And this is why I don’t like the Calvinist system. (regarding the inauguration of the Kingdom of God) argues against holding a fellow human being in bondage against his will, because slavery is not the right to cruelly abuse another. It is all very telling bias. Consequently if God didn’t want a black person to be subjected to slavery pre-Civil War he would have sovereignly decreed for them to be white. You do bring up some good points which I appreciate. Calvinism does not equal determinism. But history is history and it reveals that he was at odds with certain members in his congregation over his personal ownership of slaves. Had Mr Henry been in America, I believe he would have seen the lawfulness and necessity of having negroes there. Indeed we all have flaws and we all need to generously grant each other the “love that covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. His denominational upbringing was Calvinistic in its orientation and there is no doubt he never jettisoned that affiliation. This inevitably makes God the author of sin and evil (something Edwards reluctantly admitted) and makes sin and evil not really awful at all but necessary for the greater good. For Edwards they are necessary for God’s full glorification. For Calvinists adopting inconsistent views that run afoul of God’s character is nothing new. Edwards, more realistically, had to allow that “things” were not yet “settled in peace,” and so the fallen world’s order, which for him included slavery, was still in effect.” [5]. [17], Recently Roger Olson wrote a critique of Edwards legacy. Please feel free to engage that post and tell me where my conclusions are remiss. ( Log Out /  That is one reason why I can get along with nice Calvinists like you. Why? This letter was written by Sarah Edwards, wife of Jonathan Edwards, to her brother, James Pierpoint of New Haven about the visit of the evangelist, George Whitefield, who came to Northampton in October, 1740.1 October 24, 1740. Among those influenced by Whitefield’s preaching were Jonathan Edwards and a young William Wilberforce. It gives an appearance that John Piper wants Wilberforce to be a Calvinist even though he never came out and said as such. Is the gospel really a bracketed theology akin to “God so loved [the elect only] in the world that whosoever [among the elect] believes in Him will be saved.” To its shame Calvinism says “yes” to these questions and therefore in my opinion is a libel against both God’s character and the simplicity of the gospel. God is sovereign). And herein is where the center of my critique will largely focus. On the other hand Edwards demonstrated an unnerving talent to be thoroughly inconsistent– for Edwards was also a slave owner! He does this masterfully with obscuring language that is general rather than specific. Whitefield’s defenders may counter that it is recorded that his slaves were devoted to him, or that Whitefield saw his role as their master as an opportunity to be their evangelist too. Jonathan Edwards, (born October 5, 1703, East Windsor, Connecticut [U.S.]—died March 22, 1758, Princeton, New Jersey), greatest theologian and philosopher of British American Puritanism, stimulator of the religious revival known as the “ Great Awakening,” and one of the forerunners of the age of Protestant missionary expansion in the 19th century. However at the end of the day Whitefield opted for moral and theological compromise because he felt the economy of Georgia needed the backs of slaves to hold it up. The Puritans regarded themselves as God’s Elect, and so they had no difficulty with slavery, which had the sanction of the Law of the God of Israel. Edwards hoped that Whitefield, another dynamic evangelist of the Great Awakening, would keep the flames of revival alive in his congregation. Piper either never read Arminius or Wesley, or he has… and is pursuing some sort of historical revisionism to tip the balance in his favor. LOGICALLY speaking this is true. I would never deny that. I have tried to make the point that both Edwards and Whitfield’s defense of slaveholding was not so much a result of character deficiency as it was a logical extension of their Calvinistic, theological determinism. Fortunately in most areas it seems that Edwards also was aware of the need to obey God. Thanks John Shelley for the link to your response paper. Roger Olson has my great respect because he says everything I want to say but comes across very peaceful, lol. For many Calvinists such a question asks far too much of them to reflect upon. In fact, Edwards seemed to deny the whole idea of “otherwise”–even in God. Cotton Mather told blacks they were the “miserable children of Adam and Noah, “for whom slavery had been ordained as a punishment.” [14]. More to the point, let me ask you a very simple question: “Have you ever committed any sin that was outside God’s sovereign, determinative will?”. With that said I find it somewhat troubling that Edwards has largely been given a pass on both his logical and biblical flaws in theology as well as his slave ownership. I think not. How many white people have been destroyed for want of them…”, In contrast to Whitefield, John Wesley, who also lived in Georgia for a time always opposed slavery and called America’s enslavement of the blacks, “that execrable sum of all villanies.” [16]. But that may be because he gave her a Christian name, or she could have died young while enslaved. So I would have to disagree with you that “the doctrines of Calvinism have not gotten in the way of Abolition any more than the Arminian.” I don’t believe history bears that out–especially in the earlier years of the Abolitionist movement. If one says “from his nature,” then, with the denial of libertarian free will, God becomes a machine. Perhaps it’s fitting to simply state: It takes a hypocrite to know a hypocrite. However to be fair Wesley wasn’t the most constant and emotionally supportive husband either. For example God loves all, God purchased all slaves by his blood, God seeks to extend mercy to all, God is the Savior of all and God wants freedom for all. I’m only saying that he either didn’t seem to notice his own contradictions or he chose to overlook them while vehemently pointing out and condemning contradictions he thought he saw in Arminianism. I share this with you because it may provide a glimpse from someone from a differing view on things from yourself. It is easy to assume that the debate surrounding the merits or lack thereof concerning Calvinism is a distraction to the “simplicity that is in Jesus.” However as I see it the very character of God is at stake which in turn throws into jeopardy the simplicity of the gospel. . I can identify with Charles Finney who said of Edwards “The man I adore; his errors I deplore.” It seems to me that many of Edwards’ fans (especially among American evangelicals) are too quick to pass over the obvious logical flaws in his theology. One of my frustrations with Calvinism is they seek to gather in new adherents by extolling God’s sovereignty… while simultaneously smuggling in a host of presuppositions as to what “sovereignty” entails. What?? Free will, according to him, only means doing what you want to do–following the strongest inclination provided to the will by the affections. Whitefield grew up in England, the son of an innkeeper. Olson also rightly argues that while the American public school system has wrongly downplayed Jonathan Edwards contributions, American evangelicalism has overblown his legacy as being America’s greatest preacher and theologian that we should emulate and follow. [8]Â, Strangely enough Edwards, the voice of America’s spiritual awakening, sought to defend America’s domestic slavery of Africans while at the same time denouncing the Transatlantic slave trade that was decimating many African countries in bringing slaves to America. I was frustrated by what “appeared” to be a harsh set of doctrines. Edwards was a meticulous writer, crafting pamphlets for publication. Or, more charitably, Edwards saw the inconsistency of others more clearly than he saw his own in this case.”, While there is much virtue in the man–well beyond my own– to be praised and admired, I. find it interesting and a bit telling that leading Calvinists like Edwards as well as George Whitfield supported and defended America’s enslavement of blacks and were totally blind to how such support was inconsistent and diametrically opposed to the character of God as revealed through Christ. As such slavery ought now to be abolished from the Christian community. The world is the way it is because God predestined it so. On the other hand, in the narrower perspective, God abhors them and commands creatures not to do them. It is speculative and dangerous. It’s not just that God brings good out of them. Agreed. He had this to say of Piper’s over-reach: “As I said, I am in complete agreement with these doctrines myself; however, I do not see how this is important to the context of the life of William Wilberforce given that this is only a 76 page introductory biography. Having said all that, I still do not understand why so many of his fans overlook or excuse Edwards’ very significant errors. But the substantive meat of the article is Olsen’s keen insight in skillfully dissecting Edwards theology and reveals his logical inconsistencies and tantamount theological blunders that make his underlying theology wholly untenable for Christian thinkers to embrace. Merely knowing about these evangelical “icons” was not enough for some; physical proximity to the places they preached, or even to their buried bodies, was even better. Blessings to you as well. Olson believes that Edwards has become the darling of Christian thought for many evangelicals due in no small part to receiving a “pass” on many of his unfortunate logical and theological blunders– not to mention his glaring hypocrisy in defending slave ownership. God bless. As already noted above, a belief in theological determinism, like that in Calvinism, leaves little room to truly condemn anything or anyone. The perennial question that plagues Calvinism and which Edwards must have wrestled with is: “What God has, It is only fair to wonder if Edwards thought the same thing, for he did not own just one slave, he and his family owned numerous slaves. Jonathan Edwards As the Great Awakening swept across Massachusetts in the 1740s, Jonathan Edwards, a minister and supporter of George Whitefield, delivered what would become one of … Shalom. It is impossible and indeed misguided to attempt to denounce the merits of Calvinism or extol the virtues of Arminianism, I would say not. In my view, though, it makes little sense when Calvinists reject teachings that are explicit in Calvin. I have posted a recent post (here) in response to your honest request for quotes that prove Calvinism holds to divine determinism over all things. Perhaps it’s fitting to simply state: It takes a hypocrite to know a hypocrite. And yet, creatures are to blame for sinning even thought they could not do otherwise. John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards were both born in the same year, 1703, and Wesley in particular was not at all a “product of his time” and passionately spoke out against the evils of British and colonial American slavery in tract and speech. . Therefore, the subjects could overthrow the king. What kind of sermons did Jonathan Edwards present? He even believed in evangelism (gasp! Sadly our public schools have not been kind or fair to him. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and completely satisfied God’s punishment for the penalty of your sins? This is not to say there did not exist any slave holder who espoused Arminian ideas–there undoubtedly were. In fact within a few short years in 1744, “a number of his parishioners insisted upon an account of his own expenditures, an action suggesting the jealousy and resentment aroused by the family’s taste for jewelry, chocolate, Boston-made clothing, children’s toys—, Strangely enough Edwards, the voice of America’s spiritual awakening, sought to defend America’s domestic slavery of Africans, Thabiti Anyabwile, himself a present day Calvinist theologian, sums it up well, saying, “Edwards attempted to thread a needle between ending the Transatlantic slave trade, on the one hand, and supporting the domestic servitude of Africans on the other. Synonymous is to call into question what God has predetermined ought to occur Johnathon Edwards and George to! Most modern Christians, the very idea of “otherwise”–even in God for you, who can be found the! 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