I want to recommend a couple of books that I have read… one recently, one a year or so ago, both by the same author, Dr. Robert Shank. Dr. Shank was, as I understand it, formerly a Baptist, but entered the First Christian Church later in life after being castigated by much of the Reformed-leaning “Baptist world.”
He wrote two books: Life in the Son, and then later Elect in the Son. The first deals with the Reformed doctrine of “perseverance of the saints,” while the later addresses election and predestination. I have read a fair number of essays and several books on these issues (including a couple of books written from a Calvinist perspective), and I have found these very astute, quite biblically based, and very convincing.
As Dr. Shank was and remained a Protestant, he takes a few views of the atonement and substitutionary theory that appear to conflict a bit with Orthodoxy (though I have heard a few Orthodox voices that seem to have gone too far in the other direction in their blanket dismissal of “atonement”), but the books address their primary issues with superb clarity.
“Election” and “predestination” have always been difficult issues for me. I sensed with reasonable certainty that the Scriptures did NOT present a “once saved always saved” position, nor a position that said only certain people were chosen by God and hence only they had a chance to be saved. However, the latter doctrine, what many call “predestination,” was difficult for me to grasp, seeing that the Scriptures obviously speak of it and the connected idea of “divine election.” Dr. Shank’s explanation is first biblical, and then very well argued and convincing.
I think his position matches very well on this with what Orthodox would hold to, from what I have gathered during my short time in Orthodoxy.
Anyway, if you have ever looked for a thorough and biblical examination of these two related ideas, I would highly recommend these two books. I imagine I will return to them often in years ahead, living as I do in an area in which “Reformed theology” has a fair number of adherents.
My late father, a Pentecostal pastor, used to give “Life in the Son” to anyone in his church he suspected of drifting too close to Calvinism. He gave it to me when I was 15 but I didn’t read it, already being in the thrall of Reformed theology. I wish I had read it. It might have saved me from 20 years of antinomianism and suffering.
I know there are many upright and God-loving Calvinists, but those are not people who take the Calvinist 5 Points to their logical end.
From what I know of his view (in regards to the topic at hand) I think he was on point.
JNORM888
Would you be so kind as to summarize his positions, or outline the book? It looks like it may be quite interesting, though I’ve not the time nor the money to commit to something without knowing the essential content of it.
I’ve heard of those two books, but I haven’t read them.
Predestination and election used to confuse and trouble me too. Little did I know that Karl Barth revolutionized our understanding of election (and aggravated a lot of conservative reformed folk in the process) with his doctrine of election. There’s probably a good summary of his position somewhere on the web if you’re interested. (Though he was Reformed)