#18 John Piper
(4 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Loading ...Piper is one of those people blessed with great ability as a communicator, great passion, and solid theology. He has had a surge of popularity over the last five to ten years but his impact goes back a good bit before that. His most highly regarded book, Desiring God, was actually written in 1986. He is the Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and regularly preaches. He has through the years taken sabbaticals and breaks to focus on study and writing and that has given us enough books to fill several shelves on almost any sized bookshelf.
He has the patience to preach on a subject until he feels he has adquitly covered the finer points without ever losing passion. His run on Romans went an astounding 224 sermons from 1998-2006. The organization that releases his books, sermons and additional resources, Desiring God, has helped get his materials into the hands of people both in the US and Worldwide for great prices. He offers almost every book he has ever written for free in digital format as well.
Piper's accomplishments could fill a large book but he is among the most humble preachers around to have risen to his level of popularity in Calvinist circles and elsewhere.
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Here's an example of one of the many videos available online of Piper preaching.
Some Piper resources:
http://www.desiringgod.org/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/authors/john-piper
http://twitter.com/johnpiper
#16 Parenting
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Yes, we already covered homeschooling but Calvinist take it a step further. Whether their kids are homeschooled, go to public school, or are pre-school, one thing most Calvinist do is parent.
Those children slapping their parents and still learning how to use a broom at 14 could use a dose of this trait. Parenting is not for the weary, but neither is almost anything in life. So, why do Calvinist tend to lean towards parenting more often than letting their kids grow up in the back yard with the family pet? It could probably be attributed to several things but one of the main ones is that it is commanded. Yep, there is actually a command to parent. You are actually called to love your child AND train and discipline them.
It may seem odd but most Calvinist best friends are older than 18. Makeing friends with kids is fine but Calvinist tend to lean towards children looking up to adults and adults instructing and loving the children. A big proponent in these circles for parenting has to be Paul Tripp. He has several books on the subject so if this is the first time you have ever heard of parenting please check him out.
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#15 Heidelberg Catechism
(8 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5) Loading ...
The Heidelberg Catechism is a teaching tool that much of Reformed Theology relies upon when attempting to clarify its theology. Think of a Catechism as a FAQ for teaching doctrine.
http://reformedarsenal.tumblr.com
St Paul, Minnesota
#14 The Westminster Confession of Faith
(9 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5) Loading ...
The WCF or Westminster Standards is an unofficial subordinate doctrinal standard that underpines much of Presbyterianism, Reformed Theology as a whole, and is still officially a subordinate standard for the Church of Scotland.
http://reformedarsenal.tumblr.com
St Paul, MN
#13 T.U.L.I.P.
(13 votes, average: 4.23 out of 5) Loading ...
This easy acronym helps Calvinists to remember the primary tenants of Calvinist Theology. Each letter stands for a significant teaching of Calvin or his immediate followers. Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. Often you'll hear someone say "I'm a 5 point Calvinist," meaning that they ascent to all 5 points of the TULIP acronym. You also commonly find 4 point Calvinists who object to Limited Atonement (the idea that Christ only died for the elect).
Tony Arsenal
http://reformedarsenal.tumblr.com
St Paul, Minnesota
#12 Pilgrim’s Progress
(7 votes, average: 4.86 out of 5) Loading ...
Next to the Bible, the book I value most is John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. --Charles Spurgeon
Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of a Christian's journey (here represented by a character called 'Christian') from the "City of Destruction" to the "Celestial City". Along the way he visits such locations as the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, the Doubting Castle, and the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Bunyan, the author, had very little formal education and a humble background. Nonetheless Pilgrim's Progress is considered one of the masterpieces of English literature, and is required reading for Christians who are on the spritual path in a world of temptations.*
Pilgrim's Progress is a right of passage for Calvinist. If you are going to try to make it on to Owen, Luther and others you should master Bunyan first. It is not argued that he loves the lord any less than these men but he leaves behind the technical nature of their writings and gives us a story easy enough to call a children's book but so well crafted it can be studied for years by adults. The original language can be cumbersome to us now and yet amazingly poetic.
#11 Al Mohler
(9 votes, average: 4.44 out of 5) Loading ...
Albert Mohler is a modern reformer in many ways and is quite popular in Calvinist circles. His ability to say exactly what he thinks in the face of adversity and his regular speaking have made him a household name. His story leading up to, becoming, and his service as the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky has almost a sense of folklore to it. He has a regular blog and radio program and it is always easy to find new material that he has created.
Southern, the seminary he presides over is seen by many as a leader in the reformed church movement with it's graduates taking a leading role in reforming our churches. Al has been a big inspiration to these people and towards the direction of the seminary as a whole.
#10 Latin
(5 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Even John Calvin himself published his greatest work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, in Latin five years before publishing it in his native French. Calvinist ideas are much older than graphic design and thus were unable to be recognized as easily as, for instance , recycling is recognized by the triangle of arrows. What were Calvinist to do? Latin was the most universal language at the time of the reformation and for some years after. The Five Solas are five Latin phrases that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic theological beliefs in contradistinction to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church of the day.
If you name you blog using a Latin title you also may receive Calvinist bonus points.
Though Latin has ceased to be a spoken language, it is now used to represent ideas that are bigger than even the words themselves. Something that can be hard to do using common languages. This does not mean that Calvinist deem Latin of some particular importance above the words but they can convey common ideas such as "by scripture alone" in a way that is singularly focused in meaning by using the Latin, "Sola scriptura."
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#17 Systematic Theology
There are several famous systematic theology books from old to almost brand new. Our generations are probably most familiar with Wayne Grudem's, Charles Hodge's and a few others but there are many out there.
A quick example and except from Grudem's work:
Chapter 34 - Regeneration
What does it mean to be born again?
Explanation and Scriptural Basis
We may define regeneration as follows: Regeneration is a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us. This is sometimes called "being born again" (Using language from John 3:3-8)