This series is from the From the Editor’s Desk column of the Sword and Trumpet. The articles were co-authored by Paul Emerson and myself.
During the years following the Synod of Dordt, Calvinism settled into many of the European State Churches. Notorious among these was the Dutch Reformed Church which institutionalized a form of Calvinism that merged theology, philosophy and politics. For this group, predestination came to resemble fatalism (which today would be called Hyper-Calvinism). Simple Biblicism was discarded in favor of a high form of scholasticism; Arminianism was labeled heresy.
Many of these characteristics were brought to the new world (America) by the Dutch and continue to this day.
In the period of American Colonialization, some slightly more moderate forms of Calvinism became part of New England Congregationalism and the Protestant South. This was later reflected in the theology of Jonathan Edwards in the 18th century and in the so-called Princeton Theology of the two Hodges and Warfield in the 19th and early 20th century.
We reject as false and heretical both Hyper-Calvinism and extreme Arminianism. There is a type of Calvinism wherein a sincere attempt is made to be biblical and there is a type of Arminianism wherein a sincere attempt is made to be biblical. These two come fairly close together in many doctrinal areas, though they are in no way in total agreement. An example of their disagreement is the issue of eternal security. The Calvinists in this category would believe that a true disciple will persevere and never be lost. The Arminians in this category would believe that a true disciple should persevere but that there is the possibility that he/she could with intentional rebellion turn away and be eternally lost. Both groups hold that a professing Christian who lives consistently in sin is not a true believer.
Another thread needs exposure here. That is the comparatively recent movement of Calvinists referred to by some as “Young, Restless and Reformed.” While its roots can be traced back to the last part of the 20th century, it has come to prominence in the 21st century. Following the theology and teaching of the older more settled Calvinists, these younger men and women have failed in large measure to follow the ethics of their teachers. Their lifestyle choices tend to be spiritually and practically reckless. They are not biblical separatists and tend to indulge themselves. It might be said of them, they are modernists in most respects except in a narrow band of Calvinist theology. Anything like church standards that would bring moderation to their individual liberty is repugnant to them. They often seem to make an unbiblical show of their liberty.
The above represents an extremely brief overview of the Calvinist movement since Dordt but it will contribute to our future discussions and evaluations of the controversy showcased in this series.