-
Reviewing Roger Olson’s "Against Calvinism"
Dr. James White reviewed Roger’s Olson’s “Against Calvinism” on the November 3, 2011, Dividing Line. Meanwhile, independently Paul Manata has prepared a detailed written review. I think both reviewers would agree with the following from Manata: In any event, Olson’s book leaves much to be desired. It isn’t anything like a “case” against Calvinism. Rather,…
-
Calvinism is Wrong Because Love Must Be Free?
I’ve heard an objection to Calvinism along the lines of the title of this post many times. The argument is that “irresistible grace” is at odds with the nature of God, since God wants us to love Him freely. Paul Manata has a succinct answer to that kind of argument. I would like to build…
-
Ponter and Paul on Sincerity (revisited)
David Ponter is a Unicornucopia of error in his attempt to challenge the “sincere offer.” My friend Paul has already provided a general response pointing out that a flaw of Ponter’s analogy is denial of omnipotence. Let’s take it a step further. Ponter’s idea is expressed through this analogy: David says to his friend Paddy,…
-
Sincere Offer, Election, and Limited Atonement
My friend Paul has posted a response to David Ponter’s response to James Anderson’s comments on Limited Atonement and the Free Offer. It’s a very detailed and worth reading. Allow me to post some shorter thoughts on the topic, namely the objection: Is the “free offer” of the gospel really “sincere” if Jesus only died…
-
Common Man Argument for Libertarian Free Will (rebutted)
Paul Manata has an interesting, if somewhat philosophical, post that seems to sum up most of the major arguments responsive to the “Common Man” Libertarian Free Will (LFW) argument (link). It’s a good article, and I encourage folks who think that there is some merit to the “common man” argument for LFW to read it…
-
Epistemic Certainty – Competing Warrants
I really don’t Mr. Manata’s fascination with Sudduth. Sudduth’s fundamental problem in his attempt to bolster his thesis that “theistic belief (and belief in other theological propositions) is not epistemically certain” is his essential relativism. This is seen in his frequent appeals to consensus authority at critical junctures (“Most accounts of epistemic certainty are tied…
-
Determined Choices
Paul Manata at Triablogue has a fascinating post on Determined Choices (link). He provides a reasonably concise explanation of how God’s declaration that he decides when we die (John 14:5) and the fact that people sometimes choose to kill themselves are compatible, not contradictory. Thus, he reasonably concludes that the nature of free will is…
-
Pharisees and Jesus – A Study in "Arminian" Logic
First Caveat: I’m using “Arminian” here to refer to a broad range of non-Calvinists – and specifically to refer to those representative of the population of non-Calvinists that regularly criticize Calvinism. I realize that there are Arminians out there who take a very different approach. This is not directed to them. Spurred on by Triablogue’s…
-
Myths and Realities about Arminianism
Paul Manata of Triablogue has provided a thorough and detailed (and consequently lengthy) review of and response to Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities, by Roger E. Olson (link to review). Olson is a self-described Arminian responding to what he views as various misconceptions about Arminianism both those of Calvinists and those of self-identified Arminians. I…