Berkouwer, Calvin and Calvinism

Berkouwer has close affinities with 'the old Dutch biblical piety, not seized by dogmatic insights but steadily pressing toward a purified life of faith according to the Scriptures' (Carl Bangs, Arminius: A Study in the Dutch Reformation, p.21). This 'old Dutch biblical piety' is similar to Berkouwer's insistence that election is not a special gnosis …

Arminius – Hero or Heretic?

This article was first published in Evangelical Quarterly 64:3 (1992): 213-227. --Some proclaim Arminius as a hero. Others denounce him as a heretic. It may, however, be more accurate to describe him as an enigma. Commenting on the enigmatic character of Arminius, Carl Bangs writes, "Some Calvinists, finding that his writings do not produce the …

Jesus died for us.

What do we mean when we say, "Jesus died for us"? Who are the "us" for whom Jesus died? A number of years ago, I read a paper, written by Dr Alan C. Clifford. It was entitled, "Atonement for all, salvation for  some." It had the sub-title: "Authentic Calvinism: A Clarification." In this paper, Dr …