"Reformed theologian"
A good phrase. But I always smile when I hear it. As long as we're careful with capitalization (i.e. "Reformed theologian" instead of "reformed theologian").
I do believe that when you first came on these threads you weren't even sure what a Calvinist was and then, as soon as you understood what the TULIP was, promptly wrote that you had held the doctrines of sovereignty in salvation long before hearing anything of Calvinism and had acquired those views from your own Bible study.
I was trying to recall the names of a few other "Calvinists" at FR who had that same experience of rather suddenly discovering that they were what are commonly called "Calvinist". I recall a Canadian writer (was his name Arthur Constance?) who wrote many books subsequently but who came to his faith after being snowbound in a cabin for a winter. He also became a Calvinist without knowing what one was. Strangely enough, he was also an inventor and an
engineer. What is it with engineering and scientific professions that lead so many toward Calvinist doctrine? I've often noticed this. Is it that the engineering instinct reads the scriptures like a schematic of salvation, knowing full well that nothing in the structure of man is capable of saving himself but only the sovereign power of God? That's my current theory.
I thought these examples tend to deflect the tired accusation that we have acquired a worldly and manmade philosophy of Calvinism. The repeated independent discovery of the doctrines of grace from scripture alone testifies strongly against the accusation ftD has hurled so many times.
Dakota gal in Seattle to A.J.Armitage in
#34:
For all of my life I thought I was a Presbyterian. After reading your post, I must be a Calvinist.
What a comment this is on some of the modern Presbyterian churches, who once so firmly and universally upheld Calvinist doctrine so intrepidly. I was glad for Dakota_gal but I had to smile a little here. I thought Orthodox Presbyterian should see this one and forgot to flag him earlier.
Actually, when I am with my pastor, I refer to myself as Reformed, especially in response to his questions to me. It tends not to upset the few Rabid Arminians that we do have in the congregation. If you will notice that my grace argument, which I distributed to my pastor, used the expression "Reformed theologian" and Arminian.I have started to tell family and friends that I now take a "reformed" position.
The title "Calvinist" makes people nervous..