At Prosblogion, my favorite blog for the philosophy of religion, Alexander Pruss blogged on a mock dialogue between two people on the issue of whether Calvinism can harmonize the idea of one having genuine responsibility for one’s actions and at the same time one being intentionally caused to do these actions by God.
Although the blog is some months old, take a look and share any comments you have.
http://prosblogion.ektopos.com/archives/2010/04/a-dialogue-on-c.html
Daniel James Levy
Christopher Copan Scott
Interesting read, Chris. My analysis is as follows:
I think modern Calvinists go off-course because the nature of Reason naturally affects Systematic Theology. Free-will is unknowable by Reason; so is the Trinity. If modern Calvinists had controlled the early church councils, they most likely would have substituted the Trinity for a much more reasonable (but less Biblical, and less True) alternative.
Modern Calvinists claim to be the true Augustinians. Augustine believed that we are predisposed toward sin as a result of the Fall. Calvinists extend this to mean that we no longer have a power of contrary choice. This extension of Augustine is, in my view, unwarranted (and disastrous if it makes God the author of sin).
ugh. I like Pruss myself, but upon reading this, not only am I laughing at the ignorance, but I am saddened in my heart because of it.
I am a Calvinist, so, just putting that out there. But, in all honesty, this is not what Calvinism states. I strongly urge everyone who disagrees with Calvinism, do not lost continuity with your reasoning…for in your reasoning for the existence of God you go directly to a source and not through second-hand “reasons” in the same way, read Calvinists on Calvinism. Piper has a good series of TULIP on DesiringGod.org and Sproul has a good one called What is Reformed Theology? on Ligonier.org.