Could someone explain Calvinism to me and why it is a good or bad belief?

Question

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

depends

calvinism sometimes leads to fatalism and not evangelizing... and is actually quietism

I think Jonathan Edwards was a grat example of a Calivinist which a wonderful heart for God and a good website with good quality matiaial from that point of view would be http://www.desiringgod.org

Luther in fact was an Augustinian monk and Calivinism is a form of Augustinian theology. Luther was a stronger predestinationist than Calivin but people dont realize it. The modern missions movement was mostly calivinists..

its not bad

Answer 2

Calvin was one of the 4 major theological elements of the Reformation or Protestant movement (along with Wycliffe, Luther and a guy a can't remember who founded the Anabaptists).

Many of the New York Pilgrims or Puritans and those in Nova Scotia, Scotland and South Africa embrases the Calvinist movement.

Today the groups most widely associated with the Calvanist theology is the Methodists, which make up the third largest faction of US Christians with about 10+%

One of the primary views of Calvinists is they believe in Predestination and Saving Grace.

All humans are born sinful and cannot willfully turn to God or accept God, except through the Grace of God and Predestination.

People are either evil or good. IT is the will of God that makes this happen and man has no free will to change or repent, it is only through God's grace on a particular man that he is saved.

Once man has been saved it cannot be taken away. HE is saved forever.

Once saved, always saved. Damn forever, damned for good.

As to why it is a good or bad belief, I guess you have to make up your own mind on that.

Answer 3

You've long since received the answer to your question, but I'll just add that it's fully supported by Scripture and for me, a much better way of looking at things than Arminianism. You'll often hear the "puppet" argument, as if God forces Christians to believe in him, even against their will, which is preposterous. Calvinists see the entire world as puppets from the beginning, with a Hobson's choice against God because of their sins. In other words, completely dead, not "partially dead" (how can you be partially dead?) before having their eyes opened through the action of the Holy Spirit, rather than assuming they open them themselves. Calvinism then gives all the glory to God, where Arminian theology is seen (by Calvinists) as giving glory to man instead. Arminian thought, leads to arrogance and humanism and blasphemy against the God who should be glorified for giving man his faith.

Answer 4

Calvinism
Calvinism, Christian theology of the French church reformer John Calvin. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536-59; trans. 1561) was the most influential work in the development of the Protestant churches of the Reformed tradition.

Calvinist doctrine lies within the Pauline and Augustinian theological tradition. Its central tenets include belief in the absolute sovereignty of God and the doctrine of justification by faith alone (see Faith). As did the German religious reformer Martin Luther, Calvin denied that human beings were capable of free will after the Fall of Adam, but he went farther than Luther in elaborating a doctrine of predestination—that certain persons are elected by God to salvation, while others are rejected by him and consigned to eternal damnation. Calvin also shared Luther's belief in the Bible as the unique rule for the life of faith, but differed from his fellow reformer in defending the subjugation of the state to the church and in his interpretation of the Eucharist. Many of the tenets of Calvinism have had profound social implications—in particular, that thrift, industry, and hard work are forms of moral virtue and that business success is an evidence of God's grace. Because these views helped to create a climate favorable to commerce, Calvinism played a role in the overthrow of feudalism and the establishment of capitalism.

By the early 17th century, Calvinism had been adopted by Protestant groups in many lands. The Synod of Dort (1618-19) in Holland fixed this form of belief as Dutch orthodoxy (see Arminianism). French Calvinists founded the Huguenot movement (see Huguenots), which was suppressed by the Roman Catholic church. In England, Puritanism developed and briefly achieved ascendancy during the period when the monarchy was suspended under Oliver Cromwell. The Westminster Confession (1646) represents the systematic expression of Puritan theology. It was adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1648 and has become the basic creed of Presbyterian groups in Britain and throughout the world. Many English Puritans, dissatisfied with the policies of the Church of England, immigrated to America during the colonial period. Settling in New England, they contributed greatly to shaping the religious character of the United States, especially through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and other leaders during the Great Awakening.

Calvinism remains an important strain within Protestant thought. In the 20th century, the influential Swiss theologian Karl Barth placed great emphasis on the Calvinist doctrine of God's supremacy, beside which all human activity is seen as worthless.

For a summary of Calvin's theology, see Calvin, John. For a more detailed discussion of Calvinist history and doctrine, see Presbyterianism.

Answer 5

Calvinism is in simple terms (agreement with the Bible that God is in control and in charge) I have never seen it explained better that by the prince of preachers Charles Haddon Spurgeon, you can find many of his sermons on line and he has many concerning calvinism ( althouhg they may not be titled by that name)

Answer 6

Calvinist believe in a concept called predestination although there is scripture to support this it should not be used as a foundation for salvation. Jesus told a parable of a wise man and a foolish man both built houses to wise man built his on a rock the foolish built his on the sand when the winds and rains came the foolish mans house fell down. The rock that we need to build our salvation on is the concept that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that he died for our sins. No other concept will save you

Answer 7

" people who have faith in him have faith because of the fact God needs them to have faith and that people who do not have faith gain this because of the fact God would not desire them to have faith." -- this would be a straw guy view of Calvinism. you're working from the concept of an skill to income Heaven by way of a sufficiently holy existence. Calvinism takes away this skill and says that guy can in no way be sufficiently holy. "God hated Esau earlier Esau became even born and there became not something that Esau would desire to do to win God's desire." -- A 0.5-fact. there isn't something anybody can do to win God's desire of their own skill, shop by way of Christ on my own. "if Calvinism is real then what approximately loose will?" -- we've loose corporation, not loose will. we've the skill to make day by day judgements. None of those judgements deliver approximately fellowship with God of our own skill. "Why might God create those souls if he knew they have been going to bypass to Hell besides?" -- you're no extra desirable off with Arminian theology that pronounces loose will AND God's know-how on a similar time, an inner contradiction. you additionally are via definition giving guy a "clean slate" with a view to compliment. The Bible denies the assumption-approximately guy's "cleanliness" and provides us a Savior instead, given to the decide for, quite than negotiated via a introduction who can tell the author a thank you to run issues.

Answer 8

Very simply:
Calvinists believe in predestination (your path is chosen before you are even born). It is neither a good nor bad religion, because there are no good or bad religions. Each individual suits his own beliefs. Don't let another shackle you with their faith. Investigate.

Answer 9

it is very good He was the first Presbyterian Beautiful people and churches..it basically says God made everything.. He agreed with Luther on many things..someone printed it one day here and now cant find it...encyclopedia too long to type

Answer 10

Below is the Wikipedia link to it. You can research it and make your own conclusions. Hope it helps!