The Five Points of Calvinism

For a while, I had a tough time comprehending this book. That is, until I became involved in a Calvinistic church for a brief period - Thank God for only a brief period! Once I saw firsthand the fruit of Calvinism in other's lives, the concepts in this book came to life! It gets a bad rap from Calvinists because it is right on target! Mr. Bryson quotes Calvinists in order to clarify their position, so he remains moderately objective. He is passionate - and understandably so. He has seen firsthand the shipwrecked faith of believers who get ensnared by Calvinism's heresy. What I personally found in the Calvinistic church I visited was that the majority of the message/sermons in some way were crafted to bolster the Calvinistic position. There was a dreadful imbalance in the teaching - the Sovereignty of God taught at the expense of other doctrines. If a bird has one small wing and one large wing, it will fly around in circles. That describes the church I was attending. In short, Calvinists seem obsessed with proving their position rather than simply teaching the Bible. Example: When I met with the pastors to explain that I would no longer be attending the church because I couldn't and wouldn't embrace Calvinism, the senior pastor in seemingly trying to empathize with my position made a statement that began with the words, "When I was saved out of Arminianism..." His statement stunned me! He was saved 'out of Arminianism'? When I repented and came to Jesus Christ I was saved from sin and death! This pastor said he was saved from Arminianism! I knew at that moment I was making the right decision in leaving. Also, Calvinists tend to be highly educated. (James White, Albert Mohler, R.C. Sproul) There is nothing wrong with being highly educated, however Calvinists seem to display a subtle undertone of intellectual superiority. This may be another reason that some people embrace Calvinism. It can make you feel somehow (consciously or unconsciously) intellectually and/or spiritually superior by association. In disagreeing with their position, I found I was made to feel that I just hadn't been enlightened or didn't have a true grasp of Scripture. The peace I had in my walk with Christ disappeared during my several weeks in Calvinism. It has returned since I am now in a church with no "isms" Please, save yourself some pain and order this book.

This is an awesome little book for those who are just starting to look into this perennial issue. Fully persuaded calvi's will not find anything new or stimulating to sharpen their swords on here. No letter-by-letter exegesis, no smarting accusations. Just a very simple review of the scriptures which, on-surface, read as-is, along with the classic Caliv interpretation which reads them otherwise. The standard replacements of "All", "World", "Men" with the word "Elect", within select verses necessary to support the theology. And the numerous other verses which make one scratch the head looking for the possible logic, when likewise changed. - Man is held responsible for that which he is not response-able. - A review of the proposition that God gives commands to men which He refuses to allow them to obey, and then condemns them for their disobedience. - A review of the proposition that God created the vast majority of human souls throughout time, for the express purpose of watching them twist in torments within an eternal lake of fire, simply for good entertainment. (a view not adhered to by all Calvi's) - A review of the proposition that since God finds human sufferings entertaining, such entertainment is also acceptable for His elect to impose on the non-elect today. (a view not adhered to by all Calvi's) - A review of the proposition that God plants the seed (of salvation) within the soil (human soul) involuntarily.....symbolic of rape. Based upon the reasoning: If the woman (human soul) actually voluntarily gave herself to the seed planting process (salvation) this would be considered work, and therefore the seed planting process could not be considered a free gift, therefore exemplified as rape. (a view not adhered to by all Calvi's) - A review of the proposition that God proposes marriage (evangelism of the unsaved) to those whom He has no intention of marrying. That is to say, God offers salvation to those whom He has no intention of giving it to. Therefore His offer is made without integrity. My own personal observations, external to the content of this book: If one carefully and quietly examines the observable fruits before stepping into the spider-web of exegesis, it is suggested that one will recognize the following: Observable demographics from inception to today. - A belief system exclusively for to the white Anglo-Saxon male with a bent for intellectualism, philosophy, an over-sized ego, and a need to belong to an advanced guild. - A body posture which predominates chest puffed out, nose up high. - A full allowance made for all historical acts of torture, mutilation and murder on those outside the guild. - On aggregate, a persona of grandiose self-perception. A strong manifestation of Christian narcissism. So, if your just looking, this little book is a great read. And while your examining the fruit, see if you don't also recognize the observables listed. I think you'll find it entertaining. :^D

I found this book incredibly simple to comprehend, yet insightful and convincing. This is a manageable, well-balanced read for anyone interested in a critique of Calvinism. Without name-calling (as some so-called "Christian" reviewers do on these webpages and thus give a very poor image of a Chrisian church in America), George Bryson presents a structured, Bible-based presentation of Calvinism's inconsistencies. Of course, anyone who believes in the Calvinist dogma might argue that Bryson's Biblical passages are taken out of context, but the same arguement can be levied against Calvinist writings. We shouldn't forget that everyone's understanding of the Bible is unique, and hence there is no need to call those who disagree with you "heretics", as, most regretfully, did J.W. Majors. "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." - Romans 12:3

The issues raised with Calvinism still remain very hotly debated subjects within the Christian world. I came across this little gem while studying issues related to flaws inherent in Calvinistic doctrine. It should be noted that I neither subscribe entirely to nor wish to defend Arminianism by disagreeing with Calvinism. One of the dangers involved with studying these docrines lies in the temptation to choose either/or - Calvinist or Arminian, which simply creates a false dichotomy and discourages thorough contemplation and examination of scripture. However, the issue here is Calvinism. One of the main dangers of Calvinism lies in that Calvinistic doctrine does not send up the red flag to most Christians like other false doctrines may. This is because although the typical Christian may not be aware of it, Calvinistic leanings have become standard doctrine for many evangelical Christian churches all over the world. In fact, many Christians believe Calvinistic doctrine and may not even know it, at least in terms of being "Calvinist" doctrine. This book's value stems first from its conciseness and accuracy and should be in the library of any Christian because how one views these issues literally determines how you perceive God, other people, and reality itself. Second, perhaps the most convincing and credible reason the book represents such a valuable find lies in the fact that instead of trying to explain Calvinism himself, Bryson lets Calvinists do the explaining for themselves. This approach becomes extremely telling with regard to the inescapable flaws of the Calvinistic perspective. Thirdly, Bryson's arguments remain extremely sound (both scripturally and logically) throughout. Structurally, the book has two parts. The first deals with what Calvinism says and is according to the most influential and famous Calvinists in history. The second deals with the theological and philosophical implications (i.e. why Calvinism is wrong) of the Calvinistic perspective. These issues (the five points of Calvinism and the issues they in turn raise) remain among the most critical of the entire Christian worldview and should be understood thoroughly and refuted readily. This book provides for and facilitates both. Highly recommended.