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Editor’s Note: The author has requested to remain anonymous.
I am the pastor of an average-sized Southern Baptist church in Texas. I love Jesus, and I find great joy in hearing and presenting the gospel. I love my congregation, and I passionately pray for our growing contentment in Christ.
I am also a “Calvinist” (at least in some sense of the designation), but I refuse to acknowledge such a thing in public. Some may accuse me of dishonesty because of this intentional unwillingness to label myself with any term related to “Calvinism.” Some have even accused me of subversion because of the “Calvinistic” indicators I have presumably displayed while remaining resolute in my refusal to wear the label. However, I believe that those in the SBC who embrace the label “Calvinist” and those who throw it like a hand-grenade do everyone a disservice.
There are many reasons I believe it is unhealthy and even unbiblical to use the label; here are four of them:
1) Most people have no idea what “Calvinism” actually is. When someone says the word “Calvinism,” most Southern Baptists are utterly clueless about its meaning. Many who think they know what it means experience hair-raising concerns over impending church division, but they cannot explain why. Just ask five of your fellow SBC church members what they think of Calvinism, and you are likely to experience a range of responses—from honest ignorance to ambiguous negativity. Simply put, if someone does not know what a label means, then the label itself only obstructs any hope for lucid dialogue.
2) “Calvinism” is a fairly broad system of theology. If one adheres to a Calvinistic view on theological matters, or if another rails against such views, neither of these individuals is likely to embrace or reject ALL that Calvin thought or taught. Even the most hostile person to Calvinism will likely be happy to affirm Calvin’s position on evangelism or missional activity. John Calvin, like all Protestant Reformers, believed that the gospel was the only message through which God would bring salvation to sinners. Therefore, Calvin was incredibly active in the arena of missions and evangelism. So, the label “Calvinism” is too broad to be particularly helpful in genuine dialogue between Christians who may or may not disagree on a host of issues.
3) Labels generally stifle productive conversation rather than encourage it. Think of a Democrat talking with a Republican. Can these two have a civil or even a friendly conversation? The answer to this question requires much more information: Are these two opposite political representatives willing to dialogue? Is either having a bad day? What are they talking about specifically? Labels can actually tell us little about the flesh-and-blood person we might have in front of us. No Arminian I know would want to be accused of advocating for a ‘non-sovereign’ God, and no Calvinist I know would argue that fallen humanity is not volitional. So, throwing a label-bomb on someone gets us nowhere.
4) There are some who seek to stir up trouble with scare tactics. I can only speak for myself here, but I have felt the strangest hostility from those who are most vocal about their worries concerning “Calvinists.” “Watch out for those Calvinists! Out them as fast as possible! How can we prevent them from ever tainting our churches again?” From where does such aggression come? It seems that some would love nothing more than to remove me from my pastoral role. Has love for my congregation earned this visceral retort? Has a clear articulation of the gospel made me a target? Have I impugned my character or defamed the name of Christ? No! I simply hold to a soteriology that closely aligns me with many shared Protestant heroes.
If you parade around under the banner of “Calvinism,” please stop. I would imagine Calvin would be sickened to see people claiming to follow him; and remember, he demanded to be buried in an unmarked grave for this very reason!
If you have shown distaste for “Calvinists” (whether quietly or otherwise), please stop making faces and actually look at what is on the plate. You may still walk away with some distaste for aspects of Calvin’s teaching, but at least you will know what it is. You might even discover you are capable of enjoying a meal with fellow Christians whose palates may differ from yours.
Remember the Apostle Paul’s admonition from Romans 12:16-18. “Live in harmony with one another. … If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
