Unlike Newsweek, which may or may not have tried to tweak the ever gracious Richard Mouw this week, the upcoming issue of Time is on the “10 ideas that are changing the world right now.” And number three is…the “new calvinism.” Take a bow, Piper, Mohler, Carson, Driscoll, Taylor, et al. May Jesus continue to bless his church. And happy 500th birthday, John Calvin!
You can read the article here: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1884779_1884782_1884760,00.html
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Well, it’s nice that Time noticed, but that seems like a predictably narrow and cliche view of Calvinism, like the view my high school American Lit Honors teacher taught us before we read Jonathan Edwards–just a bunch of sour, self-righteous jerks who think they’re the chosen people. *sigh*
My only worry is that some of the new-Calvinists I know are taking it a bit too far. I’m starting to watch them think like the early neo-Orthodox did. Others are becoming too rationalistic (not that I’m against reason, but I am against rationalism).
The book, “The New Calvinists” is a very interesting read, but from first-hand experience (thus anecdotal, so hopefully this is limited to my own experience) I’m starting to see a shift toward some pretty detrimental ideas.
I’m trying to help these young Calvinists realize that just because one buys into Reformed doctrine it doesn’t mean one is free from heresy. They all forget that Karl Barth was a Calvinist, but some are starting to follow the same thought pattern.
Rinse, wash, and repeat.
Mike,
I have a hard time believing that John Calvin would be altogether happy with this new Calvinism. But I say God bless them both inside and out. I like many things from Calvinists, but I think Calvin would likely be dangerous to the neo-Calvinists, and Jesus and Paul even more so. But that’s my take oversimplified.
Mike Wittmer 
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