When Phil Johnson taught on Spurgeon at the 07SR he referenced some of Spurgeon’s contentions regarding Calvinism. I thought it would be helpful for some of our youth staff and students to get a better grasp on what Calvinism really is, so I began a brief series entitled “God Saves Sinners” during our Sunday morning meetings (see the end of this post for links to that material). We are more than halfway through and I thought now would be as good a time as any to suggest some additional resources for those interested in studying Calvinism on their own.
Online Resources
- J.I. Packer’s Introduction to The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is one of the best summaries of the Doctrines of Grace I’ve read.
- Charles Spurgeon, “A Defense of Calvinism.” Spurgeon on sovereignty, enough said.
- The Canons of Dort. This is the original document written to refute the false teaching of the Remonstrance.
- Phil did a seminar at this year’s Shepherds’ Conference that he’s turned into a blog series titled, “Why I Am a Calvinist.” This particular post has links to a one message mp3 he preached on “The Story of Calvinism” and a 600+ page Word document on Calvinism that is near the top of his recommended reading list.
- Here is a page that covers TULIP in outline form, with verses, and a few other pertinent quotations.
- This is a position paper from Bethlehem Baptist Church (John Piper), What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism.
Books
The first two of these are in my top 10 list of most influential books. If you’ve been waiting for a good time to start your theological library, wait no longer.
- The Five Points of Calvinism, by Steele, Thomas, and Quinn. I’d recommend the newest version that has an updated typeface and some additional articles in the back. If you are going to buy just one book, this is the standard.
- The Sovereignty of God, by A.W. Pink. You can also read this book online, or print it out for free, though it is worth having on your bookshelves — after you’ve read it, of course.
- The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Loraine Boettner. Likewise, you can read this online.
Online Audio
If iPod listening is your thing, I wholeheartedly recommend:
- John Piper’s seminar messages on TULIP mp3s. Once you get to the page, scroll down until you see “TULIP.”
And though I haven’t listened to any of these, and though it is only focused on the “L” of TULIP, I’m planning on listening to:
- Steve Lawson on 10 Reasons Why the Bible Teaches Definite Atonement.
one28 Messages
My own material is obviously not the first, nor is it the best, nor will it be the final word on Calvinism. Yet it is my attempt to explain it to our staff and students, so it is available for those in one28 who may have missed a particular Sunday. These links will take you to the mp3 audio files and the manuscript for each message. I’ll update this post when new messages are available, or you can subscribe to the one28 sermon podcast.
- Questions About Calvinism
- The Historical Burden of Calvinism
- The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 1) - Total Depravity and Unconditional Election
- The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 2) - Limited Atonement
- The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 3) - Limited Atonement
- The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 4) - Irresistible Grace
- The Biblical Burdens of Calvinism (Pt 5) - Perseverance of the Saints
- Responses to Calvinism
If you have other recommended resources for studying the sovereignty of God in salvation, please share those suggestions in the comments.
For the still unconvinced, Phil is also going through a series at The Pulpit which expands on his Shepherds’ Conference lesson, exploring some of the basic and undeniable theology of salvation and showing how those truths form the basis for a Biblical understanding of Calvinism and the sovereignty of God.
And, of course, that’s what you had been linking to already, so I’m a complete idiot. :P
I wouldn’t use the word complete. Not at all. :-)
True true, for now I’m only a positionally complete idiot. ;)