Debunking a “Calvin against the Calvinists” theology

By David Daniels and ChristianWeek | July 18, 2005

"Calvinism is making a comeback—and it is shaking up the church," says Colin Hansen, editor-at-large with Christianity Today. The growing fascination with reformed theology is attracting a younger generation of evangelicals now taking their place in various ministry roles.

Hansen publicized the Calvinistic comeback in a Christianity Today cover story (September 22, 2006) entitled "Young, Restless, Reformed." That article has grown into a book-length explanation of the movement: Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists (Crossway Books, 2008). The book is a popular level look into this Reformed resurgence sweeping across North America.

There are many factors at work in this embrace of all things Reformed—a major one being the high visibility and popularity of some of the main leaders in the contemporary Reformed setting: John Piper, Al Mohler, John MacArthur, Mark Dever, D.A. Carson, R.C. Sproul and C.J. Mahaney, to name just a few.

The above group reveals the growing influence of the new Reformed community. Among them are several brands of premillennialism, an amillenialist or two, dispensationalists and covenant theologians along with cessantionists and non-cessationists.

But the longevity of this newfound interest rests in the necessity of grasping the historical and biblical foundations of Reformed theology. That will require hard work in discovering its roots both within the pages of Scripture and within the flow of Reformation history.

One significant resource to that end is Richard Muller's four-volume work, Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics: The Rise and Development of Reformed Orthodoxy, ca. 1520 to ca. 1725 (Baker Academic, 2003). Drawing on 25 years of work in the sources, Muller examines three interrelated and foundational elements of Reformed thought: Scripture, God and prolegomena (a discussion of fundamental issues of method—presuppositions and intentions in studying theology).

Muller, who teaches historical theology at Calvin Theological Seminary, wants to provide a "suitable alternative to the all-too-neat and consistently ahistorical 'Calvin against the Calvinists' approach" that has occupied too much 20th-century scholarship. While seeking to correct the distortions of many 19th- and 20th-century scholars, Muller says he has "consistently avoided language of praise and blame" and has "avoided contemporary theological comment." And, as far as one can do so, Muller says he lets the crafters of post-Reformation orthodoxy speak for themselves without reading contemporary concerns into their writings.

In volume one, Prolegomena to Theology (1987, 2003 2nd ed.), we are reminded of the critical need to read the sources with reference to their own historical context. While acknowledging the great debt we owe to the work of 19th- and 20th-century theologians and historians, Muller notes that "many of these writers have embedded in their historical scholarship large components of theological argumentation" to demonstrate how they themselves stand in line with Reformed theology and/or Protestant orthodoxy. "The history of Reformed thought," says Muller, must be "read forward, not backward, and read as the history of a tradition that is represented by a wide variety of writers in a series of diverse historical contexts."

Volume two, Holy Scripture: The Cognitive Foundation of Theology (1993, 2003 2nd ed.) covers how the Scriptures were viewed in medieval scholastic theology through the early years of the 18th century. Muller explores how the post-Reformation scholars understood the nature, properties, canon and interpretation of the Bible.

Volumes three and four cover the doctrine of the Godhead: The Divine Essence and Attributes (2003) and The Triunity of God (2003).

How successful Muller has been with the project will have to be determined by others far more qualified than I to offer judgment. But I do commend these volumes to all who claim the mantle "Reformed" or want to understand the background to the contemporary surge in Reformed theology.

Muller will require focused, disciplined reading. But those who invest the time will find rich reward. And the 123-page bibliography of primary and secondary sources will provide a lifetime of further research for those so inclined.

Carl Trueman (Westminster Theological Seminary) says of Muller's work: "Nobody engaged in this area can afford to ignore [Muller's] arguments or his conclusions: those who wish to dissent from his central theses have been set a daunting task, and those who find themselves in agreement have been set a standard for their own research."

I hope these volumes find their way onto the shelves of many young pastors and Christian leaders.