What Is Calvinism?

Theologians refer to Calvinism in several different ways. It can indicate the specific teachings of John Calvin (1509–64), though that use is probably too narrow. It can also describe the views of his immediate followers as they sought to organize his views; while more accurate than the previous category, this is still too limited. It can also function as a metonym for Reformed or covenant theology.

Generally, Calvinism is abridged by the use of the acrostic TULIP: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. These are later formulations that represent closely the type of Calvinism that emerged from the Synod of Dort (1618–19).

While it is popular to highlight TULIP as the prototype of Calvinism, it is more precisely understood as a particular response to Arminianism, or the five articles of Remonstrance put forth by those who aligned themselves with the teachings of Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609). While not as well known as TULIP, one recent summary of the five articles built on the acrostic ACURA: all are sinful, conditional election, unlimited atonement, resistible grace, and assurance of salvation. These five phrases are a close approximation of the Arminians’ concerns with the theology of the Dutch Reformed Church in their 1610 debates. So, while TULIP may be helpful as a way to remember the doctrines of grace, it will not do as a taxonomic definition for Calvinism.

Beyond TULIP

Calvinism is broader than the “five points” of TULIP. It is a diverse theological tradition whose encompassing logic allows for several streams within its confessional standards, some of which do not map precisely onto TULIP, though they remain within its orbit. This suggests that Reformed theology and Calvinism do not have the same boundaries. In the United States, the “new Calvinists” are those who identify with the five points. Some of these continue to identify as Baptists, identifying with Charles Spurgeon or other Puritan divines. A Calvinist minister may also lead a nondenominational congregation, drawing from TULIP but holding to a truncated Reformed doctrine of the church and the sacraments. These would all be Calvinist but not altogether Reformed.

Concerning Reformed Theology

What are the boundaries for Reformed theology? Theologians offer a consistent set of answers. First, their churches trace their roots to the sixteenth-century magisterial Reformers, rather than to the later seventeenth-century radical Reformers who are the genealogical descendants of Baptists and other nondenominational churches.

Second, Reformed churches allow Scripture to serve as its “norming norm,” with the various creeds and confessions functioning in a secondary way. These would include the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of the Synod of Dort, and the Westminster Confession.

Third, the ecclesial identity of those embracing fully Reformed theology will organize their churches via Presbyterian and Episcopal church-polity structures. They will not be nondenominational or congregational.

Fourth, a sacramental approach to ministry will mark Reformed theology, so the Lord’s Supper and baptism will be seen as means of grace and not mere memorials or public testimonies. So, being Reformed and being a Calvinist are not the same thing.

A Calvinist emphasizes TULIP, though not necessarily Reformed ecclesiology. Calvinism, then, is a bounded set of doctrinal emphases with a variety of ecclesiological expressions.

Diversity of Views Within Calvinism

A recent example of this diversity is evangelical Calvinism, a loosely affiliated group of interpreters who have misgivings regarding the federal or orthodox understanding of Calvinism. This divergent form of Calvinism finds fruitful dialogue partners in Thomas and James Torrance as they function as interpreters of Karl Barth.

Evangelical Calvinism is not to be confused with the new Calvinism, which is popular among younger evangelicals who espouse Reformed soteriology via the five points from Dort and who are disaffected with dispensationalism. This broad grouping of evangelicals includes those with differing eschatological views as well as those with differing positions on whether the miraculous spiritual gifts continue today. There are also diverse views among this group in regard to believer or infant baptism. This eclecticism, however, does not typically extend to dispensationalism.