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Today we begin looking at Collin Hansen’s new book Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists. Hansen (an editor-at-large for Christianity Today) has documented the recent resurgence of Calvinist theology among young people, a theological development that crosses denominational lines. In the next few days, I plan on commenting on several of the chapters by summarizing Hansen’s research, celebrating certain aspects of the Reformed Resurgence, and expressing my concerns regarding other aspects.

The reason I am devoting several posts to this slim volume is because I speak as one who in some ways is on the inside of this movement and in other ways is on the outside. I spent 18 months in Louisville at Southern Seminary (2005-2007) as a full-time student and am still a student at the Nashville extension center. I am familiar with the Reformed theology of many Southern students, having been immersed in the Seminary’s culture during my time on campus.

At the same time, based on the professed theological convictions of the vast majority of those highlighted in the book, I am also on the outside of this movement since I am not a five-point Calvinist, and I believe that faith precedes regeneration. I do not see most aspects of Calvinism as being worthy of dividing over.

In other words, I am not so much concerned that the people in the church in which I am a pastor are able to detail the historical development of the doctrine of unconditional election, as I am concerned that my people know and believe that the Bible teaches that there is nothing in them that makes them worthy of God’s grace in salvation in Christ. I have critiqued some of the aspects of the Reformed Resurgence in other posts, even as I celebrate some of its developments.

Chapter Summary

Collin Hansen’s book begins with a chapter titled “Born Again Again.” Here, Collin emphasizes how the resurgence is taking place among the “young” by describing those attending the Passion Conferences. Collin tells us about a Seventh-Day Adventist who considers himself a “Piper fiend” and has listened to 200 sermons from Piper on Romans alone. He points out how Reformed theology pulsates through Piper’s signature book, Desiring God. Piper fits well at the Passion conferences because of his emphasis on the grandeur of God. Worship songs from Charlie Hall and Chris Tomlin emphasize God’s glory and sovereignty.

Collin argues that the Passion Conferences have seen remarkable success among the college-aged because the students are starved for a gospel of grace and not the moralistic, man-centered teachings they have been fed in church. For many young people, discovering Calvinism is like getting saved all over again. Most find Calvinism hard to swallow at first, but after embracing the doctrines of grace, they find it to be liberating. Collin writes about “stories of conversion – born again by the power of God, then transformed by the mystery of grace.”

Celebration

There is much to celebrate here. Collin’s story about the Adventist begins with the young man’s conversion and is a bright testimony to the power of the gospel. Nothing to quibble about here. Whenever people are being transformed by the gospel, we should rejoice – secondary doctrines aside.

Also worthy of celebrating is the fantastic worship music that has come from this movement. From the Passion conferences, we’ve benefited from the music of Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall and others. Sovereign Grace Ministries puts out contemporary praise songs with a strong dose of theology, as do Keith and Kristyn Getty (of “In Christ Alone” fame). Red Mountain Church and Indelible Grace have revived interest in old hymns, by giving them new tunes. The Reformed Resurgence is responsible for a number of worship songs that rise to the top, outshining the shallow theology of other contemporary offerings.

Collin rightly notes that young people today are craving the Transcendent God, perhaps as a reaction to a steady diet of “buddy Jesus in youth group.” We should rejoice that the majesty and holiness of God is again at the forefront of the Calvinist resurgence.

Concerns

Several of Collin’s unspoken assumptions bother me. For example, I too rejoice that the transcendence of God is once again being emphasized among those in my generation. But is Calvinism the only Christian tradition that provides this? Is the transcendence of God to be found in Calvinism alone? One could argue that the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions have also traditionally emphasized this aspect of God’s nature, yet we would probably not be happy to see young people abandoning Protestantism. Collin’s unspoken assumption is this: Only Calvinism properly emphasizes the transcendence of God. I beg to differ. During my years of mission work in Romania, I learned about the awe and transcendence of God in a church culture that was far from Calvinist.

Another concern? The Reformed resurgence as portrayed in the book seems like a massive movement that is exploding in popularity. Actually, the number of young Calvinists remains rather low. Collin himself notes this by quoting from Christian Smith’s Soul Searching, which demonstrates how most young people are being fed a diet of “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.” Yes, the case can be made that many of the new Calvinists are reacting against moralism. But unfortunately, many of our young people are also simply disappearing. The ones still in church may be moving towards Calvinism, but the Reformed Resurgence is not as widespread as it appears in the book. (I do believe, however, that Collin is right to see the Reformed movement as being numerically bigger than the Emerging Church movement. Though the Emerging Church gets more press, the Reformed resurgence is probably more widespread.)

Minor quibbles aside, I am most concerned about the testimonies that give the chapter this title: “Born Again Again.” Those who discover Calvinism speak of their experience as a second conversion, like getting saved all over again. Collin himself gives a brief testimony, where he mentions his conversion, his spiritual life after conversion, and then the difference that Calvinism made in his life. The underlying impression in his story and others is this: “God saved me, praise the Lord! But I was still missing something. I needed something more.”

Ironically, the Calvinist resurgence here resembles its arch-nemesis: Wesleyanism. The Methodists have their “Second Blessing” whereupon “perfection” is granted. This event takes place after conversion. Likewise, the Pentecostals (also Arminian!) believe that the filling of the Holy Spirit takes place after conversion, once one speaks in tongues. Salvation is terrific, but the blessing that comes after salvation is even better. Is the embrace of Calvinism much different?

These questions about “converting to Calvinism” bother me more as the book goes on. (Piper later talks about being “baptized into Calvinist theology” – an unfortunate metaphor that says more than he probably intended, but is revealing nonetheless). Students speak of Calvinism as a secret they discover that they then want to take back to their churches. The person’s journey towards Calvinist convictions sounds more Gnostic to me than Christian. We finally have the secret knowledge that no one else knows about. We are the only ones who know this.

Tomorrow, we look at Chapter 2 and Hansen’s interview with John Piper.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

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