With the growing popularity of Calvinism (which has been reduced to mean predestination), many Evangelicals are calling themselves Reformed. Christianity Today did a cover story about this fad entitled “Young, Restless, and Reformed” and there is also a new book with the same title. But are they truly Reformed or just Evangelicals who believe in predestination? D.G. Hart provides a contrast:
Reformed – Evangelical
Inheritance – Individualism
Nurture – Conversion
Mediation – Immediacy/Intimacy
Church – Parachurch
Preaching – Quiet Time
Lord’s Supper – Altar Call
Baptism – WWJD
Doctrine – Experience
Creeds – No Creed But the Bible
Reform – Revival
Forms – Intentions
Procedures – Influence
Pre-Modern – Modern
Delegated Authority – Democracy
Here are some of my own:
Machen - Ockenga
Muller – Mohler
Reformed Orthodoxy – Pietism
Historic Christianity – Fundamentalism
William Perkins – Billy Graham
John Owen – Jonathan Edwards
Mortification of Sin – Accountability Partner
Second Service – Small Groups
Old Lights – New Lights
Reformation – Great Awakenings
Historic Confessions – The Fundamentals
Berkhof – Grudem
Reformed Systematic Theology – The 5 Points
Psalms – Praise Band
2 responses so far ↓
Leslie // Tuesday, September, 16, 2008 at 3:18
hi…friend of Josh’s…this post is hilarious. we used to go to a “reformed-charasmatic” church (sovereign grace ministries), but now that we actually go to a reformed church we see how incredbily un-reformed it was. it is totally just about basking in the glory of being predestined or chosen, but not the whole of reformed sotierology…esp. infant baptism!!!!!
danborvan // Tuesday, September, 16, 2008 at 3:18
It is disheartening when Evangelicals embrace the 5-points but do not come all the way to a robust covenant theology that includes sovereign election as part of God’s eternal plan of redeeming a people unto Himself. If not set in the context of covenant theology, sovereign election is frightening.