We've heard plenty about the emergent church but have you hear about the Young Calvinists (YC's)? I think there might be an actual "war" brewing between these two groups. While the Young Calvinists talk a lot about the emergent "apostasy" (their word), you never hear a word from the emergents about the Young Calvinists. It reminds me of the 1960's when the acid-dropping hippies "pretended" that everyone their age was a drug user and a near-communist. Later it was revealed in poll after poll that only a minority of the under 30's was like that. In a Christianity Today article it was mentioned that the Young Calvinists might even be larger than the emergents. Interesting--and you nary hear a word about them from most denominations except perhaps the Southern Baptists where both sides, emergent and Calvinists are flooding in trying to stake a claim.
So exactly who are the Young Calvinists? They follow people like John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota; Mark Deaver, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C.; John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church right here in good 'ole Southern California and is 20 minutes from me; and C. J. Mahaney, R.C Sproul, and others. Interestingly, except for Sproul, they adon't talk a lot about the odler generation of Calvinists like Michael Horton and the late James Boice. I've heard on the grapevine the YC's think they might be a bit too arrogant. Actually I adore the writings of Horton and am saddend never to hear about him from any fo the YC's.
Joshua Harris (yes, the guy from the "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" books) is one of the main Young Calvinist pastors. He pastors Covenant Life Church in Maryland. And get this - he pastors a Calvinistic Charismatic church. The theology of these Young Calvinists is very Calvinistic with the Confessions and especially the TULIP anagram being taught. They read Spurgeon (a 19th century English Reformed Baptist pastor). Please don't ask "reformed from what?" No really, you can email and ask if you really don't know. The YC's also like almost any 17th and 18th century Puritan writer like Richard Baxter and friends. But they absolutely adore anything about or written by Jonathan Edwards. Yes, THAT Jonathan Edwards - the 18th century Puritan pastor in Massachusetts.
Tim Challies is their official blogger and Phil Johnson is their official theological interpreter (and also is a blogger). And the above mentioned pastors are their mentors - Dever, Piper and Mahaney. Sometimes I think the blogosphere is made up of mostly these Young Calvinists. They seem to be everywhere, but most Christians don't seem to recognize them or their beliefs. They are even creeping into the emergent camp. Mark Driscoll, pastor of the Mars Hill Church in Seattle and his Acts 29 Network is Calvinistic.
I recommend highly you read the the Christianity Today article
Further Reading for You on the Internet
Sovereign Grace Ministries - this is the Harris-Mahaney Charismatic Calvinist network of churches
Tim Challies' blog
Pyromaniacs - Phil Johnson's blog. He also has other contributors. Phil works with John MacArthur.
Mars Hill Church - Mark Driscoll's church.
The Acts 29 Network - Mark Driscoll's organization of young missional-emergent type Calvinists
9Marks - Mark Deaver's 9Marks site, a good one.
Al Mohler's blog Dr. Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and IMO always has great stuff to say.
Pulpit Magazine - an online magazine from John MacArthur
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I'm hoping this might be the leaning of God's spirit for the future. Now is they can just ditch the patriarchy and some of the abuses similar to shepherding movement they will be fine. oh yea and monitor for humility....
I rather worry about this Calvinist resurgence. I don't think Calvinism is correct, but more than that, I think poorly understood (as it usually is), Calvinism tends to push non-believers away from Christianity.
I've heard on the grapevine the YC's think [older Calvinists] might be a bit too arrogant.
Can I get an amen?!
Sometimes I think the blogosphere is made up of mostly these Young Calvinists.
I've gone looking for non-Calvinist bloggers. They're not too common. That's part of why I finally broke down and started one. Equal time, ya know?
This is a very nice summary of the Young Calvinist movement--which I find troubling. Mark Driscoll is perhaps the most outspoken proponent and he's not going away any time soon. He's coming out with a new line of books Re: Lit (Resurgence Literature) the first of which is titled Vintage Jesus. Gifted with intellect, Calvinists tend to love debate theology, which is why they are also bloggers. Too bad their brand of theology is so far off.
Actually, Driscoll is the one who basically started the whole "emerging" movement. He's also viewed with some suspicion by many of the Reformed persuasion. He's also not that outspoken about the Reformed faith. He says very little about such things in his two (so far) books and on his own blog. He seems to be much more interested in doing the work of a pastor and helping people plant churches.
Also, e-mom, before you start labeling them "far off," perhaps you might want to actually state why. I'm not a Calvinist, but contrary to chris above I find very little (read: practically nothing) to fear from them theologically. Too bad people write off what they don't understand.
Anyway, good post.
Post a Comment