THE NEW CALVINISM CONSIDERED:
A personal and pastoral assessment
By Jeremy Walker
EP Books. 126 pages. £6.99
ISBN 978 0 852 349 687
Although Jeremy Walker claims not to be an expert on the ‘New Calvinism’, his book demonstrates the broad knowledge of a well-qualified guide.
He offers some personal reflections on his own observations, writing in the racy style also found on his blog, ‘the Wanderer’. Walker doesn’t attempt a definition of the New Calvinist movement, but he is talking about people like John Piper and Mark Driscoll and others in between. Given the hazy and hotly-debated nature of its outer boundaries, he explores its spectrum of opinions and identifies several common, if not definitive, characteristics.
This book wouldn’t serve as a great introduction to someone who is completely new to the subject. It assumes a basic familiarity with the New Calvinist conferences, mega-churches, books, websites and ‘big names’. Walker shows us the vast landscape of the movement, pointing out features which we may have spotted before, and seeks to interpret them for us.
Christ and commercialism?
There are many high points in the landscape: a focus on the work of Christ and the grace of God; a heart for mission; a biblical view of gender roles; an exploitation of technological and cultural opportunities for the gospel; and a commitment to Bible preaching. But there are other parts of the landscape where the traveller should tread with caution. Here Walker lists pragmatism and commercialism (in pursuit of size and influence); an unbalanced view of culture (sometimes becoming submerged rather than engaged); a troubling approach to holiness (opening the door to antinomianism); a potentially dangerous ecumenism; confusion about the cessation of some spiritual gifts; and a tri-umphalism which can border on arrogance.
Because the movement is so nebulous, he is forced to generalise, and some readers may therefore question some of his assessments. But as I read, it dawned on me that the New Calvinism isn’t just the American phenomenon I had previously taken it to be. Walker gives examples of its influence in British evangelical churches, colleges and organisations, and suddenly it felt very close to home. It made sense of some of the words I’ve been hearing or reading more often – like ‘all of life is worship’, ‘we’re not under law but under grace’, ‘engaging with the culture’, and the current buzzword, ‘missional’. While there’s some truth behind each example, there’s also a risk of an unbiblical imbalance, to which this book could serve as a corrective.
Safest ground?
Before we panic at the shrill voices of condemnation, or get swept up by the siren voices of unthinking enthusiasm, Walker concludes by pointing us to a better course: to hold onto the full, balanced and rich Bible Christianity of the historical confessions, and to concentrate on spiritual growth and service in the context of a biblical local church. Unexciting as it sounds, perhaps the ‘Old Calvinism’ is still the safest ground.
