we're not the only ones out there who love Calvin

[Beth Scib]

The article "Who would Jesus smackdown?" caught my eye in the times
this morning. A pastor in Seattle claims a true form of Puritanical
Calvinism. I'm grateful for our decision to read Calvin together and
for being grounded in a tradition of community. Might God use our
conversations to influence the world around us.
Here's the link if you'd like: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11punk-t.html?em

[SusanDee...@msn.com]

What an article! Very provocative and also very uncomfortable. You
are right Beth, being able to read the institutes in a community that
can (and very often does) disagree and discuss together. Hopefully we
are also a community that can (and very often does) pray together as
well!

[Gordon M.]

I also read that article. I was amazed, shocked really, about the role
of Calvin and Calvinism in the Mars Hill Church. I had heard about the
church, but had no idea it was even remotely interested in Calvin. It
seems like most such ventures are virulently anti-Calvin and anti-
Reformed.

The pastor of MHC seems to have a very nineteenth century reading of
Calvin. I wonder if he also has Charles Hodge and B.B. Warfield on his
reading list.

While I know that it is possible to read Calvin in a pre-Enlightenment
and pre-critical manner, I don't recommend it! We live on this side of
the Enlightenment; Calvin lived on the other side of it. I think it
best to read Calvin with both deep appreciation and with critical
judgment. While in a thousand ways Calvin speaks to us in our "world,"
he is not from our context and probably could never have imagined it
if he tried.

I like what Karl Barth said once about reading Calvin (paraphrasing):
"One does not honor Calvin by simply aping what Calvin said. One
honors Calvin rightly by thinking with him about the issues that he
raises." That strikes me as good Reformed and Presbyterian wisdom.

Gordon

> > Here's the link if you'd like:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11punk-t.html?em- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Beth Scib]

I'm not sure I'm getting the hang of replying properly... forgive if
this is duplicated. I haven't searched this Seattle Mars Hill Church
yet to see if it's related to the one in Michigan led by Rob Bell. I
have enjoyed many sermons by Rob Bell and am thinking that they're not
connected to one another.

> > > Here's the link if you'd like:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11punk-t.html?em-Hide quoted text -