Customer Reviews

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, and Documented

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4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Concise and excellent summary of Arminianism vs Calvinism debate. A great gift and quick read for those with whom you want to discuss the basic core issues of Reformed faith with the unique assurance and hope it brings to the heart through the Word. Long list of biblical references! Especially nice to have numerous reference works listed for further study and scholarly exegesis on the "foreknew" of Romans 8:29. Buy it and hand it out to those in need ( besides yourself )!

Every disciple should read and study Steele's book, THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM. Wherever you find yourself on the debate of Calvinsim, this book is needed to help you learn the five main points of Calvinism first coined at the Synod of Dort.

The book deals with both the history, theology, and philosophy of Calvinism and seeks to show that Calvinism is both logical and biblical. The book is an excellent resource for defending or attacking Calvinism because of its popularity and its presupposition that Calvinism can be defended from Scripture.

I would highly recommend the updated form of this book with a new appendix on Divine Foreknowledge.

This little book is a must for anyone interested in knowing exactely what Calvinists believe from true Calvinists. The authors go out of their way to demonstrate their positions from a Biblical point of view, and they do so in a convincing manner.

There is no shortage of introductory works that attempt to explain the five points of Calvinism, and some of these efforts have been better then others. This work by Steele and Thomas, though 40 years old, is still one of the better introductions around.

In this short work, the authors attempt to provide a summary level construction of the five points of Calvinism - what they are, where they come from, and how they differ from other theological systems. Readers who are interested in the historical development of the five points will likely find the concise and summary historical introduction to be satisfactory on an introductory level. This section does not attempt to argue for the truth of Calvinism, but rather sets the historical context for how the 5 points came into being. The comparison chart at the end of this section which contrasts the 5 points of Calvinism with the 5 points of the Remonstrance is very good and has been relied upon heavily ever since this book came out.

It is in the second section that the authors attempt to advance a Biblical argument for each of the 5 points. As in other introductory works of this nature, the Biblical argument is made mainly by quoting multitudes of Scripture verses without extensive exegesis. The only significant exegesis is in the appendix, where they provide a more extensive analysis of the foreknowledge question in Romans 8:29, which is quite good. But if this book were anything other then an introductory work, the lack of exegesis (other than Romans 8:29) would be a serious flaw. But as the authors point out, their purpose is to set forth the 5 points and to highlight how, in their view, each point of Calvinism is highly reconcilable to Scripture throughout. What makes this book better then average in this regard is that they do a very good job of organizing each tenet made in each point in a logical fashion and then presenting Scripture passages that touch on each assertion of each point. The result is a highly organized and lucid presentation that stands in stark contrast to the scattered and disorganized presentations of other introductory works.

Another plus for this book is that the authors truly seem to recognize that the limited objective of this book calls for more extensive research and analysis by interested readers. In that regard, they compiled an impressive and rather extensive (not to mention highly organized) further readings section at the end. Because the book was written 40 years ago, this resources section is obviously a bit dated, but the compilation presented is excellent in its survey of pre-1960 resources which interested readers can consult for more in-depth theological analysis.

In summary, I have personally known folks who were uncommitted in their theology who picked up this book and gained great theological clarity from it, even if they didn't altogether agree with Calvinism. In that spirit, I echo the comments of other reviewers here who have applauded the straight forward clarity and fairness of this book in succinctly outlining the 5 points of Calvinism and why Calvinists believe they are thoroughly Biblical. As an introductory work in theology, this book is very good for what it tries to do.

This book is a good presentation of Calvinism. The problem lies in the way Christians who take a different approach are treated. Here are some examples:

Dave Hunt's debate with James White "could well go down as the most lop-sided debate in church history." (pg 90-91)

Dave Hunt "neither understands true Calvinism nor correctly represents classic Arminianism." (pg 91)

Dave Hunt's book is the "most egregious misrepresentation of Calvinism in print today." (pg 114)

Phillip R. Johnson is quoted regarding Norman Geisler's book: "It is a stunningly inept treatment of the subject it undertakes." (pg 114)

Likewise we read of "Geisler's disturbing and misleading book." (pg 114)

And regarding Robert Lightner's book on the extent of the atonement: "...one can see how unconvincing Lightner is." (pg 133)

The above comments seem out of place in a book that includes a chapter called A KINDER, GENTLER CALVINISM!!!

Calvinism is a system. That's all. It is helpful, but it is only a system. Limited Atonement fits logically within the system, but being logical does not necessarily equate with being biblical. Robert Lightner writes the following on page 34 of his book, "The Death Christ Died":

"It seems far better to say that one believes this tenet or that one as he may find agreement with it in the Bible than to imply acceptance of an entire system unless the individual is prepared to accept the whole theological structure. The desire and goal of the child of God must not be adherence to a humanly-constructed system simply for the sake of tradition or church relations. Let us be biblicists above everything else and at all costs; and when and where this position conflicts with man-made systems of theology, let it be!"

That's surely good advice, whatever conclusions we may come to on this subject.

'The Five Points of Calvinism...' is an excellent introductory work on 'The Doctrines of Grace" also generally referred to as 'Calvinism'. The five points of Calvinism stand together as a system of doctrine which explains God's design on how sinners are saved. In the preface to the first edition it is noted(though often overlooked)that each point constitutes a distinct and important Biblical doctrine. The first section of the book gives a brief historical sketch of Calvinism. On pages 5-8 there is a chart contrasting 'The Five Points of Arminianism' with 'the Five Points of Calvinism'. This chart is very handy and helpful because it clearly and concisely sets forth what these two systems of doctrine are teaching. Calvinistic doctrine has so often been caricatured both in print and in public discourse as well as in many pulpits. This chart fairly and accurately summarizes both schools of thought. The historical roots of Calvinistic doctrine are traced back to the controversy between Pelagius and Augustine. The differences between Calvinism and Arminianism are not insignificant or just matters of rhetoric but rather go to the heart of the gospel. On p.13 J.I.Packer is quoted on the gravity of the issues at hand, "The difference between them is not primarily one of emphasis,but of content. One proclaims a God who saves;the other speaks of a God who enables man to save himself." The second part of the book gives some of the Biblical support for each of the five points. This section is not intended to be exhaustive but serves its purpose as an introductory work that attempts to document some of the Biblical support for 'The Five Points of Calvinism'. The third part of the book gives a list with brief commentary on books that are available for further study on each of the 'Five Points' and on the Calvinistic system of doctrine as a whole. The updated and expanded edition ,which was published in 2004, is far superior as it contains a listing of many significant books that the first edition does not include because they were not yet written. Books such as R.C.Sprouls 'Chosen by God' and Richard Belchers 'A Journey in Grace'. This modern classic is perhaps the best book that someone could read to introduce them to Calvinistic theology.

This book doesn't attempt to explore the depths of Providence. It simply outlines the Doctrines of Grace and contrasts them with the Doctrines of Arminianism.
It provides an abundance of Scriptural texts to defend each point which is good but is also the only weakness of this 98 page text. A bit more amplification of the texts would have been beneficial.

Having been, by God's grace, regenerated 34 years ago, I happily attended church, read the Word, prayed, taught women's Bible study - and believed that I (did you read that?) chose to 'ask Jesus into my heart' and save me!
I have, during these 34 years, believed the doctrines of: free-will, dispensationalism, semi-works salvation (Baptist style). THEN, Reformation theology was presented to me. I balked, fought against it, considered it a lie. Next, I read 'The Five Points of Calvinism' and God revealed His truth through it. I have read many, many books on Reformation theology since, and NOW it is ALL so clear...God's eternal plan, why the five 'solas' described in this book are the basis for understanding God's character, His master plan. I have a two-word suggestion for you: BUY IT!

I can't say enough about the 40th anniversary edition (2nd Edition) of this book. Revised and HUGELY expanded from it's small booklet form to over 200 pages, including solid exegesis of difficult passages, discussions on things like preservation and perseverance, and soooo many more things I cannot even mention here, make this book a WELCOME addition to anyone's library. Most of the reviews on here (pre-2004) point to the old edition of this book. It's really cool that Roger Nicole again did the foreword to the new edition, with John MacArthur doing the afterword and a host of other folks with additional articles..... oh just go pick it up!! The appendices alone are worth the price of the book.

I admit it: I'm a die-hard Arminian who is convinced that the individual believer makes the ultimate choice for or against God!

Now, given that: this book is an EXCELLENT primer in the basics of Calvinism -- and even more so for the Arminian who wants to understand the concepts and theology behind predestination of the Elect. I may not agree with the ideas of the total depravity of mankind, the predestination of the elect, etc. -- but this book does an excellent job of presenting these concepts in a clear and non-judgmental way!