¶ … Providence debate or the debate over depravity and atonement, Armenianism vs. Calvinism is one of the "doctrines that divide."[footnoteRef:1] The debate continues among Evangelicals even though the original battle began in the seventeenth century. The crux of the difference between Calvinism and Armenianism is that the latter group believes that God has bestowed free will upon human beings, and as such, free will can be used to opt out of sinful behavior and therefore accept the grace of God. Calvinists are more deterministic, believing instead that God has predetermined who can and cannot be saved. [1: Erwin Lutzer. Doctrines that Divide. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1998.] However, an additional corollary to the Providence debate regards the principle of eternal security. Calvinists tend to favor the concept, as God has already preordained grace and salvation and therefore eternal security is either granted or it is not. Armenianists believe that free will is integral to salvation. Therefore, an Armenian believes that a person can just as likely use free will to sin again even after being saved through the grace of God once. Eternal security is impossible because it would mean that one could act in a depraved manner and doing so would not be conducive at all to salvation....
The Calvinist point-of-view seems too willing to condone sinful behavior or what is known as backsliding. Worse, a person who loses faith and commits apostasy could too easily be presumed predestined for salvation. The doctrine of eternal security is sometimes considered a separate issue from the Providence debate entirely.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum. Second Edition. Baker Academic, 2009.]
Calvinism in the South Calvinism Calvinism is an interconnection of beliefs and influences adopted by many denominations, and creeds (Bowen 2014). It was first known as the reformed theology, produced by the Protestant Movement started by Martin Luther in the 16th century. It sought to alter or reform the perspectives of the Roman Catholic Church in explaining the basis for man's salvation through the sovereignty of God (CARM 2014). Since then, it
His most crucial involvement was in the organization of the governing of the church and the social structure of not only the church but the city (of Geneva, Switzerland). He was also a major political strategist and thinker. He modeled the social organization entirely on biblical principles. It was Calvin, for instance who established the same hierarchy we utilize today in Christian churches. He incorporated the church into the Geneva
17th Century Portraits Art that was produced in northern Europe in the 17th century quite different from the art in southern Europe. This difference was based on the fact that in northern Europe -- particularly in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland -- Calvinist approaches to Christianity were the rule. In southern Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, the Catholic Church still held sway, and painters tended to be loyal images that reflected
Salvation Debate- Calvinism and Arminianism Calvinism and Arminianism are two different systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God's sovereignty and man's free will. What differentiates these views is the issue of free will and whether people have any as compared to God's will. Some people claim that God's will supersedes human will in all situations if God's will is different. On the other hand, some people
Calvinism and the Reformation John Calvin (originally Jean Cauvin) was born July 10th, 1509, in the merchant city of Noyon, France, in a family of modest ancestry of watermen and artisans. His father, Girard Cauvin, ran the course of a respectable bourgeoisie member who studied law and went all the way from a town clerk to the position of a procurator of the cathedral chapter. As a prediction to his son's further
Finally, the rise of science and technology due to industrialization militated against institutionalized religion (Bruce, 2002, p. 18). As people became more educated and reliant on science and technology in their everyday lives and work lives, religious disagreements with science and led people to abandon institutional religions as unscientific and backward. People knew that science and technology worked; therefore, religious arguments against science and technology tended to be rejected.
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