We are more than halfway through the Reformation Conference at Faith Bible Church that I’ve titled, God Saves Sinners — The Sweetness of Sovereign Grace. Though I’ve previously posted most of the following list, I thought now would be a good time again to highlight some additional resources for those interested in studying Calvinism on their own.
For to Calvinism there is really only one point to be made in the field of soteriology: the point that God saves sinners. ~J.I. Packer
Online Resources
The following are free and immediate, aimed at those who can’t wait even a few days for ordered books to arrive.
- J.I. Packer’s “Introduction” to The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is the best summary of the Doctrines of Grace I’ve read.
- Charles Spurgeon, “A Defense of Calvinism.” A Spurgeon sermon on sovereign grace, enough said.
- The Canons of Dort. This is the original document written to refute the false teaching of the Remonstrance.
- Here is a page outlining TULIP with verses, that also includes a few pertinent quotations.
- What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism is the position paper of Bethlehem Baptist Church (John Piper).
- Phil Johnson taught a Shepherds’ Conference seminar that he turned into a blog series titled, “Why I Am a Calvinist.” This particular post has links to the mp3 of his message on “The Story of Calvinism” and a 600+ page downloadable Word document on Calvinism that is near the top of his recommended reading list.
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, 40th anniversary edition with an improved typeface, some additional articles and an updated bibliography. If you buy just one book on Calvinism, this should be it.
- 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.
- The Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther or The Freedom of the Will, by Jonathan Edwards, both of which make the same ultimate point that men can’t/won’t seek God on their own. In my opinion Luther is much more entertaining but Edwards’ approach is more insightful.
- The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, by John Owen, his never-refuted polemic on Limited Atonement.
- And for the practical consequences of Calvinism on shepherding and evangelism, the most helpful for me have been Ashamed of the Gospel, by John MacArthur and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J.I. Packer.
Online Audio
If iPod listening is your thing, I wholeheartedly recommend:
- John Piper’s seminar mp3s on TULIP. Once you get to the page, scroll down until you see “TULIP.”
And though I haven’t listened to any of the following, 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 the best, nor will it be the final word on Calvinism. Yet it is my attempt to explain it to our one28 staff and students. These links will take you to the mp3 audio files and the manuscript for each message.
- 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
And then for a completely different approach, here’s a message that explains how metanarratives, Postmodernism, Hanukkah, and Calvinism relate to each other.
If you have other recommended resources for studying the sovereignty of God in salvation, please share those suggestions in the comments.
3 Comments
That’s a timely post… I’m in an ongoing discussion with a fellow at my church over Limited Atonement - looking forward to studying-up!
I’m glad it was helpful. I do try, at least on occasion.
Thanks so much Sean for teaching both the reformation conferance and Summer Camp. It was so amazing. The quote that will be stuck in my head for a while, because it keeps coming up and up is the one you used during the last session. It went a little something like this,
“Fearing God is not just a Sabbath or Sunday only event. It is not something that only takes place during our spiritual disciplines. It means we don’t take A STEP before we think about how that relates to God, and who made are feet so we can take that step and who make the earth in which were walking and who controls the gravity that keeps us down, and that keeps us breathing so that we can take the step. We don’t take a step without thinking about how that relates to God. That is what the Fear of God means.”
thanks again