I’ve been noticing something – in the halls at seminary, across the Evangelical / New Calvinist blogosphere, in conversations with my friends, and – most frighteningly – in my own heart. Snobbery. Theological snobbery, to be more precise. And it has left a very nasty taste in my mouth.
First I found it creeping into my internal dialogue, where I thought I was safe – not safe from sin, just safe from others finding out about it. But when things go on and on inside, eventually they leak out for the rest of the world to witness. This was about three years ago during the time of class registration at seminary. I found myself attempting to pick seminary professors based on a sort of theological litmus test: Where does Prof. _________ stand on the Five Points? Never mind the fact that I’d just had classes with two professors – neither would describe themselves as Reformed (that’s just another word for Calvinistic) – who were absolutely wonderful in both their academic skill and devotional heart. They both modeled humility and love for Jesus powerfully. Without question I had learned from them both, and learned more than the textbooks had to offer. Yet here I was seeking to avoid “professors like them” who wouldn’t sign off on TULIP.
Then I heard it from a fellow student. We were talking about good books we’d all been reading lately. Someone brought up Simple Church by Thom Rainer. Great book. And I expressed my opinion that it was worth the read. Well, another guy in the room rolled his eyes, seemingly exasperated. Trying to understand his apparent distaste, I probed a bit only to find that he scoffed at the idea of reading a book about “ministry methodology based on statistics rather than scripture.” Whatever. I realized then that the guy obviously had not even read the book.
Then there’s the friend of mine who felt she had to know a speaker’s “theology” before he began his message, worried about whether or not she should be listening to him. This was not a speaker at some panel sponsored by the (very liberal) National Council of Churches. This was a Southern Baptist spokesperson who was personally known by organizer of the event (who was “trusted”). “Do we know where he stands on election?” [Begin sarcastic tone here.] Right, this is important, because if he disagrees with us on that point then he has nothing valuable to say, nothing we can learn.
Finally, I snapped a few weeks ago. I was talking with a friend – no one in my church or at my seminary; this is someone I know from college; and yes, I’ve got his permission to write about this – about a commentary on the book of Revelation by Grant Osborne. I think it is a great commentary. But Osborne is an – wait for it… here it comes… are you sure you’re ready? because there is no turning back after this… You might never look at me the same way again – ARMINIAN! Gasp! Oh. My. Goodness. Can it be? What could I possibly gain reading a book – nay! not just a book but a commentary on the Holy Scriptures! – written by a man who is not just not a Calvinist, but an outright Arminian?
A lot, thank you.
God, give me grace never to be overcome with theological snobbery again. It is SO… asinine, and for several reasons.
The hubris that accompanies theological snobbery directly contradicts the theology the snob claims to believe. If I believe in the strong sovereignty of God in and over salvation, that means everything I believe was revealed to me. I figured nothing out as a result of my own intellectual prowess. So I should not think myself better than anyone else on those grounds. Arrogance is a characteristic in conflict with Reformed theology.
Also, if we were to remove from our thinking, studies, and practice everything that came from non-Calvinists, we’d have a very poor inheritance of faith, indeed. Those well-loved Wesley hymns like “Come Thou Fount, “And Can It Be” and “O For a Thousand Tongue to Sing” – gone, for Wesley was no Calvinist. Any pastor who has read Richard Baxter’s classic The Reformed Pastor has certainly been blessed by its encouragement and exhortation to faithful ministry, but Baxter opted for the Arminian understanding of the atonement. For a more contemporary example, we need only consider Southern Baptist leader Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his contributions to our convention in the last few years. Akin’s leadership, I believe, will go down in history as being used by God to save our denomination from the trappings of denominational pragmatism.
The Church has gained much over the last two thousand years from devoted men and women who would not hold to each of the Five Points. Many people who don’t hold to TULIP have a zealous passion of Jesus and are able teachers of the Bible. Whether we like it or not, my Reformed friends, we have been blessed by Arminians and 2% moderate Calvinists.
What I really wanted to figure out after my last little eruption against theological snobbery was the root cause. What is underneath this doctrinal arrogance? What is hidden under the surface, beneath the claims of only being concerned about guarding biblical truth? What’s the lie I have believed – and am susceptible to believing again! – that makes me think that I cannot learn from a non-Calvinist? This was the question I have been thinking about for some time. And this is the question I will address in the next post…
2 Responses to “Snob. – Part 1”