THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM
By John W. Keddie
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). 20 pages. £2.00
ISBN not given
This the first booklet in the new ‘Finding Out About ...’ series published by the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing).
The aim of the series is to provide biblical teaching on a range of subjects deemed to be important to the modern church. In this contribution, John W. Keddie tackles the doctrines of grace, often referred to as the Five Points of Calvinism. The author starts by giving a potted history of how this doctrinal package came to be formulated during the 17th century, in response to five Arminian propositions then being touted within the Dutch Reformed churches. Afterwards he focuses on the Five Points themselves, explaining what they are, what they mean and what they don’t mean. By the end of this treatment, most readers should have a clear grasp of what TULIP is all about. This is very useful.
My main complaint about this booklet, however, is not to do with its content, but rather the way in which that content is developed. As I read, I couldn’t help feeling that an opportunity had been missed to frame the issues discussed in a more contemporary setting. For example, the author helpfully points out that the Five Points should not (as is often claimed) stifle evangelism in the church. But I felt that it would have been more helpful if the reasoning of this pamphlet had stretched itself beyond this important, yet predictable, terrain, perhaps, for example, exploring how belief in predestination might shape the way evangelism is done in a postmodern and pluralistic culture. Because this work does not ‘go the extra mile’ in this way, while I could recommend it as useful, I would not commend it for being inspiring.
