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Title: Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism: An Inductive, Mediate Theology of Salvation by C. Gordon Olson ISBN: 0-9624850-4-7 Publisher: Global Gospel Publishers Pub. Date: November, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (6 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: exegetical fallacies galore
Comment: It's funny that a book that stresses how many others commit exegetical fallacies, should have so many itself. Almost every word study in the book is a great example of what not to do when doing a word study. Olson's knowledge of Greek is quite limited, yet one who reads it without this knowledge could be easily decieved. As is evident by the mostly good reviews.
One of the most obvious mistakes was to say that the Hebrew word "nacham" never means repent! One only needs to use a Strong's concordance to see this is not so.
While I myself am an Arminian, I don't recommend this book at all. Forlines - "The Quest for Truth" is much better, as well as Arminius and Richard Watson. Prbably the best chapters in Olson's book are 6 and 7. I recommend finding it in a library somewhere, and reading 6 and 7, and then puttin it back never to be read again.
Rating: 4
Summary: looking good
Comment: Although I have only read the first 2 chapters of this book and the appendix "My Theological Pilgrimage", I have found it to be remarkable.
In those chapters Olson lays out the issues and the approach he takes on them in the chapters to follow. His testimony and his approach are pleasing to the spiritual eye.
One of the foundations of Olson's approach is missions, and he notes, "The great scandal of the Protestant Reformation lays in the fact that Protestants did not send out missionaries for almost two centuries after the reformation".
His comment as to reactionary theology is well quoted from Berkouer, "Reaction from some unbiblically one-sided proposition has often landed theology in another unbiblically one-sided proposition", and there is much truth in this. Olson is also very concerend about how Biblical words are interpreted, especially in the light of context, and rightly so.
The following comment spoke much to me, as I have come to the same conclusion in my studies: "Thiessen's systematic thelolgy IN ITS ORIGINAL EDITION (1949) (my emphasis) espoused election and eternal security, and thus is the only full theological work holding to a mediate theology of salvation". (See my comment on that book on this web site).
Some other notable statements in the book:
"...many of Calvinism's weaknesses have derived from its tendency to a deductive theology, often coloured by Greek philosophy... Many aspects of Calvinistic doctrine seem to be extrapolations of biblical data".
Regarding limited atonement, "None of the church fathers, including Augustine, nor any of the reformers,including Calvin, held to it."
"What was most interesting to my Calvinistic bias was to find that nowhere in classical, Koine, Septuagintal or New Testament Greek does 'proginoskein' mean more than "to know beforehand". I discovered that centuries of theological tradition have read into this word a meaning inconsistent with its usage in Greek literature."
"...exegesis of Ephesians 1 reveals that the only election we have is "in Christ", an emphasis repeated twenty time in the first two chapters and that in this church epistle the context militates for corporate, not individual, election."
"The exegetical flimsiness of using Ephesians 2:8-10 to prove that faith is the gift of God is well known and will be examined carefully."
"It is also significant to distinguish the Calvinistic doctrine of the perseverance of the saints from the Biblical teaching of eternal security, since Calvinism has significantly intruded a believer's experiential sanctification into assurance of ultimate salvation."
I look forward to reading the remainder of this book, and have offered the above to whet your appetite for what looks like sound Biblical positioning in the face of the current thrust by many in Evangelical circles to espouse Calvinism, a defective, philosophical view of God and His plan for mankind that ends up putting Him in a box.
4 stars, because I have not yet completed it, but highly recommended based on what I have read.
Rating: 5
Summary: Reasonable polemic against Calvinism
Comment: Olson has put together a masterpiece in his defense of a "mediate" view towards soteriology as it relates to Calvinism and Arminianism.
One of the basic premises that Olson establishes is the fact that his theology is "Inductive" and not "deductive" as the Cavinists' is. This is important. The Calvinist makes his claims and bases his theology on a deductive reasoning of the scriptures instead of letting the scriptures speak for themselves within their context.
Olson lays out his thesis chapter by chapter and builds upon a strong foundation which is buttressed by each additional chapter.
His tone is informative--not vitriolic. And his writing is easy to read and engaging. However, do not expect this to be coffee table reading. It is a substantial book filled with a good deal of facts, foundations, and historical analysis.
He makes an appealing case for his position and has strong scriptural support--using excellent exegesis I might add.
If you are wondering about this whole Calvinism vs Arminianism debate and are looking for a reasonable middle ground, I can't think of a better tome than this one.
Highly recommended.
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Title: Grace, Faith, Free Will: Contrasting Views of Salvation: Calvinism and Arminianism by Robert E. Picirilli ISBN: 0892656484 Publisher: Randall House Pubns Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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Title: The Other Side of Calvinism by Laurence M. Vance ISBN: 0962889873 Publisher: Vance Publications Pub. Date: 05 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Election & Predestination: Keys to a Clearer Understanding by Samuel Fisk ISBN: 1579109292 Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Opposite Poles by Frederick W. Wright ISBN: 1591604915 Publisher: Xulon Press Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.99 |
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Title: Chosen but Free: A Balanced View of Divine Election by Norman L. Geisler ISBN: 0764225219 Publisher: Bethany House Pub. Date: July, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.99 |
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