5. Knowledge

According to Calvinism, what is known about the character of God is limited due to the inscrutable nature of God’s being and because God does not always choose to reveal his mind. ‘Knowledge’ explains that a further limitation is located in the human heart. Due to sin’s effect on human thinking, people do not want to know the true God. Instead, people try to invent their own God and to reduce God to something manageable and fully comprehensible. The different sources of theological knowledge, according to Calvinism, are described along with the belief that the Bible is historically accurate and a reliable source for knowledge about Jesus, God, and salvation.

4. Church

Calvinists believe Adam and Eve were the first church, established by God following their fall into sin in the Garden of Eden. Since that beginning, God has always maintained his church, though it has been attacked relentlessly by the world and the devil and, at various points in history, reduced to small groups of believers, usually identified as the ‘remnant’. ‘Church’ outlines the different church denominations that align themselves with Calvinism, such as Presbyterians and Anglicans, and the characteristics and purpose of the Calvinist church. Compared to Roman Catholic practices, Calvinists provide a simpler liturgy that involves preaching, singing, praying, and the celebrating of the two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

6. Covenant

A covenant is a kind of agreement, treaty, or testament, generally binding two parties in a contractual relationship. The covenant idea is ubiquitous in Reformed thought. ‘Covenant’ explores the key covenants in Calvinism: the covenant of redemption, which was made between the members of the Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit); the covenant of works, made between God and Adam; and the covenant of grace. Central to this third covenant is God’s work of predestination—the eternal decree of God by which all human beings are appointed either to eternal life or to eternal damnation. The atonement of Christ is also considered.

8. God and hell

According to Calvinists, hell is part of God’s design. In fact, the doctrine of hell has recently been defended quite vigorously by Calvinists. It reminds us that there is a deep sense of self-abandonment that operates in Calvinist theology. It is a conviction which says that it is right that God should determine the fate of every human being. ‘God and hell’ asks important questions: isn’t God love? Why doesn’t God save everyone? Why doesn’t he covenant with the entire human race, predestining everyone to eternal salvation? Why didn’t God stop the fall of Adam and Eve from occurring? If God is love, how can he reprobate some to eternal damnation?

2. Conversion

What is conversion? Reformed theology believes that everyone is born unconverted as sinners, enemies of God and hell-bound. ‘Conversion’ explains that Calvinism asserts that people do not want to convert and they cannot convert themselves—only God can convert a person. Calvinism also asserts that God has already chosen those whom he will convert—the elect. This doctrine of predestination is key to Calvinism. But does God love everyone? This concept is discussed along with the differences between true and false conversions and how people deal with the idea of whether or not they are one of the chosen ones.

3. Culture

In the judgement of many Calvinists, culture is profoundly important. Calvinism speaks of God’s kingship or will in two distinct ways: God’s ‘will of decree’ and God’s ‘will of precept’. But what is God’s plan? ‘Culture’ outlines the two-kingdoms doctrine where Calvinists distinguish between God’s governing of the world and his governing of the church. Calvinists and Neo-Calvinists both affirm God’s lordship over every sphere of life, but their thoughts diverge on God’s plans for these spheres and particularly on whether the cultural sphere is a part of his redemptive plans. To understand their position we need to address Calvinist understandings of culture and common grace. Calvinism’s cultural legacy is also discussed.

7. Humanity and new humanity

Calvinism teaches that all human beings possess evil desires, which are suppressed through domesticating influences such as laws and social norms, and unleashed when these influences are removed. ‘Humanity and new humanity’ explains that the idea of original sin—the result of the fall of Adam and Eve—has deeply impacted the Reformed tradition. Although Calvinists agree that Adam’s sin affected all his descendants, they explain the transmission of his sin in different ways. Both the restraining of sin and the escape from enslavement to sin are things Calvinists explain by pointing to the idea of grace. Having become a Christian, the convert lives a new life in covenant relationship with God where prayer is essential.

1. Calvinism: what’s in a name?

The roots of Calvinism are found in 16th-century Zurich and Geneva, which became major centres for Reformation under the guidance of Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and Heinrich Bullinger. They believed that Aurelius Augustine (354–430), who stressed the greatness and incomprehensibility of God, was the pre-eminent interpreter of Christian theology. ‘Calvinism: what’s in a name?’ explains the general philosophy of Calvinism and describes its spread from Zurich and Geneva throughout Europe, into the New World, and eventually Africa, the Far East, and the southern hemisphere. It also considers the impact of Calvinism and explains why some of its claims have been seen as provocative and socially disruptive.