Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 2

Kirkland: "Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy," Text, Part 2
Friday, October 21, 2022 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apologetics / Apostasy / Contemporary issues / God’s sovereignty / Scripture discussion / Spiritual deception / The church / Thought for Today

In the last post, we discussed the author’s skewed view of Augustine, the source—according to the author—for Calvin’s heretical teachings.

In that first chapter, the author also deals with Calvin’s account of his conversion, an account the author finds overly intellectual (see page 16). While he doesn’t say that Calvin’s account of his conversion meant it was ingenuine, neither does he say anything positive about it.

Kirkland’s comments are worth noting. It almost appears that if one doesn’t describe one’s “conversion experience” using language that Kirkland expects, then one’s conversion might be suspect. Why? God works in a person’s life based on who that person is, and that person’s experience may be far different from another’s in how they describe their coming to Christ. Why must that experience confirm to Kirkland’s expectations?

Chapter 2 deals with Calvin’s manner of life. Often described in lurid detail, the author makes one point: Calvin’s “life-style” of persecution, torture, and condemning to death of those who disagreed with him while he as at Geneva. The author claims that Calvin was directly or indirectly involved with somewhere between 36 and 58 executions (page 17).

Biblically, what went on was reprehensible. The times were ugly. Roman Catholics were persecuting and burning Protestants of all types at the stake, unless they recanted. Luther and Zwingli were in heated debates over the meaning of communion. Later, Lutherans and Calvinists were vilifying each other. All—Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists—were persecuting the Anabaptists. Some present the Anabaptists as unified. They were not. Many would be considered legitimate Christians, some though, were on the radical fringes, rejecting key tenets of the Christian faith. It is easy for us, living outside those times as we do, to level blanket criticism.

The author does focus on the execution of Servetus, an execution that is often used as the centerpiece of arguments against Calvin. Reformed apologists note that Calvin made many attempts to get Servetus to repent. Quoting David Hunt, Kirkland presents Servetus in the most favorable way possible, “that Servetus was right about some things” (page 19). Kirkland does admit, “Servetus definitely had some unbiblical teachings, such as his rejection of the Trinity” (page 19). While for the author, Calvinism is one of the worst forms of heresy, but denying God’s very nature is something we can more-or-less overlook? But again, taking an honest look at Servetus would diminish the author’s thesis.

Again, we tend to react now with righteous indignation. I wonder: How would we have responded back then, if we had lived in those times? The difficulty with the chapter is that it paints Calvin with a single brush stroke.

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