Calvinism

Finally, the fifth article focuses again on human free will and the possibility of someone forsaking their salvation and choosing to live a sinful life apart from God. In other words, Arminians do not believe in the notion of “once saved always saved” as most Calvinist do believe. Therefore, in an effort to summarize the major beliefs of both Calvinists and Arminans, a side-by-side comparison is best. See Appendix A. As can be seen in this comparison, Calvinists and Arminians differ in their…

Our prior knowledge and mindset can define the way we approach new knowledge and experiences; we see what we believe, each letting our schemas have an affect on the conclusions that we draw from situations. Our perception of what occurs and the way we go about our motives are based off of a previous inclination or concept towards the situation we are preparing to encounter. This schema is useful in helping us organize and interpret information based off of our previous experiences or lessons,…

free to choose. Moreover, people have different minds and different views about the idea of free will; some believe that it exists, and some don’t. For instance, Arminianism and Calvinism, two different forms of Christianity, have different views about the idea of free will. Arminianism is based on free will and Calvinism is based on predestination. I will argue that the idea of free will in the Arminianism belief is right because God does not decide who would get salvation and who would not,…

Huguenots. They came and forced their ideas on everyone and claimed that the Catholic Churches rules were wrong. So as the Queen of France "Catherine de Medici", proclaimed to put a stop to their madness. She will come up with a plan to end the idea of Calvinism over Catholicism. "Oh, I know" she exclaimed. I'll lure them to the palace gates, and kill them once and for all. How do I bring them there? She thought. Ah! I'll plan a wedding that will combine…

“The Almost Christian” – This is one of Wesley’s sermons from 1741 in which he illustrates what nominal or “almost” Christians look like as compared to the real, “altogether” Christians. Firstly, he identifies common traits of the “almost” Christians by saying that they have heathen honesty, sincerity, and that they are very much so focused on possessing the “form of godliness” or rather the outward appearance of a Christian. These people may approach the faith and perform the mechanics of it…

In view of the massive acceptance of Calvinism theology among youth and young adults Roger E. Olson acknowledges that many churches who do not hold this position lack a deep understanding of the Scripture. He claims, “One reason many young people embrace the new Calvinism is because they are convinced it is the only biblical and intellectually serious theology available” (65). In addition, Olson points out that many churches have a lack commitment in teaching a solid Gospel, as a result, they…

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a group of people named the Puritans sought to flee from the country of England in an effort to escape the Anglican church to find religious freedom. The Puritans sought to purify the church and remove some factors, such as corruption. After first attempting to settle in Holland, they immigrated to the New World where they began to live in communities that allowed them to be within close proximity to each other. Inside of these tightly knit…

“influence on the emergence and growth of capitalism as mode of economic organization” (Johnstone 210). Weber’s goal was to illustrate the relationship between religion and economics as well as the “how religion, as embodied in Calvinism, affected the economy, as represented by Calvinism” (Johnstone 210). Weber discussed the concept of predestination, which is the idea that God is fully knowledgeable of who will enter salvation and who will not. This causes an entirely different dynamic that…

THEOLOGICAL & BIBLICAL BACKGROUND The Call to Pastoral Ministry An individual must be called by God into at least one ministry office. My pastoral ministry is my “calling” by God Almighty. My pastoral ministry begins with my personal call by God, along with my theological education at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary for preparation for pastoral ministry. Raised in a Baptist home, my grandmother took us to Sunday worship services at St. Paul Baptist Church in Garfield,…

The Reformation, which started in England by reformists like Martin Luther, found its way to France after the 1550s because of John Calvin. Calvin, a student and follower of Luther, was convinced that The Church needed reforming, turned to humanism, and eventually became the leader of a new church. This Evangelical Church thrived in the city of Geneva (where Calvin was taking refuge from a persecuting France); missionaries of Calvin penetrated France to spread the new word and slowly, but surely…