Hello and welcome back to Sochiology 101, where we're giving some short answers to some hard questions.

Let's start with the basics. What is Calvinism? It's only fair to learn Calvinism from

an actual Calvinist, and what better Calvinist to go to than John Calvin himself. He wrote this.

By predestination, we mean the eternal decree of God by which he determined with himself whatever

he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms,

but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation. And accordingly,

as each has been created for one or the other of those ends, we say that he has been predestined

to life or to death. Now, in contrast to Calvinism, there is what is often known as

Armenianism. Some call it traditionalism or free will theism or Wesleyanism. There's all kinds of

names. I personally hold to what is called traditionalism. What do I mean by that? When contrast to

Calvinism, traditionalism could be

described this way. By predestination, we mean the predetermined redemptive plan of God to justify,

sanctify, and glorify whosoever freely believes. All people are created with equal value as

image bearers of God, because God desires mercy over justice

and self-sacrificially loves every person. He has graciously provided the means of salvation

to every man, woman, boy, and girl. No person is created for damnation, or predetermined by God

to that end. Those who perish only do so because they

refuse to accept the truth so as to be saved. Now we could also look at some modern-day Calvinist.

For example, one of the most notable and influential Calvinist in the United States today

is undoubtedly John Piper. He wrote this, Never is man the ultimate or decisive cause of his

preferences and choices. When man's agency and God's agency are compared, both are real,

but God's is decisive. This is like the call of Lazarus out of the grave. Jesus called with a loud voice.

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