Calvinism is OK

I received this response to my post Am I a Calvinist?...

I think that anyone who asks that question is 99% of the time asking it in the sense of TULIP/Sovereignty of God. Most people don’t have any idea what other beliefs Calvin had. Culturally I think that the term Calvinism has become synonymous with the Sovereignty of God in the salvation of men – they have come to mean the same thing. So my view is… you know how the question is asked and what it means in the Christian culture… so that’s what I mean when I respond that I’m a Calvinist, not that I believe or ascribe to any of his other beliefs.

Under that definition of Calvinism, I am a Calvinist. But I do not think the belief in the sovereignty of God should be attached to a man. And it even seems odd that Calvin was chosen.

It is true that the term Calvinism has become synonymous with the Sovereignty of God in the salvation of men as defined in the TULIP. If you discuss Calvinism with anyone the TULIP will come up.

But Calvin did not come up with the acronym. Best I can tell, the acronym TULIP was thought up by Cleland Boyd McAfee in 1905 (about 340 years after Calvin died). So if the term Calvinism really means an agreement with the TULIP, then it would be better called McAfeeism.

Now the original five points derived to counter Arminianism were produced by the Synod of Dort (about 55 years after Calvin died). So if the term Calvinism really means an agreement with those five points, then it would be better called Dortism.

If the term Calvinism really means an agreement with the Sovereignty of God in the salvation of men, then it would be more appropriate to be called Sovereigntyism.

Although I consider myself a Calvinist (if that means I believe in the sovereignty of God in the salvation of men), I personally prefer Romans 8:29-30 over the TULIP to describe what I believe.

From now on, when I am asked "Are you a Calvinist", I think I will answer "I acknowledge the sovereingty of God."

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