Tuesday, January 6, 2009

A Calvinism that is Countercultural to Calvinism?

The Scylding wrote this at the Boar's Head Tavern today:
[M]ost Calvinists, many ex-Calvinists (myself included) and almost every single Calvinist Baptist that I’ve known, struggle with one issue: The need to rationalise, to understand, to comprehend everything God has said, implied or done. We want to “think God’s thoughts”. And when we can’t, we view it as a failure.

I know these Calvinists are out there, because I've encountered them (mostly) in the blogosphere. I will admit the Calvinists' reputations for being jerks is largely deserved.

I'm sure there are some people who think I'm a jerk (in fact, I can think of one or two of you right now who think so), but when I read things like that above it always runs counter to my personal experience since I began affirming the five points of Calvinism.

Since becoming a Calvinist I find myself:

a) saying and thinking "I don't know" a lot more than I did before and actually being more comfortable with mystery than I was before. My insatiable adolescent theological exploration -- wanting to "figure things out" -- might have led to my embracing Calvinism, but my embracing Calvinism cured my need to "figure things out." At least, I believe it did.

b) thinking much more of God and much less of myself. When I say I think much less of myself, I don't mean that I am less self-centered or less prideful (for that would mean I stopped being a sinner); I just mean that intellectually, theologically, and even devotionally, I am fine acknowledging that I'm an utter nincompoop.

And it seems odd to me, given the tenets of Calvinism, that more Calvinists aren't more forthright with their own nincompoopery, as well.

(Cross-posted at The Thinklings)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is a bad day to be a Calvinist...why is everyone picking on us today? Oh well God is sovereign so I am sure it is his plan. :) So I will just trust him.

D

Jared said...

Are more people picking on us?
I'm happy to not have noticed. :-)

Vitamin Z said...

As a Calvinist I agree with your sentiments. Things have not gotten more simple and I also find myself saying, "that is a mystery to me" namely why God chose to save me.

z

Anonymous said...

all i know is that i really like the word "nincompoopery". it really brings out the kid in me, somehow. what a riot!

nincompoopery
nincompoopery
nincompoopery
nincompoopery

ha!

i love it!

sounds like some kind of factory!

get thee to the nincompoopery!

i only write on the finest of nincompoopery.

we are going to a movie and then a bite to eat at the nincompoopery.

:-)

Anonymous said...

Calvinism is simply giving God the credit for Salvation.
Any nincompoop knows that.

Unknown said...

I'm calling your post "u r doing calvinism right!" and sending its link to all my friends. The so-called Calvinist resurgence needs a healthy dose of what you're talking about. I have a suspicion even Calvin would agree.

Blendah Tom said...

I def. feel as a newer calvinist that once I grasped which I am still in awe of is the grace that has been set upon me.... "The Great Commission" is the most important thing in my life and should be for any other "Reformed" minded follower..