4
Followers
23
Following
Inklings
I'm addicted to books. According to Umberto Eco I am building an anti-library, meaning I own way more books than I have read. I love good fiction, literature, theology, Biblical studies, philosophy, children's books, and lots more.
Currently reading
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation
The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace
Progress:
244/331 pages
House of Leaves
Progress:
50/662 pages
The Hound of the Baskervilles (with Illustrations by Sidney Paget)
Progress:
35 %
The Dead Zone
Progress:
52/402 pages
Holiness
Help! I'm a Small Church Youth Worker: Achieving Big-Time Success in a Non-Mega Ministry
Progress:
57/115 pages
How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels
Progress:
69 %
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Five Points of Calvinism
First of all I would like to say that I agree with Bryson's conclusions in this little book. Most of the points against "Reformed theology" are points that I have noted and proclaimed in the past (Sorry to all my Reformed friends out there, but it is my belief that Calvinists and Arminians need to listen to and respect one another, engaging in loving and honest dialogue, without resorting to arrogant and snide comments.) That being said, I was a bit disappointed in his brief "refutations." I have noticed that some of the reviews on here have accused Bryson of ripping quotes out of context and, in general, sloppy scholarship. Since I have not read any of the works he cites, I cannot speak to this issue (incidentally, I have yet to talk with a Calvinist who concedes that the other sided has at least presented a strong--if somewhat flawed in their opinion--argument. Instead, I see that David Hunt, Roger Olson, Jerry Walls, etc. get attacked as dumb dumbs who just don't get it...anyway I digress), however I do believe that Bryson could have--and should have--bolstered his arguments with more thorough exegesis and a clearer explanation of his points. He tries to be witty, but perhaps he's not British enough to pull it off like a C.S. Lewis or N.T. Wright. All in all, I agree with the conclusions but would have presented my case more thoroughly.