John Calvin produce a doctrine that is inevitably hard to understand yet explain without your brain exploding. I thought I might ask the entire internet world, since they may be a genius out there than can qualify for the job.
2007-05-09 05:33:54 · 6 answers · asked by Elohim's_Son 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
This is arguably a theological rather than a philosophical question, but we can take a stab at it.
But first, we should make sure we define our terms. John Calvin was a Christian (and a rather strict one at that), so when he refers to 'God', he is referring to an all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing monotheistic entity. This is important in where we're going.
People are clearly not all-anything. And if you compare infinity to any finite number, then finite amount is practically zero. This is Calvin's estimation of human worth and effort: nothing. In Calvinism, no human is worthy or capable of ANYTHING that is good or valuable. Period.
Anything that you happen to see that IS good, then, must come from God. Just indirectly in most cases. If a person can resist sin, it is only because God gave them that capability. And because God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He doesn't need to respond in real-time to events... He knew everything that was going to happen and incorporated all these allowances into the initial moment of creation. Yow.
Likewise, since human efforts cannot possibly thwart God's efforts, anyone to whom God gives the ability to resist sin WILL resist it. Also period. What God wants to happen, does. If humans have any free will at all, it is only in those spaces where God doesn't care what happens.
Since it is plainly obvious that not everyone is good, the only conclusion we can draw from the above points is that God is not trying to save everyone. Thus Calvinism suggests that there is a group of 'elect' who were chosen by God at the beginning of creation. Everyone else is doomed (and, according to Calvin, rightly so).
That's pretty much the long and short of it as far as I can tell. Hope that helps!
2007-05-09 06:34:56 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes God's sovereignty in all things. Named after John Calvin, it falls within the realm of Protestant Christianity and is sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology
2007-05-09 06:55:14 · answer #2 · answered by Jessica H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes God's sovereignty in all things. Named after John Calvin, it falls within the realm of Protestant Christianity and is sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology.
For more go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism
2007-05-09 05:41:52 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it really is a few thing that i locate both part are responsible of. it really is merely that everybody is entrenched of their evaluations and hence the evaluations or perspectives of the opposing sides are perceived in simplistic and as caricatures. i don't believe of it really is an attempt to lie to, yet is merely human beings arguing about issues they are unaware of. Examples from both part that i have considered on R&S: - there is surely no information for evolution (even with the actual shown truth that real to some quantity, i.e. that there isn't any singular piece of information that proves it, there's a huge body of helping information) - faith is the rationalization behind all wars/more effective wars than some thing else/more effective suffering than some thing else. - faith prevents medical discovery - Islam is a violent faith - Medieval Christians were ignorant illiterate those who believed the international became flat - idea X disproves evolution... etc etc etc. It receives fairly dull after a lengthy time period, because it really is evident that maximum folk make claims and counter-claims with none concept or analyze and are merely parrotting typically-held yet faulty homilies.
2016-11-26 21:49:15 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An easy understanding:
God creates sovereign, Man lives within sovereign
everything else ( the five points, ect) revolves around this concept.
Calvinisim: the carboard box of thinking.
2007-05-09 05:46:28 · answer #5 · answered by ycats 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Calvinism deals with predestination right? God has already decided who will go to heaven. That's what I remember from class.
2007-05-09 10:39:09 · answer #6 · answered by tatertot3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋