomed as a Calvinism that reflects all of its strains? What has happened is that all these strains have been flattened out, so that there is a revisionism of how Calvinism developed; a revisionism intended upon forwarding or emphasizing certain dogmatic points (loci) particular to ‘one strain’ of Calvinism (I often refer to it as Westminster Calvinism or Classic). The simple task of this book will be to alert people to the fact that there might be more central developments to Calvinism (like the role that the unio mystica “Union with Christ” plays within the theologies of people like Calvin, Knox, and many others within the Scottish strain) than are often dealt with. This book is not intended to be polemic; nevertheless there will be some “rub” produced simply because we are offering a perspective on Calvinism that might be considered whacky or heterodox by other camps of people within Calvinism. We are hoping for an open and critical hearing (meaning dealing with the facts themselves); and hopefully this will help people, in the end, to know our loving and wonderful God that much better!
WOW BOBBY! CONGRATULATIONS! HOW EXCITING!
Hopefully, I’ll get “Incarnation”, Rev. Isaac Watts’ little book on prayer, and Ravi Zacharias’ “Jesus Among other Gods” done before your book is published.
I can’t wait!
Thank you, Duane.
This is an exciting venture, I look forward to being apart of it! I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to finish those books; you have at least a year π .
Awesome !!
Congratulations Bobby! First, I am glad to see that you feeling well enough to be posting. Godspeed with your recovery.
Second, I will know you have really arrived when I see the review of your book at Pyromaniacs. π But seriously, this seems like a great opportunity for you and I wish you the best.
Glenn
Thank you, Nathan! Is this Nathan Copeland, come clean now π .
Thank you, Glenn!
I don’t think the Pyros read this kind of stuff π !
That is exciting news!
Is it written in language that a non-scholar might be able to grasp?
Thanks for the complete break-down of the book’s contents, Bobby! I’ve been looking forward to seeing this since I heard about it from Adam, and surely you and Myk are the best to tackle such a project.
I’m very intrigued by the idea of a “minority report” in Calvinism that it not just a contemporary movement associated with the Barth-Torrance line, but something that has (in some form) been present for centuries. I’ll be interested to see how that genetic history is traced (assuming that it is).
It is exciting, thank you!
If you work at it anyone can understand it; but this book’s audience will be the more scholarly or those who want to work at it.
I think there will be other books to follow that will break this stuff down in less technical ways; I look forward to being part of something like that as well.
Thanks Darren,
That’s a nice compliment!
I suppose my chapter will be doing the “genetic” work; I’ll be interested to hear what you think of it when it comes out!
Congratulations, Bobby, on the book! It also appears your surgery was at least somewhat successful. I still haven’t studied your EC blog enough to know what all of your theological differences are, point by point, but I like to see other ideas expounded in greater detail. I hope it is given a wide read so that others can interact. I do a lot of “re-thinking” of things these days and am convinced that we could do with more of that.
One thing I have appreciated about your work here is that since “ideas have consequences” you have tried to show how doctrines (either the status quo or yours) affect other things and what those consequences are and the differences between them.
Hi Steve,
And thank you for the encouraging words. As far as the surgery it was a complete success; thank you for the prayers, brother (clean margins, lymph nodes have no cancer, and the tumor was 95% dead or more having originally shrunk from the size of a softball to a golf ball — I am doing follow up chemo treatments right now, argh, but then we will be done Praise the Lord!).
I believe that ideas, no matter how subtle have consequences; so I’m glad that that comes through in my posts. We hope the book will get a wide reading, it probably will be more geared towards a college or seminary classroom book than “easy” reading — but some of our authors have really good name recognition in certain circles (like Habets, Partee, and Purves) which will help give it expansive exposure. We also have a great list of potential endorsers, which can also help in getting the book some good exposure. I hope some classic Reformed types will give it a fair hearing; even if only polemically or as a critical foil in their classrooms.
I believe there are some real fissures in the edifice of Classic Reformed theology; because their are emphases within that system that are at obvious and direct odds with scripture (not just a matter of perspective I’m afraid).
I’m glad you’re open to re-think things, Scott; we are committed to a conservative traditional orthodox historical Christianity, I’m afraid other sides to this will say that we just and offshoot of mainline liberalism or some non-sense like that. Unfortunately any association, whatsoever with TF Torrance or Karl Barth (even if indirect) becomes an occasion for ridicule and demonizing from the other side. One of the cool things about this book, and my chapter (along with the historical theology section), is that there will be demonstration that EC is grounded in historical and Reformed orthodoxy; just as much as those who claim that title as their own. This book will have to be dealt with; simply because we are going to try our best to provide a very cogent and compelling case that cannot fall on deaf ears. Btw, our authors represent a sliding scale continuum; so that some of us are less traditionally Reformed, in background, and others have grown up within the walls of so called “Reformed Orthodoxy.” We all claim to be Reformed and Orthodox, and that will be one of the contentions of the book — and in particular my chapter.
Okay this comment is running long enough π ; thanks for the input, Steve!
Seems like there’s at least one or two very dodgy contributors in that lot π
Yeah, and they’re both from New Zealand . . . go figure! I’m glad you’re doing this, Jason; your’s is a great contribution.
Too right!
Hey Scott,
There are two dodgy New Zealanders, and a third who is not; I was assuming you were the third π . Great to hear from you, and I’m excited to be involved in this project with you; I can’t wait to see what you have to say in your chapter, I know it will be great and edifying.
So who is dodgier – the Aussie who lives in NZ or the Kiwi who lives in Aussie? Or I guess, the Kiwi who is still in NZ?! π
You had to come and confuse everything, it was all plain and simple before π .
You need to be kind to me at the moment Myk. I’m currently writing up my review of your book … That said, I am happy to take bribes in either Aussie or NZ dollars π
Hey Bobby
Great News. Super excited for you and this opportunity. I hope that a greater dialogue will follow once the book gets read.
Thanks for letting us stop by last week. It was a real treat to get to see you!
Peace
Will
Forward by J.I. Packer? π
Packer π
Yeah, this book project is exciting!
It was awesome to see you guys; you have a cute family, little ‘silk-e’ Will jr π